Series Introduction - What can you expect?

Welcome to the Active Best Practice Network presented by Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire, hosted by Rich Hurst of GiftedGab Productions.

Within this podcast series, our aim is to connect with listeners on this journey of sharing best practices; aimed at professionals, communities and those who are interested in supporting and sustaining change in the health, voluntary and community sectors. There is a special emphasis on the advantages of physical activity and movement.

  Throughout the series of podcasts, we have highlighted partners across the two counties, who are currently working towards improving similar issues and challenges that listeners might encounter, through strategic and grassroot projects that are currently running.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi. I'm Natalie Smith fromactive Herefordshire and

(00:02):
Worcestershire, and you are verywelcome to the active best
practice network. This series isabout showcasing the partners
and people that active here inWorcestershire have been working
with on projects in variousdifferent areas, and really

(00:22):
trying to get the expertise frompeople that we've been working
with to share some bestpractices, tips and advice.
Hello, my name's Richard Hurst.I'm a podcaster and presenter,
and I'll be your host for theseries, speaking to all of our
guests about their bestpractice. How would you sum it
up? Nasty. Why did we put thistogether?
We did our previous seriesspotlight on inclusive coaching,

(00:47):
and that was really aimed attrying to support people in the
coaching physical activityarena. We now want to share the
range of work that we're doinghere at active heritage and
Worcestershire to try andsupport change within all of the
different partnerships andprojects that we've been working
with, sharing some of the bestpractices within the network.

(01:12):
People that we're trying tosupport in this area would be
people who may be working inpublic health in the medical
profession, it might be peoplewho are working in community
engagement. It could be peoplethat have an interest or a real
need for funding development. Soit's really about anyone who's

(01:34):
trying to initiate and sustainchange within their communities.
Within the health sector,there's, there's something for
everyone in each one of ourpodcasts
we've been lucky enough torecord here at the University of
Worcester's podcasting Studios.We're massively grateful for
them, for being able to have ourguests in and hear them talk.
What

(01:54):
I really like about the peoplethat have recorded with us is
they're really relatable. Youknow, basing it from a grassroot
level where they are accessible.We're not asking people to move
mountains, but actually it'sabout putting in those building
blocks that can actually make areal difference to people in
this area. But there's somereally great expertise, and I'm

(02:17):
really proud to be involved init, because it's had a massive
impact on me. Just listening tosome of the recording, I think
this is really about people.This is about communities, and
this is about some really greatpartnerships that are really
trying to make a differencewithin their communities. Some
of the themes that have come upfrom community engagement,

(02:39):
working with public healthpartners, working communities in
local government, localauthority, is around going where
the energy is. And what I reallylike is around being stronger
together. And I think that's thepurpose of this active best
practice network, is to try andsay, you know, there are common

(02:59):
challenges. They can seemmassive when you're trying to
work out, where do I go first?Where do I put the energy? Where
do we put our investment and ourresources? But actually, if we
can work in our partner with ourpartners across Herefordshire
and Worcestershire, there's somereally great expertise and great
partnership projects working. SoI think there's some really

(03:19):
great takeaways as well, and
it's worth knowing that for eachepisode as well, there'll be
plenty of information in theshow notes if you want to get in
touch with our guests or findout more about any of the
organizations that are mentionedin those episodes.
So as a regular podcastlistener, it's a really great
aspect of my work to be involvedin, and I've actually been
really proud of the achievementsof the team at active heretford

(03:43):
and Worcestershire. You know,we've gone from being sort of
delivering and funding projects,which we still do, but we
actually really trying to tacklesome really big challenges
within the regions, aroundhealth, around tackling
inequalities as part of unitingthe movement by our funder,

(04:03):
sport in England. So actually,to listen firsthand, it's been
it's made me really proud of thework we're doing at active
Hereford and Worcestershire, butalso in the passion that the
partners that are beinginterviewed are really bringing
to the table to really try andshare that best practice and
help others who might be facingsome of the similar challenges

(04:25):
and feeling like they're notalone. And there are things that
you can do. So that's been greatto be part of.
Our first episode is going to beabout empowering communities,
and that'll be out at the startof August, and then we'll be
releasing a new episode for youevery month right through until
March next year.
We hope you enjoy listening tothis as much as I did being part
of it.