Torbay on the Move celebrates three years

Active Devon said on May 19 that the Torbay on the Move Active Workplace Challenge had completed its third year, with 48 workplaces across Torbay taking part in the 2026 edition. The program is delivered by Active Devon on behalf of Torbay Council as part of the wider Torbay on the Move initiative, according to the organization’s recap. The challenge ran from March 2 to March 30 this year and asked workplace teams to build more movement into daily routines through a month-long competition. Active Devon said the format combined step logging, team participation and local support aimed at getting adults to walk, wheel, run or cycle more. ### How does the workplace challenge actually work? The 2026 challenge used the Big Team Challenge app and webpage to track activity, according to Active Devon and Torbay Council materials. Participants could register from February 16, form teams of three to 10 colleagues and take part in a four-week virtual journey covering the length of Great Britain. Active Devon said the route covered 1,558 kilometers in 2026. (activedevon.org) The challenge counts more than walking alone. Active Devon’s 2026 FAQs said steps could be logged through walking, wheeling, running or cycling, with activity converted into step totals so teams could compete on a shared leaderboard. The same materials described the challenge as free, inclusive and open to people over 18 who work in Torbay. (activedevon.org) ### What changed in the third year? Active Devon said the 2026 edition set a participation record, with more than 48 workplaces joining, up from the previous year. The organization said the challenge has continued to grow year on year and linked that growth to teamwork, inclusivity and friendly competition. Those descriptions came from Active Devon’s recap of the season. (activedevon.org) Torbay Council’s April 5, 2024 recap shows the challenge’s earlier scale. In that first year, 53 teams logged 104,240,286 steps and 72,432 kilometers during March, with South Devon College’s “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of SDC Library” topping the leaderboard on 4,526,613 steps. That earlier result provides a benchmark for how the program has been structured since launch. (activedevon.org) ### What does Active Devon say participants get from it? Active Devon said the challenge is designed to help colleagues build movement into everyday routines while strengthening workplace connections. In its May 19 recap, the group said the program’s effects reached beyond step counts to wellbeing, workplace culture and the wider Torbay community. Those are Active Devon’s characterizations of the program’s impact. (torbay.gov.uk) The 2024 and 2026 materials also show how the program ties physical activity to practical habits. Torbay Council’s earlier promotion urged workers to swap car trips for active commuting, hold walking meetings and use breaks to move more, while the 2026 launch repeated that the challenge was intended to support better health through everyday activity. (activedevon.org) ### Why are trees part of the results? Active Devon said 78 trees will be planted on behalf of participants through the Big Team Challenge as a result of the 2026 effort. The organization presented the tree planting as an environmental benefit linked to the challenge alongside the health and workplace aims. (torbay.gov.uk) ### Where does the program go next? February 16, 2026 was the date registration opened for this year’s edition, and Active Devon used its May 19 recap to direct employers toward future participation. Torbay Council and Active Devon have published registration, FAQ and terms pages for the challenge, which remain the main sources for sign-ups and format details. (activedevon.org) March has been the operating window for each recent edition, with the 2026 challenge running from March 2 to March 30. Employers in Torbay looking to join the next round can find registration and program information through Active Devon’s Torbay on the Move workplace challenge pages and Torbay Council notices. (activedevon.org 1) (activedevon.org 2)