More than 200 delegates have now signed up to discuss and debate Scotland’s ability to change its culture and use sport more effectively to improve the health of the population at the first National Sport Summit in Edinburgh this month.
Sport Summit Programme latestGovernment, Health and Social Care Partnerships, sport bodies, leisure trusts and other key stakeholders will join forces at Tynecastle Stadium on 25 and 26 November with Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, and sportscotland’s Chief Executive Stewart Harris joining a list of over 30 speakers, chairs and panellists from across Europe.
The Summit will be hosted by Heart of Midlothian FC at Tynecastle Stadium, and club owner Ann Budge, a supporter of OSS, stated: “Heart of Midlothian FC and myself personally are delighted to host the first National Summit at Tynecastle because it embodies what is important to us as a community football club.
“I have met with the OSS founder Charlie Raeburn and Director David Ferguson, and their vision for bringing high-quality research and evidence to the sport and activity landscape across Scotland, in the way that other European countries have been doing for years, is very impressive. There is no doubt that across Scotland we need help to understand the barriers to sport and regular activity, and more importantly we need to work closely with the Scottish Government, sportscotland, local authorities, trusts, health bodies, education and our wider communities if we are going to seriously tackle the health and wellbeing problems that we have in this country.
“This Summit is about much more than sport – it is about the health and wellbeing of our people. We will play our part and look forward to welcoming people from across Scotland and wider Europe to our stadium for the first Summit, and I would urge all with an interest in community sport, recreation and health and wellbeing to join us.”
The event will also introduce delegates to – and have the opportunity to take part in – a wide range of new and modified sports being used across Scotland and wider Europe to attract more people to regular activity, including walking football, walking netball, Padel tennis, pickleball, boccia, Teqball and VX.
Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, added: “We recently published new UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, which set out the enormous benefits of active lifestyles for both our physical and mental health. I look forward to speaking about these at the Summit and to hearing about the valuable work across Scotland and elsewhere to support people to overcome barriers to taking part in sport and physical activity.”
Contact us for details of discounts available to Third Sector, public service and community sport, and even if you cannot attend during the day join us for the evening Community Session plenary (6.15-7.15pm) where we review the day’s discussions in an open audience session followed by an informal networking dinner with some wonderfully inspirational speakers.
Thought Piece from Charlie Raeburn for Reform Scotland