Active LDN 2023, hosted by charity London Sport in partnership with Decathlon, is returning this year on 17 October. The event will bring together hundreds of delegates from the sports and physical activity sector to share their knowledge, test new ideas, and discuss how we can tackle the nation’s inactivity crisis.
Covering sessions from Do major events drive participation in community sport? to Supporting young women & girls to be active through innovation, the event will explore the different ways that we can support communities to be active.
With 1 in 6 premature deaths caused by inactivity, and with the current challenges of the cost-of-living crisis creating further barriers to activity, these conversations have never been more important.
I’m particularly excited to hear from Londoners who are on the ground delivering impactful projects to local communities as well as participants whose lives have been turned around thanks to sport.
One of the keynote sessions involves Steel Warriors, a charity that collects confiscated knives (including machetes, switchblades and a whole list of other weapons I haven’t heard of), melts them down, and recycles the steel to create outdoor gyms.
They go even further in their work to host street workouts at these gyms to transform the lives of young people affected by crime and social exclusion. Incredibly, they have more than 10 tonnes of knives in their warehouse just waiting to be repurposed to help communities across London!
Another session I can’t wait to hear more about is a panel on sport’s ability to inspire social change. From changing perceptions of disability, to giving people the confidence and tools to overcome life-threatening mental health challenges, this session is an important reminder of the power of sport and physical activity.
We’ll talk about everything from the legacy of London 2012 to how sport can help re-integrate people who have been shut off from society because of prison, anxiety or disability.
And it’s no coincidence that this conference is being held in partnership with Decathlon and hosted in their flagship store in Southwark.
The very same space was repurposed earlier this year through London Sport’s Space for Girls project to help local teenage girls take part in free boxing and dance classes.
With less than half of girls in London achieving the recommended levels of physical activity, these types of sessions are critical to help teenage girls re-engage with sports and form an active habit for life.
We’ll hear more about this project and other pilots happening across the city that will reshape the way we think equal access to sport.
Finally, along with thought-provoking discussions and inspiring stories, the event will also feature a number of interactive games, products and more from organisations including Play Innovation and Exergame.
Tickets are still available for Active LDN 2023 – you can find the full agenda and secure your place here: Active LDN – London Sport