Diary
November 2008 update
Hello,
I’ve had a really busy month so far, I hope that you will enjoy reading my updates!
Thursday 27th November
8th anniversary of Damilola Taylor’s death.
I attended the memorial service at London’s Southwark Cathedral.
Click here to read my speech
Click here for details of the service
Click here to visit the Damilola Taylor Trust website
Monday 24th November
Today I attended the annual Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Conference at the Emirates Stadium where I hosted a lively Question of Sport session. I have to say the questions were very tough and I think everyone then realised that womens sport does really need more profile! The winners won a box at Arsenals Emirates Stadium- very jealous!!
The conference was for policy-makers, sport and exercise deliverers, business, sponsors and the media wanting to understand and realise the exceptional potential of a nation of active women. As London takes the 2012 torch, there’s never been a better time.
I then went on to attend the De Coubertin Lecture where the President of the IOC Jacques Rogge gave the keynote speech – ‘Advancing the Games: the IOC, London 2012 and the future of de Coubertin’s Olympic Movement’. It was a great speech! I then joined Seb Coe, the BBC’s Mark Byford and Jacques Rogge in a panel discussion centred around the future of the Olympics, of course with lots of reference to London 2012 and how it will contribute to the future of the Games. I really enjoyed the panel and hope I gave my views over well.
My day did not finish until much later though as I appeared on Gabby Logan’s Inside Sport on BBC1 at 11pm, to give my positive views on the future of the new Olympic stadium being built for the forthcoming Games, and also to discuss what it takes to be a top athlete. I really enjoyed the show it’s the first time I have been on it and I hope I can go on again sometime.
Wednesday 19th November
I visited two schools as part of my NSSC role. In the morning I went to Greendown School in West Swindon, I took some fitness sessions with two year groups that were great fun. One was a skills session and one was an indoor assault course. which is something I think is a great way of doing exercise that includes skills, agility, strength and speed but most of all is fun.
Later I went to St Edmund’s Girls’ School and Sports College in Laverstock where I also spoke to the girls in assembly, took some activities and most importantly presented the school with an award that recognises the school’s achievement in its level of sports provision within the curriculum and its programme of after-school activities.
Click here to go to my NSSC News pages for more details
Wednesday 12th November
I attended the prestigious annual Duke of Edinburgh’s ICONS dinner – a major fundraising event on behalf of DofE. It was a great event with many famous people attending. I used to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at school and it was brilliant. I learnt a lot about myself and it was very good background for my early Army career.
Tuesday 11th November
Tuesday 11th November
I gave a short speech and took part in an awards ceremony at the ELBA Annual Employee Volunteering Awards and Party. The DKH Legacy Trust is working in partnership with ELBA to support the talented sports people in the 5 Olympic Boroughs.
Photo Chee-Kwang Leow
Friday 7th November
Today was another school day. I visited the Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone as part of my National School Sport Champion role. I did the school assembly, took part in loads of activities, presented an award for a world record for the most space hoppers all hopping at the same time. I watched the pupils’ demonstrations including a taking part in a ‘Gladiator’ game. It was a great school and, everybody was very nice and enthusiastic!
Click here to watch the video of my visit
Wednesday 5th November
’Extended Schools – Building on Success’ Conference
I gave a keynote speech on the importance of extended schools at the TDA Conference on the Extended Schools Programme for Head teachers.
Extended schools offer a varied range of activities including study support, sport and music clubs, combined with childcare in primary schools. This is something I am very interested in because I am building a new venture that would work really well in this time span.
Tuesday 4th November
I attend Sainsbury’s Active Kids Get Talking Conference as part of my role as a Sainsbury’s Active Kids ambassador.
‘Active Kids Get Talking’ is the UK’s biggest ever schools consultation, to help Sainsbury’s engage with children and young people. It was a great event that gave young children the chance to voice there opinion on how Active Kids should develop. We saw presentation from different groups of young people who had won a place at the conference they were so confident,
Click here to find out mre about the campaign and my involvement in it.
Later I attended the FT Industry Sports Summit – The lunchtime debate: Olympic Opportunities – focusing on ‘How can London build on UK successes in the Beijing Games in the run up to 2012?’ and all investments, business and media related issues surrounding the forthcoming 2012 Games. It was very interesting listening to debates and a Q&A that was hosted by Clare Balding with Andy Burnham the secretary of state of Culture, Media and Sport
Saturday 1st November
Today I opened the Lammas Leisure Centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield. It was brand new and whilst looking around I realised how massive it was and was extremely impressed by what I have seen, There was definitely a community feel as there was something for everyone. There’s a great ice rink which is the new home of the Sutton Sting ice hockey club. I went on the ice with some of the young people which was the first time since my appearance on Dancing on Ice!! I met loads of people and signed loads of autographs. The staff were extremely helpful and I really wish them great success. With what I saw from the turn out of people it will definitely be! see my picture above right with members of Sutton Sting.
Click here for to watch the video of my opening speech and interview.
Click here for the press release and more photos.
See you soon back on these pages for more updates!
Love, Kelly x