Activity Alliance reviews a successful year at AGM

Activity Alliance Chair, Sam Orde, and Chief Executive, Barry Horne MBE, opened the meeting with a warm welcome to all attendees.

This year’s meeting was the first in-person AGM since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Sam and Barry praised the dedication and contributions of our staff team, alliance members, partners, and volunteers over the last year. Collaboration and partnership working has been essential to helping us move closer to achieving our collective vision of fairness for disabled people in sport and activity.

Among the agenda items, we presented this year impact highlights and Annual Trustees’ Report to attendees. In the report, Sam speaks about a positive year for Activity Alliance whilst navigating challenging pandemic times:

"This Annual Report explores the impact that we are extremely proud to have made over the last year. Especially delivering through the final months of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. It showed us all how much we do together as a team and across the sectors we work within during such a challenging time. But also, how much is yet to be done if we are to remove unnecessary barriers to activity and deep-rooted inequalities for disabled people.

"We finished a packed year with the fantastic news that our principal funder, Sport England, would be investing in our work for a further five years. This is the longest period for their investment in our history, so gave us the vital reassurance we value as the leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity.

I want to thank our members, partners, and volunteers who continue to dedicate their time and energy to achieving fairness."

The meeting also acknowledged changes to our Board of Trustees with several new appointments and two long-serving Trustees stepping down. The Board appointed Gabriel Odia, Loretta Sollars, and Rebecca Evans as Trustees three-year terms, and Genny Cotroneo was re-appointed. The Board also said thank you and offered thier best wishes to Fran Whitaker and Janet Inman, who enjoyed their final AGM as Activity Alliance Board members.

Our Chair and AGM attendees took time to thank our Chief Executive, Barry Horne MBE, who will step down from the role at the end of 2022. Sam said:

"I’d like to give our thanks to Barry, who will be retiring at the end of 2022. We are stronger as a charity because of his passion, purpose and of course, leadership for more than 12 years."

In his final Annual Report message, Barry said:

"Activity Alliance is very lucky to have so many passionate, experienced, and highly skilled people working for us, and with us, whose efforts will enable the charity to keep moving in a positive direction.

"I want to thank our incredibly talented staff team, Board, and the many members and volunteers who make it all possible. I am excited to follow the charity's positive progress in the future."

Earlier this week, we announced that Barry’s successor and Activity Alliance’s new Chief Executive will be Adam Blaze. Adam joins us from his current position as the Strategic Lead Disability and Co-Lead for People and Culture at Sport England. Adam will start the role on 1 January 2023. Read more about Adam’s appointment here.

Activity Alliance’s impact and Annual Trustees’ Report 2021-22

Our impact highlights and Annual Trustees’ Report is produced in several accessible formats to ensure it can be viewed by the widest audience possible.

Click here to view our online Impact Report 2021-22 (including accessible formats)

Download our Annual Trustees’ Report 2021-22 PDF document

This document is also available in Word Format. Please contact us if you need more support. Email info@activityalliance.org.uk or call 01509 227750.