With new national guidance set to shape the CYP space, the collaboration launches ahead of Elevate 2025 to support the sector in delivering healthier, more active futures for young people.

Future Fit Group is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with Craig Jones and the High Five Group, marking a significant step forward in shaping how the health, fitness, and wellbeing sector engages with Children and Young People (CYP). This timely collaboration is being launched in the lead-up to Elevate 2025, which features a core focus on CYP wellbeing.

With physical and mental health challenges continuing to rise among young people, the sector must urgently respond with accessible, relevant training. Together, Future Fit and High Five Group will co-develop a suite of updated, practical courses tailored not just for fitness professionals but also for broader roles across the sector who work with children and teens.

“We are very excited to be working with Craig and the High Five Group to support our sector in bringing more children and young people into our spaces,” said Tom Godwin, Group Operations Director at Future Fit Group. “This is so important when you consider the impact that early attitudes towards physical activity and healthy lifestyles can have throughout a person’s life.”

The new offering will focus initially on getting the fundamentals right; delivering impactful, innovative, and affordable training that equips professionals to better serve CYP audiences.

“These courses are the start,” added Tom. “We are looking for our initial work to focus on getting the basics right and providing high impact, innovative and affordable training to the sector to support CYP. We have a wide range of further areas of exploration so I would say watch this space as this is just the beginning.”

As participation in gym and fitness activity among 5-16-year-olds continues to rise, up by nearly 12% over the past five years, there remains an urgent need to tackle persistently high obesity rates and mental health challenges among UK youth. This partnership directly addresses those gaps by enabling more informed, confident, and supportive engagement with CYP across fitness and community environments (Active Lives CYP Survey 2022–23).

Craig Jones, founder of the High Five Group, shares this vision:
“The High Five Group are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Future Fit. Our sector is already positively influencing activity levels and reducing mental health for Children & Young People. However, it is clear we can make a wider impact by upskilling fitness & health professionals and providing clearer guidance for organisations to help get more children & young people, more active, more often in their facilities & communities specific gyms and group exercise. BIG High Five to Future Fit!”

Marianne Boyle, Director of Members & Sector Development at ukactive, a key voice in championing CYP-focused initiatives, also expressed support for the collaboration:
"This partnership represents exactly the kind of collaboration our sector needs to effectively engage children and young people. With rising participation but persistent health challenges, ensuring our workforce has the right skills is crucial. This initiative directly supports our 'Next Generation' strategy by providing accessible, practical training that will help professionals deliver more impactful experiences for young people. These positive experiences are essential in supporting these young people to live more active healthy lives now and in the future. We're delighted to see this proactive approach to upskilling the sector.”

This partnership clearly aligns with the objectives set out in ukactive’s “The Next Generation” strategy, reinforcing a united industry commitment to drive systemic change in how the sector supports the next generation’s physical and mental wellbeing across the UK.