S&PAProfessional / Spring 2020
UPFRONT S&PA NEWS
YST YOUNG AMBASSADORS’ FUTURE FOCUS By Patrick Appleton Figures of influence in the sport and physical activity sector have a responsibility to help young people become decision-makers. That was the message from Aled Davies, Young Volunteers Wales development coordinator, at the Youth Sports Trust (YST) conference in Coventry on 27 February. The charity’s 25th anniversary conference was held at the Ricoh Arena and focused on keeping young people socially connected in an increasingly digital age. Keynote speakers included para-athlete and former Royal Marine Andy Grant, and Mel Young, sportscotland chairman. Speaking during the ‘Young Ambassadors: Be the change’ seminar, Davies said that he experienced difficulties growing up in “a small area of Wales, not much going on” during his teenage years. Davies went on to youth leadership roles at Sport Wales and the YST, and hopes he can use his current role to help future industry leaders. “It’s all about developing young people as individuals,” said Davies. “After that, it’s about ensuring they are the decision-makers, not just having an impact on a decision. This is about a shift from influencing change, to making change.”
LOOKING AT S&PA’S SUSTAINABLE FUTURE By DeeDee Doke The CEO of a leading environmental advocacy group has called on the sport and physical activity industry to “lend your muscle to advocacy” in driving sustainability practices across facilities, travel and the acceptance of commercial sponsorships. Replacing plastic drink cups with reusable ones, creating wildlife corridors, and travelling within the UK by train instead of by air for events and meetings are ways in which the industry could demonstrate leadership in tackling environmental problems, said Craig Bennett, who heads Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Bennett said the sport industry should “show leadership” and reminded the audience of how sport creates “role models and icons” who could “lend their muscle to advocacy” in support of the natural world. Bennett was speaking at the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s Fit for the
Future Convention in Loughborough in January. “A sustainable sport and recreation sector is important to keep the nation active and to help address some of society’s biggest problems,” SRA said in a prepared statement. The two-day event featured Olympic canoeing gold medalist Etienne Stott MBE (see interview p43), who advocates for environmental issues with Extinction Rebellion, Hattie Park, sustainability manager at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and Professor Kevin Hylton, emeritus professor at Leeds Beckett University among others. SRA CEO Lisa Wainwright told S&PA Professional that membership demand for “common sense” tools to find sustainable solutions for financial restraints had prompted the event. SRA chairman Andrew Moss echoed those concerns in his opening remarks: “As a sector, we have to prove that we are using every pound of funding in a sustainable way,” he said. If your S&PA organisation has launched a sustainability strategy or initiative, please contact S&PA editor DeeDee Doke at deedee.doke@redactive.co.uk
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