Expert forums to explore partnerships in sport and criminal justice
Four prominent members of the Alliance of Sport’s Community of Practice are to lead debate on partnerships in sport and criminal justice at the first of a series of events taking place across England.
The discussion forums, the first of which takes place at the University of Gloucestershire on March 4, will form part of ongoing research into the value of sport-based partnerships in criminal justice being conducted by Dr Haydn Morgan and Dr Colin Baker.
Appearing at the initial event to provide their own unique perspectives, recount their experiences and stimulate thought and debate will be:
- Justin Coleman – Alliance of Sport Co-Founder and COO
- Tanayah Sam – urban youth specialist and Alliance of Sport Steering Group member
- Nick Burke – Founder of Salford Community Lifestyle Centre
- Lucy Donovan – Senior Development Officer for Newport Live
Partnerships are, of course, a vital part of how the sport and criminal justice sectors (both those working in custody and the community) work together to achieve positive outcomes for those either at-risk or already involved in crime. Hearing the experiences of frontline practitioners who have achieved fruitful partnerships will be integral to the research process.
The University of Gloucestershire discussion forum is the first of four such events to convene frontline experts around the country, with subsequent events taking place in Manchester, Leeds and London.
The events form ‘phase two’ of Drs. Morgan and Baker’s research, with phase one having been conducted through online questionnaires and focus groups with the help of the Alliance of Sport.
“These forums are a key part to building the evidence base for how we can best use sport as a tool for crime prevention,” said Dr. Morgan, who is a member of the Alliance of Sport’s Steering Group.
“Sharing best practice and knowledge is beneficial for everybody, as well as for us as academics in terms of collecting data.
“We want to draw on some of the experiences of people at all perspective levels of involvement with sport and criminal justice, to ensure a wider sense of the potential benefits and challenges of working in partnership.”
At the first event, organisers intend to gather 30-40 people involved in projects across the south-west, West Midlands and South Wales, with the four guest speakers who can share their expertise and provide a stimulus for conversation.
The University of Gloucestershire event is from 9.30am-3.30pm on March 4 to Alliance of Sport Community of Practice members only. For further details and to register yourself please visit the University of Gloucestershire Eventbrite page. There is a limit to capacity.