Active Partners Trust is a charitable trust, bringing together the Active Partnerships in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire through Active Derbyshire and Active Notts.
Active Partners Trust is our registered company and charity name but all of our work is done through Active Derbyshire and Active Notts.
Active Partners Trust is a registered charity (1180787) and a company limited by guarantee (1080787). One of our main funders is Sport England and as such we need to comply with Tier 3 of the Code for Sports Governance.
All of our work is guided by our plan for addressing inequality around Physical Activity – Making Our Move. Our business plan sets out how we will work and how we will develop our actions around Making Our Move.
The work of Active Partners Trust (APT) is overseen by the APT Board and our Board members live and work across the two cities and counties. All board members are both the Company Directors and the Charity Trustees of APT.
Board Chair – Independent Director, Safeguarding Lead (Young People and Adults at Risk), Welfare and Safety Lead
Derek is the Service Director for Youth, Families and Culture with Nottinghamshire County Council, and has overall responsibility for the County Council’s sports strategies. His professional background is in youth work and youth services, but he now has responsibility for a wide range of children’s and cultural services across Nottinghamshire.
Board Member – Independent Director, Chair of Active Derbyshire Panel
Sarah is Chief Executive of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, and was previously Chief Executive of Peak District National Park Authority.
Board Member – Local Authority Funding Partner Director, Member of Active Derbyshire Panel
Carol became an Elected Member on Derbyshire County Council following a by-election in 2005. In 2009 she became the Cabinet Member for Communities and later Cabinet Member for Public Health. From 2013 to 2017 she served as Shadow Cabinet Member while in opposition. Following the County Council Elections in May 2017 Carol became the Cabinet Member for Health and Communities. Carol became Leader of Erewash Borough Council after serving as Deputy Leader for the previous 10 years.
Board Member – Independent Director, Chair of Active Notts Panel
Graham is Deputy Chief Executive of Greenwood Academies Trust, which run 36 academies across the East Midlands, and also Executive Director of Our Learning Cloud, who provide cloud computing services to schools. Graham is passionate about supporting young people to be able to succeed in life and has led on the establishment of many large scale programmes to support pupil development and skills, many focussing on physical and mental wellbeing. Graham is a qualified accountant by profession and previously occupied a number of senior roles in local government, including in Children’s Services.
Board Vice Chair – Independent Director, Member of People & Resources Committee, Member of Nominations Committee
Danny is currently the HR Director for Transformation (Europe) within PepsiCo International. Since joining in 2011 he has held a number of senior HR positions and completed a variety of international assignments. Prior to starting with PepsiCo Danny has worked across a broad range of industries within organizations ranging in scale from start-ups to NASDAQ/FTSE businesses.
Board Member – Senior Independent Director, Member of Finance, Audit & Risk Committee
Louise is a non executive director for the NHS, previously Chief Executive of Nottingham CityCare Partnership a social enterprise which provides a broad range of health services across the City of Nottingham. Louise is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of local people. Her professional background is finance and governance.
Board Member – Independent Director, Member of People & Resources Committee, Member of Nominations Committee
Jane is on the National Committee for Healthwatch England, which champions the voice of patients and the public in the NHS and care system, and former Chief Executive of Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Previously she held a range of roles in the NHS in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, leading system change programmes within and across organisations. She is experienced in charity governance, strategy development, public engagement and partnership working. She is a qualified accountant.
Board Member – Independent Director
Mark is a freelance sports broadcaster, producer and consultant. He worked for the BBC for over 30 years with highlights including working on 6 Olympic Games and 12 Wimbledon Championships. He introduced the BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award for the East Midlands in 2002 to showcase the many individuals and groups making a difference at grassroots level across the East Midlands. Since turning freelance in 2021 he’s worked for Team GB, Paralympics GB, Team England, British Canoeing and British Triathlon and has produced a number of podcasts for individuals and organisations.
Board Member – Independent Director, Member of Active Derbyshire Panel
Former Strategic Director of Communities & Place and Deputy Chief Executive at Derby City Council, Rachel has experience of partnership working with businesses, the voluntary and community sector and cultural partners. Over a 30 year career in local government Rachel has worked for a variety of councils in different regions but always as a champion for the power of public services working alongside the communities they serve to unlock creativity and drive better outcomes.
