Sam Bacon, Author at COGITO

Sam Bacon

Sam is an experienced leader with nearly 20 years of experience in the public, political and charity sectors.  Having held senior positions in British politics and government, including serving as a Shadow Cabinet Special Advisor for the Labour party, and Head of Policy at the Department for Education, his most recent role was as CEO of the charity Active Bradford.    Throughout his career Sam has sought roles to help enact positive social change and has played a leading role in securing national policy shifts including: creating a new offence of assaulting an emergency worker, securing the right of Syrian refuges to settle in the UK, and securing £100m DFID funding for polio eradication. He is now undertaking a Masters in Social Innovation at the University of Cambridge, with a research focus on how innovation can be developed and embedded in the working practices of political leaders.

Reading Time: 5 minutesPhysical activity is far more than a personal health choice; it’s a powerful tool for improving public health, economic productivity, and social wellbeing. Despite strong evidence that investing in movement yields major health and economic returns, inactivity rates remain high across OECD countries. Successful interventions, such as the JU:MP programme in Bradford, demonstrate that community-driven, place-based approaches are far more effective in encouraging sustained movement.