GDM Summit 2026: Moving Minds

This year, we are pleased to announce that we will be joined by Phill Agnew, host of critically acclaimed behavioural science podcast, Nudge.

Learning is the theme for this year's summit, with one particular area of focus being on how behavioural science can support the way we work. Phill Agnew will deliver a key note speech on how we can take the learnings from behavioural science and apply it to influence population-level behaviour change to support physical activity levels in Doncaster, and how we can change our own behaviours with each other to continue strengthening our relationships and networks. Phill will share behavioural science examples and techniques to support this, which will then be followed by a practical morning workshop on how to put this learning into practice.

The summit will be an opportunity to be the first to hear about GDM's refreshed approach to learning and development – which will be rolled out over the next few months across the network, and to talk about how some of this work has already been tested. Many network members will already be familiar with some of this work, and had involvement in its co-design over the last 12 months. The summit will be an opportunity to see how that work has taken shape, and the support on offer to GDM network members to develop skills, attributes and knowledge to support our collective work and ambitions going forward.

There will be a choice of which workshop to attend for the afternoon session. All workshops will have a focus on shared learning, and you will have the opportunity on the booking form to state your preference to attend. The sessions will be run using the principles of effective learning experiences, which were developed recently by the network. The options are:

• A Compassionate Approach to Movement - A workshop exploring how we promote joyful movement, the systemic barriers and enablers to movement with a specific focus on weight stigma and body image, and a discussion on how to enhance our practice to be more compassionate.
• Leading Inclusion - This workshop is one pillar of The Activity Alliance's 'Leading Inclusion' 2-day programme. In this session, explore how you and your role can contribute to the network and show leadership in disability inclusion - through advocacy, representation, clear messaging, co-production, effective use of resources, measuring progress, and influencing others to drive systemic change.
• Owning Your Research Journey and Evidence Informed Decisions - A workshop exploring how research supports your day to day work and how it could be used to make evidence informed decisions.
• Using Community Centred Approaches to reduce Physical Inactivity - This workshop will explore how, by empowering individuals and communities to have a voice in local decisions, we can foster healthier environments and reduce health inequalities.

And finally, the summit will also be an opportunity for us to reflect on the last 12 months, our collective achievements and how we can continue to embed the ways in which we work together as a collective. The GDM network is leading the way when it comes to how we collaborate and approach partnership working – our network is not only recognised for this nationally, but has also received worldwide recognition. During the summit, we'll hear from Sue McGill (Director, Participation Growth at the Australian Sports Commission) who visited Doncaster recently and met with network members to learn about Doncaster's approach, to help inform the development and delivery of Australia's Play Well strategy.

To book your place, please complete the booking form. Bookings will close on 11th March, or sooner if we reach venue capacity. We would recommend booking as soon as possible to secure your place.