10 years ago this session at Elevate examined the powerful link between movement and good mental health. This session explores why, despite strong evidence that physical activity supports positive mental health, only 16% of people with mental health conditions meet recommended activity levels. Drawing on findings from ukactive and Mind, the panel will examine the financial, environmental, and systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing activity that could help them manage their wellbeing. The session highlights what the fitness industry, employers, and the UK Government can do to remove these barriers — from subsidised memberships to more inclusive, mental-health-informed environments — and outlines practical steps to make physical activity a realistic, accessible tool for everyone living with a mental health condition.
ukactive
Marianne is the Director of Membership & Sector Development at ukactive, the UK’s leading non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the health of the nation through the power of physical activity. With a deep passion for collaboration and innovation, Marianne leads strategic engagement with ukactive’s diverse membership base, spanning public, private, and third-sector organisations across the physical activity landscape.
Drawing on over a decade of experience in local authority leisure, public health and major infrastructure and by driving stakeholder relations, sector growth, and policy engagement, Marianne has played a central role in advancing ukactive’s mission to create a healthier, more active society. Her leadership has been instrumental in supporting sector-wide initiatives, driving member value, and championing inclusivity, sustainability, and sector growth.
MIND
Sam manages Mind’s Sport England system partnership and funding. He is responsible for projects helping the sport and physical activity sector to support people with mental health problems in physical activity. This includes programmes focused on supporting the mental health of young people, people from marginalised communities and sport sector workforce. Sam also leads Mind’s work to embed mental health across the sport sector, through developing training, collaborating with partners, and influencing key policy.
Be Conscious Consulting Ltd
Charlotte is an award-winning psychotherapist, educator and speaker whose work sits at the intersection of psychology, consciousness and human performance. With a clinical background spanning both mental health and the fitness industry, she brings a rare dual lens to the conversation about why people struggle to engage - and stay engaged - with physical activity.
Charlotte's work centres on Psychological Longevity™: the idea that sustaining wellbeing over time requires us to understand how our inner psychological world directly shapes our biology, behaviour and capacity for change. She works with organisations including the BBC, NHS and Tesco Bank, helping leaders and teams build the psychological conditions that make lasting behavioural change possible.
For Charlotte, the gap between knowing physical activity helps and actually doing it is rarely about information. It's about identity, safety, shame and the stories we carry. Bridging the brain and the body and creating environments where the whole person feels seen is not a nice-to-have - it's the missing piece.
She brings to this panel the psychology behind engagement, retention and what it truly means to make physical activity accessible for people living with, or without, mental health conditions
Together We Lift
Liam Baker is the founder and Managing Director of Together We Lift, a not-for-profit movement using strength training to start honest conversations around mental health.
After experiencing his own mental health crisis in 2021, Liam found that opening up, getting support and rebuilding his confidence through fitness changed the direction of his life. What started as one community lifting event in 2022 has grown into Together We Lift, a national series of inclusive strength-based events designed to help people talk, connect and realise they are not alone.
Through Together We Lift, Liam brings people together around one simple message: when the weight feels too heavy to carry alone, we lift together. His events use accessible strength challenges, including Tandem deadlift, to demonstrate the power of Communication & Trust.
Liam has raised over £18,000 for mental health support through these events and continues to work closely with localised mental health charities.
Swim England
Philip is Senior Head of Public Affairs for Swim England, the National Governing Body for Swimming, Para Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Artistic Swimming.
Philip has over 15 years experience in public policy, public affairs and campaigns. After working in parliament for a number of years for MPs, Philip has experience of influencing government for a large health charity with a specific focus on local government and a leading disability charity.
Since 2019 he has led the Public Affairs work of Swim England, campaigning on issues such as funding for pools, school swimming and water quality issues.
