‘Mental Health through Sport’ is a one-day symposium, which aims to share Practice, Culture and Experiences of using Sport to enhance our Mental Health and Wellbeing.

It is open to anyone who has an interest in mental health and sport. It aims to bring together: participants from projects/initiatives; academics/researchers; staff from sporting organisations; service-users and staff from health services; charities; sports clubs; local/national government and anyone else who wants to share ideas, research and experiences.

Speakers include:

Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor

Professor Andy Smith, Edge Hill University

Dr Florence Kinnafick, Loughborough University

Ian Braid, Founder and MD of DOCIAsport

Mike Chamberlain, Chief Executive of Sport Birmingham

This symposium is the first in a series of symposia, based on a partnership between Newman University, the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT), Sport Birmingham, and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Over the next four years, the aim is to have an increasingly international focus that shall lead towards the Commonwealth Games in 2022, also hosted in Birmingham.

On the day of the symposium, registration will open at 8.30am, with welcome refreshments, with the opening session starting at 9.20am. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Details of timings and speakers will be provided in full in late September.

For more information, please see MentalHealthThroughSport.com