Elevate 2024 - Empowering Change and Inclusion

We’re pleased to recount our experience at Elevate 2024, where Sport for Confidence took centre stage at Excel in London, advocating for inclusivity and promoting physical activity for all. 

 

Elevate 2024 was more than a conference; it was a catalyst for change. It reinforced our mission to empower marginalised groups through sport/ movement and occupational therapy, fostering inclusivity and resilience in communities nationwide. 

 

Our founder, Lyndsey Barrett, led a compelling panel, titled: "Reimagining Physical Activity: An Occupational Therapy Perspective," in partnership Everyone Active. She was joined by Rebecca Phillips, Director of Health and Wellbeing for Everyone Active and Jo Denton who shared her lived experiences as a participant, volunteer and coach at Sport for Confidence. It was great to gain recognition of the pivotal role occupational therapists are playing in the sports sector and the emerging potential partnership opportunities nationwide as a result of this collaborative approach. 

 

 

As Sport For Confidence is not a traditional fitness brand, we were nervous about how we might ‘fit in’ to a fitness focused event but these concerns were quickly dispelled. From the opening whistle we received a tremendous amount of interest from a wide array of visitors, including leisure and health providers, eager to learn more about our innovative practice. We were excited and grateful to be referenced in arena presentations, including Tara Dillon's opening session, recognising Sport for Confidence's contributions in leisure and health and Keiran Charles from Tendering District Council celebrating the work we do in partnership with his local leisure centre (Clacton) around swimming. This led to more engagement, with several individuals and businesses intrigued by our journey and impact. 

 

A thought-provoking session, "How do we make the UK the most active nation in the world?" led to discussions which highlighted the alarming rates of inactivity in the UK and emphasised the crucial role of partnerships in fostering a healthier nation. It was a great opportunity to meet Adam Blaze, CEO of Activity Alliance, and discuss future collaborations aimed at enhancing participation in physical activity and achieving occupational justice. 

 

The session on "Inclusion by Design - It's Just Good Customer Service!" introduced us to Accessercise, an innovative fitness app breaking barriers for people with disabilities. While we deliberated its potential and challenges, we found inspiration in its global vision to create inclusive environments. 

 

Insights from "Measuring and Understanding Participation in the Public Sector" showcased importance of utilising physical activity in primary care, not just for patients but GP practice staff too through the Physical Activity Charter. Discussions were based around utilising AHPs in Primary Care including Occupational Therapists to break down the barriers for people with long term health conditions accessing and participating in physical activity. These discussions reaffirmed our commitment to data-driven approaches for improving community health and well-being. 

 

For us, Elevate was hugely successful. It put us right in the epicentre of discussions about the value physical activity can add to health agendas and how we, as a sector, convince policymakers and influencer. It also provided a valuable chance to connect with professional friends old and new such as David Minton and to hear more about the brilliant work happening in Manchester with GM Active through Andy King. 

 

 

Stay tuned for more updates from Sport for Confidence as we continue our journey towards creating a healthier, more active nation for all and please contact us for more informational on how we can work together info@sportforconfidence.com.