Ward (right), seen here at ActiveLab, has been appointed CEO
When I think of the huge momentum and strides taken by the physical activity sector in recent years, I see tremendous scope over the coming years for us to be a driving force in building a healthier and wealthier society.
From a personal perspective, the past few weeks have seen me reflect on my career at ukactive with particular focus. Having joined the then-FIA as a policy intern back in October 2006, I’ve witnessed both ukactive, and the physical activity sector it represents, change beyond recognition over the past decade and the progress has been staggering.
Driven by the growth of ukactive’s members, our industry has gone from being perceived as a niche lifestyle sector to a £7.7bn behemoth acknowledged by government as being integral to the future health of our nation and economy.
Time for change So it was with immense pride last month that I accepted the ukactive board’s invitation to become the CEO of this great organisation. I’ve greatly enjoyed my past two years as director, working with our chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, to build on the legacy of Dave Stalker and Fred Turok, without whom nothing we’re doing today would be possible.
The green shoots of progress from new ukactive initiatives – such as ActiveLab and Future Leaders – are already starting to sprout, and we remain rooted as ever in adding value to our members by delivering against their core commercial agenda.
A culture shift Where once we were living in the dark, our sector is now on the verge of being blinded by the light, thanks to the sheer amount of information available. This is the age when evidence-based initiatives such as the DataHub in partnership with 4Global (see page 72) and the ukactive national aggregated Exercise Referral Database, in partnership with ReferAll, will empower operators to make better, data-driven business decisions.
I also see a significant cultural shift ahead as the maturation of CIMSPA provides our sector with a workforce of skill and diversity to power it forward.
Partnerships ukactive will work to consolidate its position as the heartbeat of the physical activity agenda, upweighting our sector as the solution to society’s most pressing problems, such as an overstretched NHS, ageing population and unproductive workplaces.
This will bring greater opportunities for impactful partnerships with organisations such as Sport England and Public Health England, a wider pool of funding streams and an expanded market to serve.
And then there’s the work in play to stimulate innovation and breakthrough thinking across the sector with ActiveLab. If we can demonstrate the UK’s potential as a hotbed of innovation, there’s a massive opportunity for it to find its place on the world stage.
A new political dawn will break on 9 June this year. But whatever its colour, we as a sector must be ready to unite to create a society where physical activity becomes the population’s natural choice from cradle to grave.
Ward (right), seen here at ActiveLab, has been appointed CEO
When I think of the huge momentum and strides taken by the physical activity sector in recent years, I see tremendous scope over the coming years for us to be a driving force in building a healthier and wealthier society.
From a personal perspective, the past few weeks have seen me reflect on my career at ukactive with particular focus. Having joined the then-FIA as a policy intern back in October 2006, I’ve witnessed both ukactive, and the physical activity sector it represents, change beyond recognition over the past decade and the progress has been staggering.
Driven by the growth of ukactive’s members, our industry has gone from being perceived as a niche lifestyle sector to a £7.7bn behemoth acknowledged by government as being integral to the future health of our nation and economy.
Time for change So it was with immense pride last month that I accepted the ukactive board’s invitation to become the CEO of this great organisation. I’ve greatly enjoyed my past two years as director, working with our chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, to build on the legacy of Dave Stalker and Fred Turok, without whom nothing we’re doing today would be possible.
The green shoots of progress from new ukactive initiatives – such as ActiveLab and Future Leaders – are already starting to sprout, and we remain rooted as ever in adding value to our members by delivering against their core commercial agenda.
A culture shift Where once we were living in the dark, our sector is now on the verge of being blinded by the light, thanks to the sheer amount of information available. This is the age when evidence-based initiatives such as the DataHub in partnership with 4Global (see page 72) and the ukactive national aggregated Exercise Referral Database, in partnership with ReferAll, will empower operators to make better, data-driven business decisions.
I also see a significant cultural shift ahead as the maturation of CIMSPA provides our sector with a workforce of skill and diversity to power it forward.
Partnerships ukactive will work to consolidate its position as the heartbeat of the physical activity agenda, upweighting our sector as the solution to society’s most pressing problems, such as an overstretched NHS, ageing population and unproductive workplaces.
This will bring greater opportunities for impactful partnerships with organisations such as Sport England and Public Health England, a wider pool of funding streams and an expanded market to serve.
And then there’s the work in play to stimulate innovation and breakthrough thinking across the sector with ActiveLab. If we can demonstrate the UK’s potential as a hotbed of innovation, there’s a massive opportunity for it to find its place on the world stage.
A new political dawn will break on 9 June this year. But whatever its colour, we as a sector must be ready to unite to create a society where physical activity becomes the population’s natural choice from cradle to grave.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