Board Member – Independent Director, Member of Finance, Audit & Risk Committee, Member of Active Notts Panel
After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant Chris has spent 25 years leading business-wide transformations, with IT change as the catalyst, at major UK Companies (Morrisons, Dixons Carphone, PowerGen and many of the major UK Food manufacturers). Chris has also served as a Special School Governor, building on his Teaching qualification, and currently is a Trustee to two local charities. Most weekends you will find Chris on a basketball court with his family – he is passionate about coaching wheelchair basketball and has been the Head Coach of England teams at the UK School Games for many years building on the legacy of 2012!
Board Member – Independent Director, Member of People & Resources Committee
Fiona is the Place Partnership Director for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board. With a background in sports science, public health and healthcare leadership, Fiona started her NHS career in public health, moving into NHS commissioning in 2011. Fiona leads the development of the Integrated Care System’s Place Based Partnerships alongside local statutory, voluntary, community and clinical partners in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Fiona has led significant NHS transformation for over 20 years including the New Models of Care Programme in Rushcliffe and developing new pathways of care to improve access to services. Fiona is a dedicated healthcare leader with a passion for improving patient outcomes, with a focus on evidence based preventative action and a drive to reduce health inequalities. Fiona is passionate about encouraging participation in physical activity and improving health and wellbeing throughout her NHS work.
Board Member – Independent Director
Adam is Chief Executive of Mansfield District Council and also Chair of the Mid Nottinghamshire Place Based Partnership. Adam has over 35 years’ experience across, Private, Public, Higher Education and 3rd Sectors, with a theme throughout his career of sport, health, physical activity, culture and regeneration. Adam is passionate about delivering better outcomes for residents.
Board Member – Independent Director
Michael has lived and worked in Nottinghamshire for 25 years, holding a variety of senior leadership roles in central and local government. For the last few years he has worked on an interim basis for local councils across the region, leading work to attract funding and drive inclusive growth. He is a keen trail runner and passionate about the benefits it brings. For the last two years, Michael has also been a trustee of the charity set up in memory of his son Dylan, who died from a sudden cardiac arrest in 2021. The charity’s objectives include increasing access to sport and activity for young people across the county.
The work in Derbyshire and Notts is guided by panels within each county. Our panel members bring a diverse range of experience and knowledge to our work.
Active Notts Panel Chair
Graham is Deputy Chief Executive of Greenwood Academies Trust, which run 36 academies across the East Midlands, and also Executive Director of Our Learning Cloud, who provide cloud computing services to schools. Graham is passionate about supporting young people to be able to succeed in life and has led on the establishment of many large scale programmes to support pupil development and skills, many focussing on physical and mental wellbeing. Graham is a qualified accountant by profession and previously occupied a number of senior roles in local government, including in Children’s Services.
Active Derbyshire Panel Chair
Sarah is Chief Executive of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, and was previously Chief Executive of Peak District National Park Authority.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Carol became an Elected Member on Derbyshire County Council following a by-election in 2005. In 2009 she became the Cabinet Member for Communities and later Cabinet Member for Public Health. From 2013 to 2017 she served as Shadow Cabinet Member while in opposition. Following the County Council Elections in May 2017 Carol became the Cabinet Member for Health and Communities. Carol became Leader of Erewash Borough Council after serving as Deputy Leader for the previous 10 years.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Debbie’s background is in health, having trained as a Registered General Nurse and a Midwife. After leaving nursing to work in the third sector, setting up and running a Mother and Baby unit and then a Residential unit for vulnerable young adults, she moved into the private sector. As a business owner she maintained commitment to caring and helping people improve their lives with contracts including the development and management of a visitor centre which among others catered for a range of vulnerable groups, setting up and running walking programmes and organising outdoor physical activity schemes. Currently working as Business Development and Partnership Manager for Intelligent Health.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Former Strategic Director of Communities & Place and Deputy Chief Executive at Derby City Council, Rachel has experience of partnership working with businesses, the voluntary and community sector and cultural partners. Over a 30 year career in local government Rachel has worked for a variety of councils in different regions but always as a champion for the power of public services working alongside the communities they serve to unlock creativity and drive better outcomes.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
As Dean of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Roehampton in London, I have the privilege of leading a School covering the breadth of Life Sciences and Healthcare. Providing education, research, and applied practice in subjects such as nursing, allied health, sport and exercise science, biomedical and health sciences, and biology and zoology, the School brings together a wealth of synergistic knowledge and expertise that spans or population and planetary health.
