by Ethan Harris
AN initiative aiming to improve the amount of female participation in sport and sports media is set to feature at a conference at the University of South Wales next week.
The Women and Sport Conference, Breaking Barriers in Sport and Sports Media, takes place at the University of South Wales Sport Park on Wednesday. (16th)
The conference is themed around encouraging female involvement in all areas of sport; celebrating success and forging opportunities for women whether they want to play, watch or work in sport.
Representatives from the board will be in attendance at the conference to discuss its plans.
The board consists of six members involved across different sports industries and includes Wales Women’s manager Jayne Ludlow and two members of USW staff, Mel Tuckwell, Course Leader MSc Sports Coaching and Performance and MA Leadership in Sport and Julie Kissick, who runs the BA Sports Journalism degree.
The other members are notable industry names Caroline Spanton from the FAW Trust, Welsh Hockey representative Ria Male and Welsh Netball’s Ben Williams.
The board, which started meeting last spring, is keen to develop partnerships with organisations such as the FAW, Welsh Rugby, Netball and Hockey and others, in order to increase female participation in sport.
Another aim is to increase the numbers of female students on sport-related courses at USW. The board is helping to facilitate masterclasses and identifying possible graduate internships within the sports industry.
They plan to achieve this in a variety of ways, including the use of workshops which focus on building confidence and resilience along with providing nutrition advice, agility courses and promoting emotional awareness and communication.
As part of a Women Sport CPD programme, the board will also be hosting a number of workshops and networking events throughout the year to support local businesses, clubs and sporting organisations.
More information on the Woman and Sport Conference is available here.