Tim Hollingsworth OBE’s Post

As we build to tonight's Opening Ceremony (which I will be back home watching on TV) it was important yesterday to be in Paris to be a part of a really positive conference on disability inclusion held jointly by UNESCO and International Paralympic Committee. My panel discussion focused on better use of data and evidence in decision making and in particular how to drive measurement of outcomes for wider society rather than narrow outputs when investing in sport. Asked for three things we had learned at Sport England when compiling evidence I highlighted ensuring effective robust and consistent data capture as key (for example allowing the longitudinal evidence base provided by Active Lives); to ensure you make your data capture as inclusive and user friendly for disabled people as possible; and take intersectionality into account especially when designing programmes on the back of it. I was also delighted to meet 121 with UNESCO Assistant Director General Gabriela Ramos with whom I discussed how Sport England and the UK could further support her ambitions to create more evidenced based social impact investment in sport. I look forward to carrying on this discussion and with their Chief of the Sport Section Philipp Müller-Wirth #UnitingtheMovement Department for Culture, Media and Sport

What a fantastic photo. Congratulations Lucy and Terry - hugely deserved and so excited for you tomorrow. Meanwhile as a nation we continue to be blessed by having the irreplaceable Penny Briscoe OBE as Chef de Mission. Go well Pen. Will he cheering you and all ParalympicsGB every step of the way

From graphene in trainers to the benefits of living a more active life... My bit for Department for Culture, Media and Sport back in Manchester last month as part of Secretary of State Lisa Nandy's sector celebration event #UnitingtheMovement

I loved watching Team GB success at #Paris2024 and am so looking forward to ParalympicsGB success in the coming fortnight. Nothing is better than seeing the fulfillment of the hard work by so many people... fuelled of course by National Lottery funding. For the athletes, individual talent and drive are determining factors, but they are not the only thing. All the evidence shows that it’s opportunity too: access to the programmes, support teams, and systems that nurtured and developed their early potential. We want to build on the success of Paris to make our GB teams even more representative of our society, unleashing all of the sporting talent across our nation that might not yet be visible. If you’re a young athlete with Olympic or Paralympic potential, you should have the opportunity to reach the top of your sport, regardless of your background, bank balance, or where you live. My article in yesterday's #inews on the £120million Sport England is investing in the next five years to make our Talent Pathway more diverse and inclusive. #UnitingtheMovement https://lnkd.in/eHjp2xH5

Regardless of occasion (or weather) it is always a privilege to return to Stoke Mandeville Stadium - the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. A small but wonderful part of that is the museum of the NATIONAL PARALYMPIC HERITAGE TRUST there. I'm a proud Honorary Vice President of the Trust having been party to its founding. There are so many wonderful exhibits but I am always drawn back to this small unprepossessing letter. It's the original of that sent by the Nazis in 1938 to Dr Ludwig Guttman informing him that as a Jew his right to practice medicine had been rescinded. It is what drove Dr Guttman and his family to leave Germany and seek refuge in England and ultimately the spinal injury unit at Stoke Mandeville. A faceless administrative reminder of the utter inhumanity and horror of those times. But also... one of the sparks that ultimately came to light the flame of the Paralympic Movement. From this to #Paris2024....

Something about #Paris2024 ceremonies and torrential rain.... we didn't escape the storm this morning at Stoke Mandeville Stadium... umbrellas dominated. But still an incredible joy and privilege to be there for the Paralympic Games Flame Lighting Ceremony. We heard from Nick Webborn CBE DL Tanni Grey-Thompson and two other remarkable leaders - The Head of the Paris 2024 OCOG Tony Estanguet and my friend Andrew Parsons the President of the International Paralympic Committee. Also great to see Sport England Board Member Helene Raynsford light the flame. With the Paris Games only days away now I send my best wishes to ParalympicsGB and everyone who will help make this extraordinary competition and movement a reality.

It was a real pleasure a couple of weeks ago to join Secretary of State Lisa Nandy MP and many others at a celebration of all the DCMS sectors and their impact on society at the fabulous Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. She spoke incredibly passionately about the differences that sport, arts and heritage can bring to both individuals and communities across society and how she was determined to make them more accessible to all - an ambition Sport England completely shares. She also proudly highlighted the heritage of Manchester and the North West in driving that positive difference and change and I was invited to be part of a short film on some of the ground breaking inventions and innovations in Manchester that had helped drive opportunity and change. So here is me waxing lyrical about a pair of trainers... Department for Culture, Media and Sport #UnitingtheMovement

Finding it hard to believe it is now more than two years since the Lionesses' incredible EURO’s success. That night at Wembley was among the very best of sporting moments. And its legacy is becoming real too - it’s so good to see the first set of Lionesses Futures Fund grants announced, putting women and girls centre stage to honour the achievements of the England women’s national team. The £30m cash injection from the Government through Sport England and The FA and delivered by the Football Foundation will help provide women and girls across the country with gold standard facilities that prioritise them, through reserved peak playing slots and welcoming changing rooms, making sure that everyone has a great place to play. The first 15 sites to receive a Lionesses Futures Fund have been announced. The story below is about the exciting launch at Newport Pagnell Town FC, with Lionesses captain Leah Williamson returning to her hometown to unveil The Leah Williamson Pitch. Sport England is so proud to play a part in this and we can’t wait to see more sites receive funding in the future to continue to invest in women and girls sport across the country. #UnitingtheMovement

When I saw my friend from Paralympic days, the brilliant Andy Stevenson working at the Boxing at #Paris2024 I thought I'd take a snap and send it to him. Andy then used it to tweet / X what was a pretty fantastic, humourous and smart message to all those hateful keyboard warriors who thought that as a result of his disability he shouldn't be allowed to report on the sport or indeed be on their screens. (Spoiler alert... you won't find many better in the business.) https://lnkd.in/eG6iNw6Q He graciously credited me in the message for the pic. Which means I then saw the extrodinary blow up of the tweet first hand. Because when they replied to him they replied to me too - and my now largely redundant X feed went mad. As things stand the message has been viewed just shy of a million times, with over a thousand replies. (Oh and 29k likes...) It got so mad for Andy that the Daily Mail even picked it up in their own inimitable fashion https://lnkd.in/ebXYxaAP (Although they didn't care who took the photo...) It has been great to see how many positive messages Andy has had from people, not least those complimenting his reporting. But also... wow... what a glimpse for me into the reality of how much hate can flow unchecked if somehow you present as different from that some choose to define. Like so much that has happened in the past week across our commnities it is a reminder how much more there is still to do to create a genuinely equal and welcoming society. And how those of us with the opportunity to help shape that, through the roles we have and the investments we can help steward, must be laser focused on unashamedly prioritising the change. In the meantime - congratulations Andy on a brilliant job for BBC Sport at the 'test event'. And roll on the Paralympics...