#10 Matt Donnelly. How to build an active village

How do you make movement a natural part of community life? Today, I chat with Matt Donnelly, a fitness coach and movement advocate leading the Active Villages project in Ribble Valley.

Matt has taken a fresh approach to rural activity: instead of relying on gyms, he’s built Play Libraries, started community rounders games, and partnered with Park Play to create sustainable movement opportunities.

🔥 In this episode, we cover:
✅ Why rural areas face unique movement challenges—and how to solve them
✅ The power of Play Libraries and making equipment freely available
✅ How to build movement-friendly spaces that work across generations
✅ What Matt learned from CrossFit, natural movement, and community sport

📲 Follow Matt:

• Instagram: @bowlandfitness
• Instagram: @thoughtsfromatree
• Website: www.bowlandfitness.com

• Tackling Rural Isolation through Building Relationships - TaAF - Together an Active Future
• Let's Play: The story of the Active Hodder Play Area in Dunsop Bridge  - TaAF - Together an Active Future