Prior to Roehampton, I held multiple leadership and management roles at the University of Derby for over 13 years leading on the growth of the Sport and Exercise Science Department, establishing the School of Human Sciences, and leading on the implementation of the Human Sciences Research Centre focused on delivering personalised translational science for human health and performance.
I have worked in partnership with Active Derbyshire for a number of years in Derbyshire fostering collaborations that can benefit all parties, joining forces to support positive change, and to support the region in enhancing active lives, communities and population health.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Following both a degree in Biological Sciences from Durham University and a PHD, Jo spent a few years working in academia, undertaking research and lecturing in both the UK and USA. Jo then moved to the environment sector, with the aim to inspire people to care about the natural world. Since, Jo has worked for Norfolk County Council as well as a number of different NGOs, including the Field Studies Council and Sustrans. Jo took on the role of Chief Executive for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust in May 2014. Under Jo’s leadership, the Trust has led on several successful large scale partnership programmes, as well as some high profile campaigns. Recent highlights have included the reintroduction of beavers to the Trent Valley and establishing an exciting urban rewilding initiative at Allestree Park in Derby. The Trust has worked hard to increase its reach and influence through a number of initiatives, such as charity shops on the high street, a music festival and paid non-graduate entry level work schemes. The Trust also runs an innovative green social prescribing programme in partnership with the NHS and The National Forest. Jo sits on The Wildlife Trusts England Committee, The Heritage Fund Committee for the Midlands and East and the Natural England Landscapes Advisory Panel.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Has spent his whole career in the public sector working in Local Government, a County Sport Partnership and currently Sport England. Sport and physical activity development has been an integral facet of that journey, because moving more can improve people’s lives. A resident of High Peak, Ben has coached Basketball and Football on a voluntary basis, successfully establishing High Peak Brigands Basketball Club in the last 12 months. He keeps active by walking every day and road cycling in the warmer months. Still an active Level 3 coach at Basketball, which he has done for over 30 years..
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
I am Project and Partnership Manager in the Community Impact Team at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing. I’ve worked with diverse communities all my adult life, starting as an interpreter for a language provider in Stirling, then supporting Roma community in West of Scotland Racial Equality Council, and for the last 13 years in social housing in Midlands, East Anglia and London. My passion is to support communities, in particular families with children and women that experience biggest inequalities. I believe that knowledge is power, therefore my goal is to connect people, organisations and businesses together so that everyone in our communities is empowered to thrive and grow their talents. In my spare time I enjoy wild water swimming, playing piano, growing my own vegetables and spending time with my family.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
I am Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Community Action Derby, a registered charity providing support and guidance to voluntary and community groups. I have worked in the voluntary sector for 25 years and am passionate that the sector and our communities develop to support residents in Derby. I am also a board member of the Multi Faith Centre and have a keen interest in addressing health inequalities, supporting mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring we meet the needs of Derby’s Diverse Communities.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Before transitioning into education, Peter served in the Hungarian State Police, where he developed strong investigative and analytical skills that now complement his teaching career. This experience also shaped his personal vision of community service and a commitment to seeking solutions for the greater good.
With this same philosophy, Peter has worked in SEND settings in the UK since 2010, supporting individuals with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs. He has gained valuable experience across diverse communities in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.
Since June 2018, Peter has served as a Pathway Lead/Teacher at Brackenfield SEND School. Beyond creating inclusive learning environments, he focuses on helping students become truly integrated and accepted within the wider community, aiming to give them greater opportunities for healthier, more active lives in adulthood.
A strong believer in the power of positive role models, Peter strives to show his students and peers the importance of pushing personal limits. This determination led to his selection for the 2024 GB Dragon Boat team, where he represented the nation at the 2024 European Championship coming away with two bronze medals.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
I’m a consultant in public health for Derbyshire County Council and Honorary Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham. I’ve worked in public health for 15 years across London and the East Midlands with national and regional roles during public health training. Prior to this I worked in the events, catering and hospitality industry for 10 years. I’ve worked to make physical activity and moving more accessible and obtainable in my public health career, primarily through the active travel agenda. I come from an active family where sports were non-existent but walking and cycling was prioritised (whatever the weather!). I had difficult experiences throughout school with sports and PE and felt marginalised as a member of a LGBTQ+ adult in sporting groups and clubs. I’ve found I like being active, but on my own and prioritise moving as a way of keeping physically and mentally well. I feel that we need to support excluded people better and have seen a huge shift in the last decade from sport to physical activity to moving more. Active Partners Trust share the same vison I have and it’s great to push against an open door, and for an organisation to understand the lived experience of our communities.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
More details coming soon.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
I currently work for NHS England as the Deputy Director of Improvement for Intensive Support. I work across the Midlands region to support our most challenged organisations to deliver sustainable improvements, resulting in better patient care, experience and outcomes. My career spans 20 years in the NHS, working in a number of transformational/improvement roles across the acute, mental health and ambulance sectors. I have a sister who has Parkinson’s and I am a carer for my mum who has dementia. Through my family diagnosis’s, I have become more educated on how movement can help manage health conditions; both mentally and physically. I support my family members to keep moving and be active; my mum loves a dance! I am a passionate advocate of movement and my personal interest are cycling, yoga, weight-training, running and hiking.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Sam has a passion for public services and making a difference to people’s lives. As Strategic Director for Place at Derby City Council she has the opportunity to work with communities and partners to build resilience in communities and improve health outcomes; as well as leading on high profile projects and services in the city.
