This year marks the incredible 20th Anniversary of Active Schools, Scotland’s initiative to encourage young people to get active and engage in physical activity.
For Gary Moore, the Active Schools & Communities Partnership Officer (ASCPO) in North Ayrshire, this milestone has given him a chance to reflect on his own journey with the programme – one rooted in his deep commitment to providing opportunities for young people, no matter their background or experience.
Making an impact
After initially working in a local authority role within the authorities primary schools, promoting sport and play for children, Gary found himself redeployed into Active Schools when funding for his previous post had come to an end. However, what originally started as a shift in role has turned into a rewarding career trajectory which has lasted many years and continues to endure.
For Gary, the motivation to remain within the Active Schools programme has lay in the profound impact he views the programme to have on young people’s lives;
“I’ve always been aware that not all young people have access to the same opportunities I had when I was growing up,” Gary shares. “I want to do what I can to make sport and physical activity as accessible as possible to everyone. Active Schools isn’t just about physical activity – it’s about creating opportunities, fostering self-esteem, and, where possible, providing a sense of belonging.”
It seems like this drive to give back is what has kept Gary within the programme.
Whether its helping young people build resilience, form friendships, or learn responsibility in their own time, Gary’s work is all about making young people feel valued.
Of course, working in the Active Schools programme is not without its challenges. At times, it can feel like ‘spinning plates’ – “The work is challenging, but very rewarding,” Gary reflects. “but I am proudest of creating positive destinations and building leadership opportunities for young people. Giving them the chance to thrive is what I aim for.”
Active schools
The team in North Ayrshire, work with a nucleus of young leaders who help create opportunities for their peers. These young leaders are key to the programme's success, and the whole team are always looking to expand upon this nucleus, ensuring that more young people can take on leadership roles and share the benefits of physical activity.
During his time within Active Schools, Gary has come to recognize that, unfortunately, not all young people have a solid support system at home – and for some, their only reliable support structure can sometimes come from within school. For Gary, this is where Active Schools can often become crucial.
However, there’s a delicate balance that must be struck between the scale of the programme and its quality. With a growing number of young people to reach, The Active Schools Team are continually striving to maintain an inclusive offering that meets the needs of everyone. It’s not just about numbers – it’s about providing meaningful, enriching experiences for every young person involved.
Gary’s current role, working with care-experienced young people, has added a new dimension to his work. His position in North Ayrshire, funded by sportscotland, involves working with health and social care partners, schools, communities, and third sector organisations to increase opportunities for care-experienced young people. “At the start, we carried out a robust mapping exercise to identify which care-experienced young people we would target,” Gary explains. “We started working with a range of partners to ensure these young people were provided with a wide variety of opportunities.”
Gary’s focus is on offering these young people a sense of belonging and something to aspire to. “I feel you can’t be what you can’t see,” he says. With this in mind, part of his work involves creating experiential opportunities for care-experienced young people, such as residential trips to places like the sportscotland national training centre at Inverclyde. These residentials provide not just a chance to get active, but also the space for young people to build positive relationships with staff and peers.
Gary’s role is (ever) evolving, and requires the whole team to stay focused on removing barriers for care-experienced young people to access sport and physical activity, believing that the opportunities offered through Active Schools can make a real difference. “We are planting a seed – sometimes, we never even get to see the forest,” Gary reflects. For some of these young people, Active Schools may be the only positive experience they have during their school day. It’s a safe space where they can feel supported, valued, and motivated to aim for better outcomes. Consistency is key, and Gary is determined to provide that.
