Andy King, chair of Manchester's GM Active, has taken the role of CEO at non-profit MCR Active. King brings more than twenty years of sports leadership experience to the position.

MCR Active was established in 2019 by Manchester City Council to increase activity levels in the community. After an initial phase of growth, a new chief executive and chair have been brought on board to drive phase two forward.

In this position, King will continue to keep MCR Active strategically positioned across health, sport and activity in the Greater Manchester area.

“I'm absolutely delighted to be joining MCR Active as Chief Executive,” said King. “The opportunity to work with the exciting team, along with the new board, was something I simply couldn’t pass up.”

Chris Brindley, MBE, who brings decades of experience from the business, including the position of chair of the Rugby League World Cup 2021, has joined the board as chair to work alongside King.

“As a born and bred Mancunian, I am proud and humbled to be joining MCR Active as chair,” said Brindley. “I'm looking forward to playing my part in supporting the team, delivering inspirational activity-based programmes locally and also attracting the world’s best sports to come to Manchester to showcase their skills.”

Through his role at GM Active, King – an advocate for exercise as critical to preventative health – has helped to make an impact on health services and outcomes in Manchester with the Prehab4Cancer (P4C) scheme.

A partnership between GM Cancer Alliance and Greater Manchester's GM Active, P4C is a pioneering cancer prehabilitation programme, which supports patients with an exercise, nutrition and wellbeing programme. Since 2019 it has helped over 3,000 patients and freed up hundreds of ward-bed days and critical care-bed days, in turn helping those on waiting lists and relieving the health service.

Data showed that over a 12-week course last year, patients spent 36 hours less in hospital, experienced fewer post-operative problems, and had critical care time cut by ten hours. A remote alternative is also offered which uses video calls, YouTube and live classes to support the patient.

“Prehab4Cancer demonstrates just what can be achieved with structured and imaginative co-design and collaborative working between clinical and physical activity providers,” King told HCM at the time. “It puts our gyms and leisure facilities on the frontline of cancer care and the preventative health agenda, and speaks directly to our stated aim of getting more people physically active so they can live healthy, happy and longer lives.”