Who are Active Leaders?
Active Leaders was founded in 2015 by Penny Snowden, who has an extensive background in the sporting industry. Penny began her career as a PE teacher, she then went on to work for the IAAF for 10 years before joining a sports marketing agency which grew to become one of the top 4 in the world. This all came after she spent a summer whilst at college working on a summer camp in Chicago! Her experiences, coupled with her desire to help young people (a mother of two) have more access to sport and activity following their secondary school exams, led to the creation of Active Leaders.
After researching many options, it became clear to Penny that there was a lack of cost effective multi-sport courses or programmes for the 15+ age group. Penny used her 35 years’ worth of connections in sports marketing and events to establish a curriculum, create a workbook/resources and set up a pilot scheme for the first Active Leaders course. The pilot scheme ran in August 2016 at Star Hotshots multi activity camp in Berkshire and was supported by the Youth Sport Trust. After its success, Active Leaders commenced its roll out as a national programme and is now offering courses in different geographic locations. You can read more about the company and their courses here.
What do Active Leaders offer?
Active Leaders is aimed at anyone aged 15+. It uses the delivery of sporting activities to children as a means of learning and practicing responsibility, leadership and skills relevant to employment. It requires no pre-qualifications to participate – only a willingness to join in. It is delivered over one week or can be split into a series of modules. It is fun, social and interactive.
The courses are delivered by experienced professionals who are committed to high standards and nurturing young people's development. The aim is to offer courses close to home, making participation as easy as possible for parents and simple for everyone to take part. A crucial component is the pathway offered beyond the training. This is where the partnership with Camp America is so important and provides wonderful aspiration for trained Active Leaders beyond the shores of the UK, once they turn 18. The Active Leader Association is the network all trained Active Leaders automatically join on completion of the Active Leader course. It offers on-going dialogue, resources, pathways, advice and further opportunities.