The next meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sport will take place on 17 May. The event will consider the challenges and opportunities ahead for women’s sport and is being chaired by Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE. The APPG is delighted to announce that Gail Emms MBE, Kelly Simmons and Sue Tibballs have agreed to speak at the event.
At present women hold just one in five of the top jobs in sport. Investment in women’s sport lags far behind men’s and as little as two per cent of sports media coverage is devoted to female competitors and teams. The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) estimates that while only 13% of women take part in sport regularly, over half say that they would like to play more sport than they currently do.
The guest speakers will give their views on how major sports events might best be used to promote greater levels of female participation across the sporting spectrum.
Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE
Tanni Grey-Thompson is one Britain’s greatest-ever paralympians. She amassed 11 Paralympic gold medals and competed in 6 London Marathons. Since her retirement Tanni has continued to be involved in sport; she is currently Chair of the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport, a director of UK Athletics and a member of the board of the London Marathon. In addition to this, she was named ‘Most powerful woman in sport’ by The Times.
Gail Emms MBE
Gail is a former British badminton player who achieved international success with playing partner Nathan Robertson. Together they achieved a No. 1 world ranking in mixed doubles, became Commonwealth champions and famously won the Olympic silver medal at the Athens Games in 2004. The pair also won gold at the Madrid world championships in 2006. Since retiring Gail has presented sports shows for Sky, Channel 4 and BBC Radio 5Live.
Kelly Simmons Head of National Game, The FA
Kelly is currently leading the implementation of The FA National Game Strategy which will invest £200 million into grassroots football. Her work in women’s football over many years was recently rewarded with the launch of the FA’s Women’s Super League – the first semi-professional league in women’s team sports in the UK. Internationally, Kelly is a member of the UEFA Grassroots Panel and the FIFA Women’s Committee.
Sue Tibballs Chief Executive, WSFF
Sue is chief executive of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF), the UK-based charity that aims to create a nation of active women. Since joining as CEO, Sue has established WSFF as the expert in making physical activity an integral part of women’s lives. Previously Sue held senior positions with The Body Shop, the Future Foundation and the Fawcett Society.
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