The recently appointed Chair of the Gwent Sport Partnership says that the opportunities to get people moving more often must be grasped to help transform health and wellbeing.
Kevin Bounds, who grew up in Bulwark near Chepstow, says the mission of the organisation is simple but ambitious.
He said:
“The Gwent Sport Partnership has been created to overcome the stubborn inequalities in those that take part in sport and physical activity. By making decisions as a region, we can create a Gwent where everyone can have a lifelong enjoyment of sport.
“The ambition is to use physical activity and community sport to improve health and wellbeing across the region. Not only do we have an opportunity to transform lives but we can also ease pressure on public services.”
Bounds now lives in Shirenewton, Monmouthshire, having moved back to the area after living and working in London. Bounds has worked at CEO, CFO, consultant and non-executive director levels for organisations including J P Morgan, NatWest, Nationwide and KPMG as well as running his own consultancy business.
Passionate about health and reducing inequalities through being more active, he was also treasurer and trustee of the International Longevity Centre UK, the leading think tank on demographic change. He also founded Fit for Better Living Limited – a company which provided one-to-one fitness training, improving the lives of older people.
He is also trustee and treasurer of Good Gym, a UK wide charity which encourages people to combine running, walking and cycling with community good deeds.
He added:
“In Gwent, we face difficult issues such as childhood obesity, poor mental health, and an ageing population with increased care needs. This, in turn, has a huge impact on public health and care budgets. We need to do everything we can to prevent these issues, providing accessible and affordable opportunities so that people across Gwent enjoy moving more often.
“There are persistent inequalities within and between the different local authorities so the Gwent Sports Partnership will aim to bring organisations and individuals together to identify those communities in most need of intervention.”
Gwent is now the fifth and final region in Wales to have successfully established a Sport Partnership. The Partnerships, initiated by Sport Wales, have been designed to change the way that sport and physical activity opportunities are planned and delivered for communities across Wales.
It will cover Newport, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. Next steps include the recruitment of a Regional Director.
