City's sporting future in the spotlight

The future shape of sport in Plymouth will be discussed at a strategic summit hosted by the University of St Mark & St John on Thursday 19 February.

A hotbed of sporting talent, Plymouth is renowned for breeding gold medalists and Olympic winners; from Sharron Davies to Tom Daley, Ben Proud to Ruta Meilutyte.

The Plymouth City Sport Summit will bring together the UK’s leading experts to share their experience and drive forward a winning strategy to build on this success.

Organised in partnership with Plymouth City Council and supported by the Plymouth Sports Board, the summit will look at ways that partners can work together to increase participation in sport at all levels and identify priorities for future investment in sporting facilities.

Its aim is to deliver a city-wide plan for sport that will follow the strategic direction set out in the Plymouth Plan, which is looking ahead to 2031 and beyond.

As part of the summit programme, University Vice-Chancellor Professor Cara Aitchison will chair panel debates on sport and economic growth for the city. She said:

“The summit is about developing elite performance, social cohesion and economic growth through sport.

“We have the research and evidence to demonstrate that sport and physical activity aid learning, build individuals’ resilience, foster teamwork and lead to healthy and cohesive families and communities.

“But sport also requires sustainable economic foundations. This is true for families seeking to support their children in sport, as well as professional clubs seeking, and sometimes struggling, to sustain their long-standing reputations.

“Our city must recognise the importance of sport as a catalyst for cultural development, economic growth and in attracting people to live and work in Plymouth.”

Deputy Council Leader Peter Smith said: “Sport and physical activity have a major role to play in every workplace, school and community and the health and wellbeing benefits cannot be emphasised enough. The University of St Mark & St John has a leading reputation in this field, which is why it was one of our priorities to partner up and host this important event for the city.”

Along with sportspeople such as Graham Dawe and Sarah Hunter MBE attending, there are six internationally renowned speakers.

The keynote speakers are Lisa O’Keefe from Sport England, Jon Rudd, Head Coach of the England Swimming Team for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Professor Nanette Mutrie from the University of Edinburgh, Professor Mike Weed from Canterbury Christ Church University, Billy Garrett from Glasgow City Council and Dr Larissa Davies from Sheffield Hallam University.

Lisa O’Keefe, Insight Director, from Sport England said: “Sport England is working to increase the number of people who play sport regularly, and promoting grassroots sport in large cities such as Plymouth is key to the success of achieving this.

"Working together with local partners and having a clear strategy is an essential driver to get more people playing sport more often, which is why this event is so crucial in developing the understanding of the impact sport can have.”

The event includes a focus on improving sport performance chaired by Professor Andrew Edwards, Dean of the Faculty of Sport & Health Science, at the University. Olympic swimming coach Jon Rudd will also participate in the discussions.

A drive to increase participation in sport will be chaired by the University’s new Executive Dean for Research, Postgraduate and Innovation, Professor Brendon Noble.

Key on the agenda will be initiatives to boost the business sector, with discussions led by Plymouth City Council, the Plymouth Growth Board and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.

Attending are sports specialists from Edinburgh University, Canterbury Christ Church University, Sheffield Hallam University and Glasgow City Council.

Please register your interest in attending the event by emailing events@marjon.ac.uk.