Thought leadership series aims to make a unique contribution to the challenges facing the sport and physical activity sector

In response to the new Government sport strategy, UK Sport Development Research Network, a professional network committed to knowledge development and exchange, is collaborating with the Sport and Recreation Alliance and Sport Think Tank to coordinate an innovative programme of seminars and events designed to:

• Stimulate critical discussion and debate on key policy issues
• Offer thought leadership and new thinking
• Provide insight from leading experts, including from beyond the UK
• Offer practical solutions to complex problems
• Provide professional networking opportunities
• Contribute to and inform the sport and physical activity policy debate with sound evidence

The seminars, titled "Conversations with a purpose", will be targeted at key individuals across the sector, organisations and networks, and supported by smaller roundtable events involving key thinkers and policy makers. Topics will include:

• Income inequality
• Measuring impact
• The future workforce
• Partnerships and collaboration
• Behaviour change
• Building sport and physical activity capital
• Strategy as practice
• Outdoor and adventure activity
• Pilot design and scaling up
• Working with multiple funding streams
• Governance and integrity

Universities and sports industry bodies across the UK will be invited to host the seminars, with the proceeding being widely disseminated to inform future policy and practice. Several universities have already signed up, including Sheffield Hallam, Leeds Beckett, Leeds Trinity, Manchester Metropolitan, St Mark and St Johns Plymouth, Brighton and Edinburgh.

Chris Cutforth, Chair of the UK Sport Development Research Network commented:

“The Government sport strategy calls for a renewed spirit of collaboration and new thinking in order to demonstrate the contribution of sport and physical activity to public policy. This seminar series aims to make a significant contribution to the opportunities and challenges facing the sport and physical activity sector by bringing academics, policy makers and practitioners together to develop shared solutions to common problems”.

James Allen, Director of Policy, Governance and External Affairs at the Sport and Recreation Alliance, commented:

"We value our relationship with the UK Sport Development Research Network very highly and we’re looking forward to participating in a series of challenging discussions about the future of our sector. The coming months present an invaluable opportunity to shape the future of the sport and recreation landscape, and those crucial decisions must be based on the best and most diverse research and evidence possible."

Andy Reed, founder of the Sport Think Tank added:

"We have been working to create a space for thought leadership in the sector for some time and have always believed in genuine working collaboration. This partnership demonstrates this. Our work has always been underpinned by academic rigour but with a desire to make it relevant to policy makers in Westminster and Whitehall. We will work to take the learnings from the seminar series into the heart of decision making amongst Ministers, MPs and sports policy officials"

The first event is scheduled to take place in April with others to follow over the next 2 years. The proceedings will be widely disseminated to inform future policy and practice.

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