Sport in Mind: Transforming Mental Health Through Sport & Physical Activity
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Craig Adams, Head of Partnerships for Sport in Mind (a UK-based charity), describes how his organization improves mental health through sport and physical activity by partnering with the NHS and sports governing bodies. Sport in Mind delivers expertly-designed, free group sessions across 40+ sports to people with mental health challenges, having reached nearly 40,000 individuals across 162 locations, with ambitions to expand globally.
Key takeaways
- Sport in Mind partners strategically with the NHS and national sports governing bodies to design and deliver evidence-based physical activity sessions that are free, safe, and focused on community belonging for people experiencing mental health challenges.
- The organization operates through three strategic pillars—inspire, educate, and influence—to promote the science-backed connection between physical movement and improved mental health across schools, communities, and policy levels.
- Each adult session costs roughly £25,000 annually to run and serves 8–15 participants weekly, delivering measurable mental health improvements tracked through anonymous feedback tools and quantitative analysis.
- Craig Adams joined Sport in Mind after experiencing burnout during his 18-year career at Intel, drawn by the founders' inspiring model and his own mental health journey.
- Successful partnerships rely on values and goal alignment; Sport in Mind engages commercial organizations through co-marketing, well-being hubs, and mental health training rather than transactional sponsorships.
- The organization is piloting programs like golf-based resilience training in state schools and equestrian therapy for neurodivergent children, demonstrating adaptability across different populations and sports.
About Craig AdamsCraig Adams is Head of Partnerships for Sport in Mind, a UK charity. He previously worked at Intel Corporation for 18 years and lived in Silicon Valley before joining Sport in Mind six months prior to this talk, drawn by his own mental health recovery and the organization's inspiring founders.
AI-generated from the meeting recording — AI can make mistakes, so check the recording for anything important.
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Program: Sport in Mind: Transforming Mental Health Through Sport & Physical Activity
Speaker: Craig Adams
We bring you a new program every week on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education and how they contribute to service to others.
Sport in Mind describes itself as "the leading mental health sports charity in England and Wales." Its mission is to transform people's mental health through sport and physical activity, working in partnership with the National Health Service and sports governing bodies, and harnessing the power of sport to inspire, educate, and promote good mental health.
Our speaker, Craig Adams, is Sport in Mind's head of partnerships. After spending eighteen years working in big tech in both the US and Asia, Craig was introduced to Sport in Mind's founders via a common friend. Being a huge sports fan, and participating in a number of sports, whilst also having his own mental health story, the opportunity to marry up passions with helping others was for him the perfect fit.
Outside of work Craig enjoys exploring new countries and cultures, is obsessed with golf and the Liverpool football club, and enjoys experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.
Members and guests, please welcome Craig Adams!
To learn more, go to:
https://www.sportinmind.org/
https://www.sportinmind.org/strategy-and-impact
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http://rotary.cool
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