Women’s fitness expert to talk at Euro sports event

Ruth Holdaway, chief executive of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, will give the keynote address at the European Sport Development Network (ESDN) conference, which this year is being hosted by the University.

The ESDN is made up of sports experts from across Europe, who together examine the various opportunities, challenges and possibilities facing policy-makers and practitioners working in sport.

The annual conference brings together academics, policy-makers and practitioners working in local, national and international contexts, with the aim of taking stock of the current policy and looking at ways to improve and expand education and engagement with sport.

The one-day event will take place at the University’s Performance Hub, at the Walsall Campus, on Tuesday, September 9, from 9.30am to 4pm.

The centrepiece will be a speech by Ruth Holdaway, in which she will provide an engaging interpretation of the conference theme, opportunity through sport, and will speak about the ways in which sport policy can influence the active experiences of women in sport.

There will also be a panel discussion as part of the day, led by Andy Reed (Chair of the Sport and Recreation Alliance), called ‘A sporting manifesto for 2015’.

The University of Wolverhampton will deleiver the event in partnership with the Sport and Recreation Alliance, the Black Country BeActive Partnership, and Sport 4 Life.

Dr Richard Medcalf, lecturer in sport and leisure at the University of Wolverhampton’s Facult of Health, Education and Wellbeing, said: ““We are looking forward to welcoming professionals from across the sport development industry to the University of Wolverhampton in September.

“The ESDN conference this year promises to be the biggest yet, with a number of key partnerships that will ensure the day will be of benefit to people from across the sport development industry.

“We particularly welcome contributions to the day from professionals who have a contribution to make to our desire for a research informed, practice led profession.”

ENDS

For more information please contact Chris Jones in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736

Date Issued: Wednesday, January 29, 2014