Active Derbyshire Panel Member
Founder and CEO of Evergreen Collective and Inclusivity & Diversity Consultant, Misba has over 12 years experience working closely with underrepresented women and girls in and around Derby. She works to support health and wellbeing on a grassroots level while also ensuring the needs and cultural or religious sensitivities are considered on a local and strategic level.
Active Notts Panel Member
I’ve been working to support people to be active since starting my career at Nottinghamshire County Council. I moved on to Sport England and later became regional strategic lead across the Midlands. There I helped set up County Sports Partnerships which encouraged people and organisations to work together for sport and physical activity. I also spent three years working on regional and national plans at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It’s great to be supporting Active Partners Trust in making a difference for the future. I’m now a trustee of Notts County Foundation, the community arm of Notts County FC, and also a committee member of Rushcliffe Move and Mingle. Locally, I enjoy leading a weekly Wellbeing Walk and encouraging people to be out and about and moving more in East Leake.
Active Notts Panel Member
Ed has been a partner in law firm Shakespeare Martineau’s Commercial IP team since 2007, specialising in non-contentious commercial, contract, intellectual property, information and communications technology, distance selling, e-commerce, data protection, freedom of information and competition law. He has acted for a number of national governing bodies and other sports organisations, together with high profile sports individuals and leading sports businesses, including Commonwealth Games England.
Active Notts Panel Member
After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant Chris has spent 25 years leading business-wide transformations, with IT change as the catalyst, at major UK Companies (Morrisons, Dixons Carphone, PowerGen and many of the major UK Food manufacturers). Chris has also served as a Special School Governor, building on his Teaching qualification, and currently is a Trustee to two local charities. Most weekends you will find Chris on a basketball court with his family – he is passionate about coaching wheelchair basketball and has been the Head Coach of England teams at the UK School Games for many years building on the legacy of 2012!
Active Notts Panel Member
Prof. Nick Peirce is Head of Service and an NHS Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine at Nottingham University Hospital, QMC, Nottingham. He is Chief Medical Officer for England and Wales cricket board and an Honorary Clinical Professor in Sports Medicine at Loughborough University. He has been in post as an NHS Consultant since 2001 and has become increasingly involved in various aspects of healthcare development including the development of new SEM services such as National clinic for exercisers with Type 1 diabetes, the NUH Prevention Strategy and the development of the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, at Loughborough University. His career has also seen him focus on development of athlete medical services including 7 years as Lead Physician for the English Institute of Sport, CMO for GB World Class Canoeing Program 1997-2017, Great Britain Rowing, Team GB and for LTA Great Britain Davis Cup team, attending Sydney and Athens Olympics and Commonwealth Games. He was awarded the British Association of Sports Medicine travelling scholarship and with the ECB won the BMJ award for Sport and Exercise Medicine Team of the year in 2013. He was Nottingham Forest lead doctor for nearly 20 years until retiring from football in 2018. His passion for both health improvements through physical activity and prevention saw him jump at the chance to work with Active Notts and help link hospital patients to the wider opportunities across Nottinghamshire.
Active Notts Panel Member
Rebecca is the Strategic Lead for Health and Wellbeing at Everyone Active, one of the UK’s largest leisure management companies. With a focus on improving public health, she leads initiatives that enhance physical activity, mental health support, and community wellbeing. Collaborating with local authorities, health professionals, and stakeholders, Rebecca develops programmes that address health inequalities and promote sustainable lifestyle changes. Her expertise in public health policy, stakeholder engagement, and programme development has been key in aligning Everyone Active’s services with national health objectives. A passionate advocate for inclusion and evidence-based practices, Rebecca also volunteers to support grassroots initiatives promoting physical activity and social cohesion.
