Earlier this year, London Sport hosted the London Fit for the Future launch event, bringing together over 100 colleagues from across the NHS, Local Authorities, and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.
The event built on work that London Sport has been developing with the London Health and Care Partnership since last summer, aimed at making physical activity a more routine part of London’s health and care system.
The day also introduced the new London Fit for the Future Framework, designed to support how physical activity can be embedded more consistently within services across the capital. More recently, this wider programme of work has also informed London Sport’s new report, Fit for the Future: making physical activity routine in London’s healthcare system, which is explored in more detail later in the article.
The event was opened by London Sport CEO, Emily Robinson, alongside National Director of Public Health, Sarah Price, and Regional Chief Nurse for London, Karen Bonner MBE. They were joined by Annie Holden, former Strategic Health Lead at the Active Partnerships National Organisation, whose work has helped shape national and local collaboration in this space, setting the tone for a day focused on practical action, collaboration, and long-term system change.
A shared ambition across London
A consistent theme throughout the day was the scale of opportunity in London, and the importance of working together to unlock it.
Karen Bonner MBE spoke about the role physical activity can play in both preventing and managing health conditions, and the importance of recognising it as a core part of care rather than an optional extra. She also highlighted one of London’s biggest strengths: the ability to bring together different parts of the system around a shared goal.
Her perspective reinforced the importance of collaboration between health professionals, local authorities, and community organisations in making this work achievable and sustainable.
Connecting national direction with local action
The event also built on growing national momentum around physical activity and health and care. Sarah Price has been championing work to embed physical activity within health and care through the ‘Four Ways Forward’ guidance, and in alignment with the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England: Fit for the Future. Sarah’s contribution helped connect London’s progress with wider system change and national aspirations.
Since introducing this work to London partners last year, there has been clear progress with the number of stakeholders engaged and consensus achieved. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on this progress and to plan how to build on the identified potential. Sarah reflected on the leading role London has been playing with this work to date.
Building on collaboration
Partnership working, at all levels, has been central to the development of the London Fit for the Future Framework.
Annie Holden introduced the ‘Moving Together’ project, which includes national guidance on physical activity pathways for people with long-term health conditions. Funded by Sport England, the work has been led by the Active Partnerships National Organisation (APNO) in partnership with the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine.
Annie also spoke about the mutually beneficial collaboration between ‘Moving Together’ and the work taking place to develop the London ‘Fit for The Future’ Framework
From discussion to action
Alongside these perspectives, local areas including Barnet, Merton, and the North East London Integrated Care Board shared examples of how they have been using physical activity within health and care settings.
These case studies brought the Framework to life, showing what is possible when physical activity is used proactively within service planning and delivery.
Insights from the event are currently being brought together and will be shared with partners in the coming week, alongside topline reflections from the local case studies featured on the day. These will form the basis of a follow-up article and will help shape the next phase of planning for 2026–27, with a focus on embedding physical activity more consistently across London’s health and care system.
Building on the conversation
The themes discussed throughout the event are also reflected in London Sport’s new report, Fit for the Future: making physical activity routine in London’s healthcare system.
The report explores how physical activity can become a more routine part of health and care across the capital, and the role a more joined-up system can play in helping Londoners turn intention into action.
Research carried out with Opinium found that 69% of Londoners would follow advice to become more physically active, while healthcare professionals remain the most trusted source of that advice.
In the short video below, Rob McLean, Strategic Lead – Health at London Sport, shares more about the report findings and why embedding physical activity within health and care matters for London.
