Active Stirling’s board of trustees have appointed Matt Bunnell as their Chief Executive following a recent nomination committee recruitment exercise. Matt joined Active Stirling in 2009 as a health and wellbeing development officer and has worked in several different roles within the organisation including as a senior manager for ten years prior to being appointed as Interim Chief Executive in July 2023.
During his time as Interim Chief Executive Matt has led the organisation through a period of renewal creating financial stability, the successful approval and imminent delivery of The PEAK Redevelopment gym and studio expansion, significant profile elevation of the range of sport physical activity and inclusion impact through the creation of a new Active Change value proposition and boosted strategic leadership capacity recently accrediting as a Fellow practitioner with the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Professional Development) and acquiring a Masters Degree in Human Resources.
Active Stirling’s board chair Dave Calder OBE said:
‘On behalf of the Board, it is fantastic to confirm Matt as Chief Executive. He is passionate about what Active Stirling delivers for our community, and we are excited about what it will deliver under his leadership. The Board has been highly impressed by what he has already achieved while in the interim role. His formal appointment also brings an important degree of stability to the organisation, allowing it to build on the excellent relationships Matt has already fostered with our key partners. We wish Matt the very best as he takes Active Stirling through a promising period of growth.’
Convenor of Stirling Council’s Community and Wellbeing Committee Councillor Brian Hambly said:
“Everyone at Stirling Council would like to congratulate Matt on his appointment as Chief Executive of Active Stirling. Matt has already overseen a period of positive change during his time in interim charge, bringing new sports and activities to Stirling, as well as exciting developments that will expand the capacity of The PEAK.
“Active Stirling is a highly valued partner and its work in helping improve health and wellbeing across our communities is well established. The PEAK and the organisation’s other venues enjoy enormous popularity and play a central role in the lives of so many people across the Stirling area.
“We look forward to working closely with Matt and Active Stirling to build on this success, continuing to change people’s lives through sport and physical activity, tackling barriers to participation and supporting healthier, more resilient communities.”
Matt Bunnell said:
“It is a colossal privilege to be appointed as Chief Executive of this wonderful organisation. Active Stirling positively transforms people’s lives across Stirlingshire in so many different ways breaking down barriers to participation in sport and physical activity. Delivery of The PEAK Redevelopment this spring heralds an exciting new chapter for the organisation not only in expanding health and fitness opportunities for residents but in consequentially facilitating our ability to preserve and grow the footprint of life changing inclusive interventions we deliver locally to enable all communities to thrive.
As an organisation Active Stirling has demonstrated immense contributions to health improvement, educational attainment and crime avoidance locally with a calculated social value of over seven million pounds through improving people’s overall wellbeing. Working in tandem with sole member Stirling Council, our board of volunteer trustees and other valued partners I look forward to supporting our superb team of employees and volunteers in enabling the organisation to go from strength to strength in the months and years ahead.”