GoFest
anyway … delivering simultaneous
coaching sessions in 40–50 activities
inside and out with lots of fun,
entertainment and a real festival vibe
too. There are also the very real and
worsening issues to do with inactivity
and obesity which we are now starting
to see GoFest have an impact on.
SIP: What are the most challenging and
rewarding aspects of your role?
PF: The challenges are numerous
- finding reliable and great quality
coaches (from clubs, businesses and
NGBs), getting enough people to come
(marketing it widely enough!) as our
capacities are huge, and also attracting
sponsors and exhibitors to believe in
something new.
The rewards come mainly from seeing
so many people having an amazing time
and all playing so many different sports
or doing dance and fitness classes all
over a vast area, and finding something
new that they love and want to carry on
with. The feedback we have received
each year has been overwhelming and
some of the stories about improving kids
18 Issue 18
(and adults) confidence in their ability
etc. have been really brilliant!
SIP: How would you say 2017 went?
PF: Really well. We launched in
Manchester and despite the terrorist
attack a few weeks before and bad
weather we attracted 1500 people and
some amazing feedback. In Surrey it was
our 3rd year and we hosted 3,500 people
over the weekend, our best yet, despite
poor weather as well.
SIP: What are your plans for 2018?
PF: We have produced two small
GoFests events inside in February and
April but the main ones are on June
23/24 in Manchester at the inspirational
venue of the Etihad Campus and on
July 21/22 in Guildford again (another
amazing venue … Surrey Sports Park).
SIP: Have you any advice for people
interested in getting involved?
PF: You can buy tickets to come and
have the time of your life (an active
holiday on your doorstep) by buying
tickets at www.gofest.co.uk and if you
want to promote your business/club
or to deliver some of the coaching etc.
e mail [email protected] or call
07774 629242.
SIP: What do you believe could be
some of the biggest challenges you may
face in the coming years?
PF: We want to take the whole
movement national but we need a
corporate sponsor with the vision to
back us. We have plans for several cities
around the UK but we desperately need
a sports retailer, supermarket, bank
or other business with wellbeing in its
mission to come alongside us and our
Media partners at Trinity Mirror plc.
SIP: What are your ambitions for the
next five years?
PF: To develop 8–10 large regional
festivals and many smaller ones at
Universities etc. and make a really
significant impact on obesity and
inactivity rates. And to have a whole
heap of fun with it all at the same time!