Our Impact Report 2025/26 is here
Every year, writing the impact report gives us a chance to pause. Not just to look at what we've done, but to reflect on what we've learned, where we've made a difference, and what that tells us about the future.
This year's report is centred around a big question: what needs to be true for people to be active, healthy and connected, not just today, but for years to come?
Over the past year, we've continued to support people across Somerset to move more, feel better and connect with their communities. Alongside this, we've been working with partners across the system to strengthen the conditions that help make physical activity possible, inclusive and sustainable. From neighbourhood-led approaches and health pathways to leadership, collaboration and learning, our work is increasingly about creating the foundations for long-term change.
As I look back on the year, three things really stand out to me:
First, we're increasingly focused on changing conditions. When we deliver activity, it's because we're trying to change something bigger, whether that's confidence, connection, leadership, culture or opportunity. Throughout the report, you'll see a shift from asking "what did we deliver?" to asking "what needs to be true for people to be active, healthy and connected?". Across schools, communities, health settings and neighbourhoods, our work is increasingly about strengthening the relationships, environments and leadership that make activity possible in the long term.
Second, some of the strongest examples of impact come from relationships and shared ownership. Across Somerset, we're seeing what happens when organisations, communities and local people work together around a shared purpose. From neighbourhood working in Bridgwater to health and wellbeing pathways, the biggest changes are happening where trust, collaboration and local leadership are allowed to grow.
Third, we've become better at learning as we go. This year's report doesn't just celebrate success. It highlights how test and learn approaches, physical literacy, community insight and ongoing reflection are helping us adapt and improve. Some of the most valuable progress has come from listening, learning and being brave enough to do things differently when needed.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an impact report without numbers. So we’ve got lots of those in there, too. More than 18,000 children and young people engaged, hundreds of people supported through health pathways, and growing partnerships across the county. But what excites me most is what sits behind those numbers: the conditions being created for long-term change.
This report is ultimately a story of collective impact. It belongs to all of us: communities, partners, volunteers, and colleagues who are helping to create healthier and happier communities through physical activity.
So my final ask is this: read the report, explore the stories, and see what's possible when communities, partners and local people come together around a shared goal.
Because that's what this report is really about. Not just what we've achieved, but what's possible when we work together to change the conditions for a more active Somerset.