Our Head of Insight, Steve Rose, spoke at the HEPA Europe 2025 earlier this month. Here are his reflections on the 20th edition of the conference, which focused on the promotion of physical activity and sustainable development strategies – something that aligns directly with the goals and purpose of Intelligent Health.
I had the privilege of joining colleagues, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers at the HEPA Europe 2025 Conference in Kaunas, Lithuania. The theme this year — Health Enhancing Physical Activity: Taking Steps Towards Sustainability — couldn’t have been a better fit for the work we’re doing through Beat the Street and our broader thinking about health creation.
This was my first time at HEPA, and what an experience it was. The conference managed to blend deep science, innovative practice, cultural sharing, and personal connection in a way that left me feeling both inspired and grateful. Kaunas itself, with its wide pedestrian boulevards and riverside walks, provided the perfect setting for a gathering dedicated to movement and community.
Active travel isn’t just about where you’re going—it’s about the unexpected connections and moments along the way
Day 1: Mechanisms of Change
This gathering was about more than research—it was about people
The opening keynote from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Brigita Miežiene reminded us that active travel isn’t just about where you’re going—it’s about the unexpected connections and moments along the way. That phrase resonated instantly with me because it captures so much of the magic behind Beat the Street.
The day unfolded with a kaleidoscope of perspectives:
- Nicola Briggs shared how Ireland Lights Up has opened sports stadia for walking—an elegant act of volunteer-led community building.
- Dr Robert Ovbiagbonhia explored the skills needed to collaborate across difference—even discomfort.
- Ms Farah Sweidan reminded us of the importance of centering Muslim women in activity programmes, echoing great work we’ve seen in Birmingham.
- Prof Pedro Morouço highlighted how digital tools can reach sedentary women by fostering hope and agency.
- And Mr John Hughes showed what happens when adults with disabilities are given true agency in shaping social care partnerships.
Threaded through these talks were the very mechanisms of change we’ve been working to measure: trust, agency, belonging, and collaboration. In the afternoon, I was able to share our work on the Health Creation Index, HCI Presentation Script, the ABCD Maturity Index and the ABCD Maturity Presentation Script.
These tools help make visible what we so clearly felt throughout the day—the social glue that underpins strong, healthy communities.
We closed the day at the striking Science Island for the welcome reception. Glass walls, riverside views, and an unmistakable sense that this gathering was about more than research—it was about people.
Day 2: Sustainability and Synergies
Sustainability is messy but necessary
Day two shifted the focus squarely onto sustainability. Prof Dr. Peter Gelius’s talk—featuring “pillars, doughnuts, and wedding cakes”—was a reminder that sustainability is messy but necessary, and sport has both a push-and-pull relationship with the climate challenge. It was the perfect launch pad for the HEPA Climate Pledge.
I was fascinated by Dr Ellen Da-silva’s clever network analysis from the JU:MP programme in Bradford, showing how outdoor environments directly shape children’s activity. Meanwhile, Dr Karin Schmid-Zalaudek reminded us that weaving activity into classroom learning can raise both health and academic outcomes—a win-win.
By the evening, we’d swapped the lecture halls for the Archdiocese Conference Centre under the shadow of Kaunas Castle. Traditional Lithuanian food (the Anthill Cake was a sweet highlight!) and some spirited folk dancing brought home a truth that ran through the whole conference: culture, connection, and movement belong together.
Spirited folk dancing brought home a truth that ran through the whole conference: culture, connection, and movement belong together
Day 3: Policies, Places, and People
Small infrastructural choices can ripple out to affect wellbeing, equity, and community life
The final day showcased how policy and place matter just as much as programmes. From speed-limit changes in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, to the new walking and cycling bridge transforming connections in Glasgow, we saw evidence that small infrastructural choices can ripple out to affect wellbeing, equity, and community life.
I was struck by Dr. Emma Lawlor’s study of the Glasgow bridge—it wasn’t just useful, it was beautiful. That matters. Infrastructure that combines utility with joy creates lasting change.
And in a session on equity, I couldn’t help but reflect on how Beat the Street has consistently shown physical activity to be an equity lever. Walking isn’t just good for health—it opens doors to connection, trust, and hope, particularly for those who need it most.
Infrastructure that combines utility with joy creates lasting change
Sharing Our Story
For me personally, the chance to speak was both humbling and energising.
In my talk, Walking as a Pathway to Health Creation, I shared how the Health Creation Index captures protective factors—feeling safe, valued, and a sense of belonging—that buffer against chronic stress and underpin wellbeing. Beat the Street doesn’t just get people walking—it builds the conditions for health creation.
Later, in Beyond Walking – Steps That Build Communities, I introduced the ABCD Maturity Index, which measures how community assets—skills, stories, associations, connections, institutions, and places—grow stronger through relational, not transactional, engagement. Our findings show how walking acts as a low-entry, high-impact catalyst for weaving communities together.
Both talks were, in truth, not just about our research, but about the many thousands of people who make Beat the Street possible—the schoolchildren, families, volunteers, local leaders, and partners who walk, play, and connect every day.
Kaunas: A City That Remembers
Outside the conference, Kaunas itself left an impression on me. Its wide pedestrian boulevard and riverside parks made walking a joy, while the Ninth Fort Memorial was a sobering reminder of history’s darkest chapters. Standing there, confronted with the memory of the “Great Action” of 1941, I was reminded again of the importance of choosing unity over division, compassion over cruelty. The monument calls us not just to remember, but to act with humanity in the present.
The importance of choosing unity over division, compassion over cruelty
Final Reflections
It’s community, it’s connection, it’s health creation
HEPA 2025 was more than a conference. It was a gathering of people committed to weaving healthier, fairer, more sustainable communities. It was about science, yes, but also about culture, laughter, food, dancing, and friendship.
For me, it was a privilege to share our work, but also to learn from so many others who are building health in their own contexts—from schools in Ireland to streets in Rotterdam, from digital tools in Portugal to community stories in Scotland.
Above all, I left Kaunas grateful. Grateful to HEPA Europe for the platform, to my colleagues for their support, and most of all to the countless participants of Beat the Street whose steps—literal and figurative—continue to show us that walking is never just walking. It’s community, it’s connection, it’s health creation.
Steve Rose at HEPA 2025
