The Health Foundation Report - Using economic development to improve health and reduce health inequalities - landed just at the right time. I have committed myself in 2021 through SajeImpact to continue to tackle poverty and inequality in my areas of greatest interest - economic regeneration, sport and physical activity and general wellbeing.
This report sums up for me a wide range of the hundreds of thoughts that have been racing through my mind about what that might look like in practise. It makes sense of them. It makes the correct link how a healthy populations depends on more than the healthcare available to them - it is shaped by social, econmmic, commercail and evironmental condsiotins in whish people live. Alongside the recent Marmot report it highlights that the last decade have seen massive health inequlaties reninforced and amongst the porrest life expaceancy stagnate and decraese. At its simplest level the report reinforces the point that economci developemt has to be about creating an inclusive economy. Whilst I have raised this I certainly know I need to do more in this area.
I have been trying to move into the next season of life for the last 18 months. Like many people Covid-19 has altered things a little!
However, dsepite a slight set back I am not fully committed to stepping back from the day to day work at Saje Impact and instead will be concentraing my time on some of the big projects, strategy work and supporting the voluntary boards and NED roles I have undertaken in recent years.
Perhaps this short 90 second video explains the journey better than I can.
For those of us who serve on Boards the last few months during #lockdown have challenges many of our norms. How often have we heard the cry from our colleagues about being zoomed out?
The pattern of Board meetings has certainly changed in my experience over the last few months and some of the lessons learned are really positive - like less travel, better attendance, flexibility of timings for meetings. At the same time many bemoan the loss of the personal interactions before and after Board meetings, the reading of body language and the fatigue of concentrating on video conferences.
Quite rightly sports stars, teams and brands joined in the #blacklivesmatter and #blackouttuesday trends this week. Stars like Lewis Hamilton speaking out about their rage mean fans are reminded that racism isn't just a US problem.
Let us be really honest with ourselves. We have not rooted out racism in British sport. We cannot be complacent.
The highest profile cases are usually when something happens in football and these hit the back and sometimes front pages. There is always a cry of ‘something must be done’ and some short term high profile action follows. It happens in the domestic leagues and the international game.
I have been a long time advocate of systems thinking, almost to the point that I sometimes forget we don’t all think like this yet!
Fortunately in the sport strategic work I have been doing with DCMS and Sport England and the CSPs (now Active Partnerships) this is now almost taken for granted in most conversations.
When I come across work that really makes the case and makes it sound so easy I feel the need to share.
I really enjoy the work of NPC and this blog by Seth Reynolds is a great introduction to making the case that Systems thinking is no longer a luxurious add on!
Have a read and let me know what you think.
