Meet Active Sussex trustee Tom Howell

In a weekly series, Active Sussex introduces its staff and trustees.

Tom Howell is a trustee and chairperson of the HR and Nominations Committee. Here he explains why he became involved with Active Sussex, the importance of showing and encouraging his young family to be active, and his dream foreign destination.

How long have you been involved/worked with Active Sussex?

I have been involved with the charity for around ten years – four in a previous role co-ordinating physical activity sessions in Arun for inactive residents and now entering my sixth year as a trustee.

Why did you want to become involved with Active Sussex?

I have always appreciated the benefits of regular exercise and how staying active can prevent many health conditions both physically and mentally from occurring.

Being able to share my expertise and passion for physical activity at a strategic level gives me a lot of pride.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I have a young family so prioritise quality time spent with them. I am also a keen runner, partaking in lots of distance events, from 10k’s to full marathons.

I believe it is important to showcase to children how physical activity should be part of your everyday life and, as such, as a family we regularly participate in the local ParkRun – buggy and all!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I have always wanted to go on safari to Africa and see the animals in their natural environment. Perhaps while I was there I would incorporate a fitness challenge along the way and climb some, if not all, of Mt. Kilimanjaro.