How Active Families North East is stepping up digital innovation with Launchpad support
For Amy Swan and Kelly Brougham, co-founders of Active Families North East, community comes first. Since launching the Community Interest Company (CIC) in the North East, their mission has been simple but powerful: to make health and physical activity accessible to everyone, no matter their age, background or ability.
“Everything we do is about connection,” says Amy. “Whether that’s helping parents feel less isolated, giving older adults a reason to get out and meet others, or creating safe spaces for children to play and learn. Our work is about belonging and wellbeing.”
It’s a mission that grew from personal experience. When Kelly became a new mum, she struggled to find ways to stay active while juggling childcare. “It was a lightbulb moment,” Amy recalls. “Kelly realised there were so many people in similar situations, wanting to take part, but not having access to the right activities or support.”
That insight sparked the beginning of Active Families North East. What started with small, street-based sessions offering free activities has grown into a thriving CIC that now employs nine staff and works with a growing network of instructors. Today, they run a wide range of sessions and programmes for families, older adults, and young people across the region.
“We often joke that we’re powered by tea and biscuits,” laughs Amy. “But honestly, it’s the people we work with who power us. Every decision we make starts with them in our hearts.”
Like many small, fast-growing organisations, Active Families North East reached a point where their ambition outpaced their systems. They were rich in ideas and passion, but their ability to capture and use data, from participation rates to community impact, wasn’t keeping up.
“Until recently, we didn’t really gather or use our data effectively,” Amy admits. “We knew we were making a difference, but we couldn’t always evidence it or use it to plan for the future.”
That’s what led them to the North East Digital Technologies Launchpad, a programme designed to help innovative tech-driven organisations in the region’s HealthTech, EdTech and Tech Services sectors collaborate, commercialise and attract investment.
Initially, Amy and Kelly joined the programme to explore We Are Active Soles, a spin-off concept some might recognise from the BBC programme The Big Idea Works, which looked at how technology could benefit Active Families’ community work. But through their sessions with the Launchpad team, they realised the greater opportunity lay in transforming the core of Active Families itself.
“It was a natural evolution,” says Amy. “We started thinking about tech in terms of a product, but the support helped us see how digital innovation could make the entire organisation stronger. That shift in focus has been game changing.”
Through the Launchpad, Amy and Kelly found something that’s often missing in the world of community-focused entrepreneurship: time and space to think.
“When you’re running a service-led organisation, you can get completely caught up in delivery,” Amy says. “The Launchpad gave us permission to step back, reflect and look at where we’re going. It’s helped us clarify what really adds value not just to us, but to the people we serve.”
That reflection has already begun to reshape the business. The team now takes a more analytical approach to their work, asking key questions like: How impactful are our programmes? What are our routes to market? How can we build long-term value rather than short-term activity?
“The services we offer haven’t changed,” Amy explains. “But how we think about them has. We’re more strategic now, validating opportunities, measuring impact, and planning for growth in a way that feels both hopeful and achievable.”
That renewed focus is already paying off. Active Families North East recently won the Business for Good Award at the North East Business Awards and continue to attract regional and national recognition for their innovative, people-first approach.
Their next step? Strengthening the digital backbone that will allow them to expand their community projects, particularly those in STEM education, and demonstrate the full impact of their work through robust data and insights.
“This experience has helped us connect the dots between what we do and how we measure it,” Amy says. “It’s given us the confidence to think bigger, while staying true to who we are.”
About the North East Digital Technologies Launchpad
The North East Digital Technologies Launchpad helps innovative tech businesses in the EdTech, HealthTech and Tech Services sectors across the North East to collaborate, commercialise and attract finance.
For Amy and Kelly, it’s been a transformative experience. “It’s not just about funding or tech,” Amy reflects. “It’s about being in a space where you can think differently, test ideas and grow with support. That’s been invaluable for us.”
If you’re a tech business in the North East looking to scale your innovation, collaborate with peers and shape your next big idea, get in touch to find out how the Launchpad can help you take your next step.