Versus Arthritis: Active Londoners

The Challenge

Versus Arthritis commissioned Move Consulting to support the workforce behind its Active Londoners Pilot—a project aimed at helping people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions increase their activity levels.

The pilot involved two key workforce groups: Physical Activity Champions, who deliver sessions directly to participants, and Fitness Mentors, who provide guidance based on clinical expertise. Versus Arthritis wanted to ensure both groups were confident in applying behaviour change theory in their day-to-day delivery, helping participants make lasting changes to their activity habits.

Our Approach

Move Consulting began by working with the Versus Arthritis team to understand the overall design and intended outcomes of the Active Londoners pilot, with a focus on how evaluation was being planned across the programme.

We then developed a tailored logic model and evaluation tool for the behaviour change workforce element—ensuring this aligned with the wider project evaluation and allowed for a clear understanding of impact over time.

With the programme structure in place, we focused on understanding the distinct needs of the two workforce strands. From this, we designed two bespoke learning and development pathways—one for Physical Activity Champions and one for Fitness Mentors.

Craig Blain, Dirctor at Move Consulting added:

“We always start with the end in mind - ensuring that what we design aligns with the outcomes our clients want to achieve. In this case, that meant equipping a new, blended workforce to support long-term change.”

What was delivered

As part of this project, Move Consulting provided:

• A bespoke logic model and evaluation framework for the behaviour change element of the Active Londoners pilot
   
• Two learning pathways delivered through live online webinars:
   
  • Pathway 1 – Physical Activity Champions: Focused on applying behaviour change theory, peer reflection, and embedding practice
     
  • Pathway 2 – Fitness Mentors: Focused on effective mentoring practice, community building, and supporting delivery professionals
     
• Interactive learning design, including opportunities for real-world application, reflection, and shared learning
   
• Support for a community of practice, enabling sustained peer support and development

Project impact 

The training delivered by Move Consulting provided the Active Londoners workforce with the tools, confidence, and structure they needed to support long-term behaviour change in their participants.

The tailored approach helped bridge the gap between theory and practice—supporting not only individual development, but also collaboration across professional boundaries within the pilot.