Park Ward Around the World Challenge

During an Active Park Ward partnership meeting, the group discussed the importance of encouraging others to be more active by setting a good example. It was acknowledged that well-known and trusted people in local communities, especially those representing local organisations, can strongly influence those they support. By being active themselves, these individuals can lead by example and inspire others to follow. Ideas were then shared on how organisations in Park Ward could take on this role for their members.

Initially, one idea was to have staff challenges within individual organisations; however, one strong theme of the discussion was the desire to increase the sense of community cohesion. As a result, it was decided that everyone in Park Ward would work together to create a community-wide challenge!

From October 2025 to April 2026, 6 co-design sessions were held and included lots of important community organisations, representing the people the challenge would benefit. From these sessions, a specific idea evolved, with all the finer details worked out and led by the community voice.

The plans for the challenge are as follows:

• Local people will be encouraged to be active in any way they choose and record their weekly activity levels (time or steps)

• Each week, they will submit their activity levels either to a local organisation or a central QR code link

• A total will be calculated each week, translated into distance, and Park Ward Around the World participants will collectively travel a virtual route around the world

• There will be 8 weeks allocated to travel around the world. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the countries they pass through during the challenge. Will they make it back to Park Ward in 8 weeks?

• During this time, there will be challenges, rewards and maybe even some small events to encourage people to be active together

Of the organisations that helped shape the challenge, three have shared reflections on their experience of contributing to its development:

Marie Mitchell, Women's Activity Centre

The Women’s Activity Centre became involved because it believes strongly in being an active part of the community and supporting people to look after their health.

It feels essential for local organisations to help shape projects like this, rather than just being informed about them, because “every organisation is unique,” and hearing different voices helps ensure activities are accessible, relevant and genuinely suited to the communities involved. This collaborative approach makes success more likely than investing in activities that do not reflect local needs.

Working alongside other organisations has been a positive experience, helping to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones, while maintaining regular contact that supports continuity as staff change over time.

“These sorts of challenges motivate people to push their limits while working toward a united goal.”

Looking ahead, Women's Activity Centre is most excited about “getting active, leading by example, trying new things, and friendly competition,” as well as coming together as a community to complete the challenge and learning more about the area’s diverse communities along the way.

Adrian Bell, St Augustine's Centre

Physical activity and community are vitally important to St Augustine’s, especially for our Centre Members, so anything that brings those two elements together is right up our street. We’ve always found that successful community events and activities are born from co-production.

"When communities and community groups can come together and have a genuine voice in shaping projects, it leads to real buy-in and ensures that the outcome reflects the needs and wants of the people it’s designed for."

One of the great organisational benefits of co-production is the opportunity to reconnect with partners, share knowledge, and pool resources. I’m really looking forward to seeing the diverse communities that make up Park Ward come together in the name of physical health. Sport is a universal language, and it’s a brilliant way to bring people from all walks of life together with a shared goal: to strengthen our communities and get fitter together.

Penny Wilson, Family Hub Manager

As a Family Hub Manager, it's important that we engage with other services operating within the reach area of our Family Hub. In fact, it is the most fun part of the job as you get to know who is doing what and how we can help each other to reach our goals.

Getting together gives us the opportunity to represent the perspectives from lots of different parts of the community so that we can think about how we can make things as inclusive as possible. Whilst we are doing that, we are not just building our own knowledge but also our working relationships.

"When I attend co-working meetings, I get great joy from connecting people I have met elsewhere with new people who might be able to support them in some small way."

I am really looking forward to our local Family Hubs taking part in such a fun activity. I am eager to see if, together, we can do a virtual journey around this beautiful planet of ours. I hope we can, and I know I will be increasing the number of steps I take each day so that I can play my part to the best of my own ability.

How can I find out more?

If you're connected to a local organisation in Park Ward, you can check in with them to see if they are involved.  You can also keep up to date by visiting King Cross Library.

Alternatively, you can track the progress via the Active Park Ward Facebook page.