Active Notts Panel Member
More details coming soon.
Active Notts Panel Member
Dave is CEO of Castle Cavendish, a social impact company working to improve people’s lives by supporting local businesses and the voluntary sector to grow and develop, in an ethical and sustainable way. He has led the organisation from 2012, overseeing its successful transformation into a financially-viable charitable body and sustainable social enterprise, investing its net proceeds and attracting other funding into improving some of the most the disadvantaged areas of Nottingham. Dave graduated with an Honours Degree in Environmental Planning from Sheffield in 1988, and followed this with a Master’s Degree in Civic Design from the University of Liverpool. With over 30 years of experience in urban renewal and community regeneration, Dave has been CEO of some high-profile urban regeneration schemes across the country, including City Challenge, SRB and New Deal for Communities, and acted as the Company Secretary to the charitable bodies that governed them. He has also been a speaker and facilitator at a number of regional and national conferences, and has represented the UK Government on the topic of urban renewal. He was previously a Board Member of the British Urban Regeneration Association and is currently a Trustees of Healthwatch Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, as well as being a Fellow of the RSA. Before injury and old-age, Dave played professional rugby union and rugby league. He is married and has a labradoodle named Teddy. He is a keen walker and cyclist and all-round sport fanatic.
Active Notts Panel Member
I am a retired physiotherapist with over 35 years NHS experience, 18 years of which were in Nottingham as a clinical specialist in Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The Wolfson CF Unit opened in 2014 and was specifically designed to promote the role of exercise as a major part of treatment and I led on the design of the facilities and pathways to support this. We created an integrated care model spanning acute and community settings with virtual delivery of individual and group exercise sessions for our patients. I was also the regional physio lead for the CF health hub, a national pilot which evaluated a digital self care and behaviour change platform. This included motivational interviewing using the COM-B model to help understand and address barriers to treatment adherence. During my time working in the CF Unit, I presented the results of exercise provision and service evaluation at ten European Cf conferences. Since retiring 5 years ago I have volunteered in a number of health related roles: As a health volunteer with the Mid-Notts Social Prescribing teams assisting with home exercise, supporting attendance at exercise classes and enabling individuals to find the most suitable physical activity. I support a Nordic walking group for patients with Parkinson’s disease. As a befriender in the ‘Live Later Life Better’ scheme in Newark & Southwell areas. I have been invited to support a range of forums and discussions such as ‘ Move more Newark & Sherwood’, ‘Falls Prevention Community of Practice’ and ‘ Better Waiting MSK’ which span a range of stakeholders. I have always been an active participant in sport and currently participate in cycling, open water swimming, Pilates, yoga and hiking.
Active Notts Panel Member
Kate is a Place Relationship Manager at Sport England, working alongside a range of partners in the East Midlands to tackle the inequalities that stop people from being active. Before this Kate worked with National Governing Bodies of Sport, firstly at Archery GB and more recently at Boccia England as the Head of Partnerships and Communities, creating and implementing approaches to widen opportunities for disabled people to be active.
Active Notts Panel Member
Joe is Facilities Planning Manager at the Football Foundation. After several years working as a fitness instructor and personal trainer, Joe moved into facilities management roles at Nottingham Trent University and The University of Nottingham, before transitioning to focus on sport and physical activity development at Active Together (the Active Partnership for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland). Joe now supports strategic planning work to identify issues in access to facilities and explore the potential of projects to support people in becoming more active, with a particular interest in tackling inequalities and supporting underrepresented groups.
If you’d like to find out more about our policies, please click on the relevant links.
Active Partners Trust (APT) wishes to act as an exemplar for diversity and equity within its sphere of influence. In doing so, APT commits to promoting good equitable practice within APT and with partners.
We want to continue to learn and evolve as an organisation so have developed ambitions around equity, diversity and inclusion.
If you’d like to find out more about our meetings, click on the links of each meeting to the right.
If you’d like to find out more about how we are governed, please click on the relevant link.
Active Partners Trust takes the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk very seriously.
In sport, as in other areas of life, we recognise that children, young people and adults at risk can be more vulnerable to harm, abuse and bullying so we are committed to promoting safe opportunities to take part in sport.
For more information about Safeguarding, please visit our Safeguarding page here.
Operations Lead
Safeguarding Lead
