Mandana Mehran Pour appointed CEO and
Head of Service at Active Surrey

Active Surrey is delighted to welcome Mandana Mehran Pour as our new CEO and Head of Service. Mandana will lead efforts to tackle inequalities, and drive forward Movement for Change - Surrey’s strategy to make physical activity part of everyday life for everyone.

Mandana joins us from British Equestrian, where she led participation, development, and inclusion across the sport.

Mandana brings extensive experience and a strong commitment to tackling inequalities, guided by her belief in the power of physical activity to help people live healthier, happier lives every day. Her career highlights include:

• Drove major Sport England system partner investments
• Delivered insight-led change, including the UK’s first social value study of equestrian
• Led the federation-wide EDI research and strategy, Horses for All
• Commissioned programmes that opened access to physical activity for underrepresented communities

Mandana also serves as a trustee at Access Sport, a national charity working to make inclusion the norm, where she chairs the EDI Committee.

Mandana’s journey began as a civil engineer, followed by a master’s in sport management, before returning to the sector she is most passionate about. She previously represented Iran as an athlete.

“I am thrilled to join Active Surrey, to work with and serve a county full of energy and potential. In my first few weeks I have been struck by the dedication and passion of the team and our partners, and by the quality of work already under way." I believe movement truly changes lives. In a changing local environment, our focus will be on Surrey’s residents, particularly those in places facing the greatest barriers to being active. We’ll use insight to guide decisions and drive system change for sustainable, long term impact.

We’ll hold ourselves accountable for outcomes that residents can genuinely feel, working closely with Sport England, Surrey County Council, our Board, and local and national partners. Sport has always given me belonging, purpose, and confidence - and that’s what I want every resident to be able to experience.”

Key Initial Priorities

• Listen and Learn - Build on the great work already underway by engaging with Surrey’s residents and stakeholders across the system. Identify where Active Surrey can add the most value and strengthen collaboration to meet local needs.
• Tackle Inequalities - Work with colleagues to reduce health and activity inequalities in Surrey, with a clear focus on residents and communities who face the greatest barriers to being active. Align with Public Health priorities and work across Surrey County Council, as well as with national bodies such as the Active Partnership Network and Sport England.
• Drive System Change for Impact - Champion and enable place based working and system change to create sustainable, long term improvements in physical activity opportunities - prioritising those residents who need them most.
• Guide, Support & Collaborate Through Change - Guide, support and collaborate with colleagues, partners, and residents through Local Government Reorganisation. Provide clear, constructive communication to ensure continuity and stability during transition, while keeping residents’ needs at the heart of decisions.

“We’re delighted to welcome Mandana to Active Surrey. In a changing local environment, her focus on Surrey’s residents - especially those facing the greatest barriers to being active - together with her ability to lead with insight and build strong relationships across Surrey and beyond, will be vital as we position Active Surrey during and after devolution. Her experience in inclusion, and passion for tackling inequalities, will help advance Movement for Change, Surrey’s physical activity strategy, through close collaboration with Surrey County Council, Sport England, and key partners critical for success. By driving system change and place based working, we aim to deliver measurable impact for those who need it most, and we invite partners to join us in making a real difference.”

Mandana looks forward to collaborating with partners and stakeholders to create positive, sustainable change for residents across Surrey.

If you’d like to work together to reduce inequalities and help more people lead active lives, email: mandana.mehranpour@activesurrey.org.