A NEW qualification tailored for inexperienced and aspiring managers has been launched through a collaboration between GM Active and their strategic partner, Future Fit. The inaugural cohort of 25 individuals is embarking on the Aspiring Managers’ Programme, a joint initiative by Future Fit, known for its expertise in workplace qualifications, and GM Active, a collective of 12 leisure and community organisations managing the majority of publicly owned leisure and physical activity assets across GM’s 10 local authorities. The new qualification complements three other training schemes developed by GM Active and Future Fit; transformational leaders, digital staff induction and a skills academy.

The online programme comprises modules covering leadership and management, equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as team leadership, project management and budgeting. ‘The Aspiring Managers’ Programme is integral to GM Active’s Pivot to Active Wellbeing, a comprehensive initiative reshaping how local leisure and cultural venues are perceived and utilised,’ explains Andy King, GM Active chair and director at change consultancy firm Miova. The pivot aims to shift the focus from fitness-centric offerings to holistic health and wellbeing services through partnerships with health providers. Hazel Goudie, Future Fit’s head of teaching and learning, emphasised the importance of educated and confident managers in driving this transformation: ‘The leisure sector is diverse, aiming to support and enhance community health and wellbeing.

Our programmes provide essential knowledge and leadership skills across all organisational facets, empowering staff to lead sector-wide advancements.’ King went on to underscore the need for robust development opportunities: ‘Our sector is notoriously poor at developing at level 3 and 4, so we wanted to ensure if we developed our new and aspiring managers that any programme included whole systems and place-based working combined with other operational skills, which it does. The sector could do with this, for sure.’ In addition to the Aspiring Managers’ Programme, GM Active and Future Fit have implemented: • Transformational Leadership Programme: Guiding 80 leaders towards roles focusing on public health, wellbeing and community leadership, with plans to train 40 leaders annually • GM Active Skills Academy: Offering modules in behavioural change and support for cancer patients through the award-winning Prehab4Cancer programme, emphasising empathy, emotional resilience and mental health via a CPD hub • Digital Staff Induction: Ensuring all 3,500 staff across GM Active’s member organisations understand and contribute to the organisation’s mission and broader public health goals Tom Godwin, Future Fit’s group operations director said: ‘Many junior managers lack adequate training in essential management skills. Our programme aims to provide foundational skills, empowering managers to drive the future of leisure.’

‘Historically, staff retention in our sector has been challenging due to perceptions of roles. By upskilling staff with relevant qualifications and training, they can better serve specific populations, feeling more valued as integral members of the public health workforce.’ The Aspiring Managers’ Programme is expected to lay a foundational framework for future managers to build upon, driving the leisure sector towards a more sustainable and health-focused future. For more information on Future Fit’s strategic partnership with GM Active and details on these training schemes, visit www.gmactive.co.uk