I have been leading Greater Manchester Moving since April 2017 and from February 2020, I have combined this with a dual role as CEO role at GreaterSport. For 25 years, I have played a leadership role in physical activity, sport, policy and community development, and remain a committed community volunteer where I live, which keeps it all very real.
I have always believed in the power of an active life for health, happiness, friendship and community. I am a passionate advocate of this agenda in my culture change, system change, behaviour change work in Greater Manchester.
Leading in local government, charity, private and social enterprise sectors, I have developed my understanding of complex systems, from the community perspective and a strategic one. This is hugely valuable in my current role in GM, where we take a whole system approach to everything we do from homelessness to health, to transport.
As the Exec lead for GM Moving, my work is located in the devolved and integrated system under the leadership of the Mayor, Andy Burnham. Greater Manchester is Doing things Differently. It’s an exciting place to be. Together, leaders from across sectors wrote and launched the GM Moving Plan in 2017.
As CEO of GreaterSport, I lead this amazing charity, enabling it to play its full part in the leadership and delivery of the system-wide GM Moving Plan.
We have big ambitions and committed people. We seek to engage everyone from people and communities through to senior leaders who influence policy locally and nationally. The GM Moving Executive Group and GreaterSport Board bring together passionate leaders across the VCSE, NHS, local government, transport, physical activity and sports sectors.
I am convinced that a whole system approach to enabling active lives is the only way we will succeed in designing moving back into everyday life. I believe in sharing openly and honestly as we go, and working with others to learn in GM and beyond. I do this partly by writing, sharing my reflections and inviting others to join in the conversation which helps to move us all forward together. Last year we also published the GM Moving Journey and Learning. This is challenging work for all of us. Resilience is important. I unwind and make sense of it all whilst out in the Peak District where I live. Walking, running, wild swimming and having adventures with friends and family is how I have fun, restore and refresh my mind, body and spirit!
Hear more from Hayley and the team at GreaterSport/GM Moving in the 'Building Back Better' webinar on the 22nd July 2020 at 2 pm - Click here to register
@hayleylever @GmMoving @GreaterSport