Passing of former Alliance CEO Margaret Talbot OBE

The Sport and Recreation Alliance is saddened to announce the passing of former CCPR CEO, Margaret Talbot OBE, following a long illness.

Margaret was CEO of the Alliance (then CCPR) from May 2001 until June 2005 and was a driving force behind modernising the way in which the organisation operated, recognising the need for change in the sporting political landscape at the beginning of the millennium.

In her first AGM Margaret highlighted the need for a ‘robust, sustainable infrastructure for the comprehensive delivery of sports’ aims’ and swiftly began putting plans in place to achieve this.

Margaret was another shining example of women excelling in the sporting sector and was noted as being among a number who broke the “glass ceiling” of women in executive positions in the early noughties. At the time it was said that things, ‘have come a long way since Professor Talbot taught PE at a Catholic college, where a priest told her women could not play cricket’.

Margaret Talbot was a life-long advocate and activist for equity in sport and physical education, and fought continually to defend the statutory entitlement to quality physical education around the world. She was the author of numerous books, research reports and international policy documents, all of which expressed her strong empathy for communities in need, for women, persons with disabilities and children.

Earlier in her outstanding career, Margaret Talbot had been Carnegie Research Professor at Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, where she was also the Head of Sport. Before that, she had worked at Trinity and All Saints College in Leeds. For her extra-ordinary services to physical education and sport, Margaret Talbot was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1993.

Margaret Talbot was elected as President of ICSSPE (International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education) in 2009 and prior to this, she was Vice President for Education from 1999 until 2008.

Margaret had also been President of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women from 1997 to 2005. In addition to her voluntary positions, she had been Chief Executive of the Association for Physical Education. She was also Chair of the Education Committee of the International Paralympic Committee.

The thoughts and condolences from everyone here at the Alliance are with Margaret’s family and friends at this time.
 

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