Moving Forward Conference, taking place on
Friday 9 October 2026, brings together policymakers, community organisations, and delivery partners. The event will showcase the ongoing regional strategy linking public health directly to economic growth, which is projected to support over
27,000 people across
192 local projects.
National Leaders and Speakers
The conference features a high-profile panel of national and regional experts available for media sessions, including:
- David Skaith: Mayor of York and North Yorkshire
- Chris Boardman: Active Travel England
- Simon Hayes: Chief Executive of Sport England
- David Watson: Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Sport
- Amy O’Connor: Movember representative
- James Metcalf: North York Moors Trust
- Prof Paul Galdas: University of York
The Devolution Shift
The event marks a significant legislative shift following the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. The new Act expands the statutory authority of Metro Mayors, giving David Skaith an explicit, legal duty to directly address public health, economic inactivity, and isolation across the region’s vast rural and coastal footprint.
David Watson, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Sport, noted the importance of this timing:
Our region is large, rural and coastal, and inactivity is closely tied to isolation, deprivation and poor health. The Mayor’s new health duty is a real chance to change that.
Campaign Pillars Covered
Discussions at the conference will focus on sharing best practices across the campaign’s four funded areas:
- Active Travel: Community investment in cycle training, secure storage networks, and school street safety zones.
- Men’s Mental Health: Supporting the regional ‘Shift Your Focus’ campaign alongside dedicated schemes to address isolation in rural and farming communities.
- Movement & Sport: Targeted grants designed to dismantle barriers to physical activity for disabled residents, women, and girls.
- Natural Health Service: Green social prescribing programmes focused on access to nature, partnering with organisations like the North York Moors Trust.