Details of the 3rd Commonwealth Sports Development Conference programme were announced today. At the programme launch, Prof. Fred Coalter, University of Stirling, who has been responsible for developing the programme, said that “this conference brings together an unusual variety of practitioners and funders and will provide a unique opportunity to explore new ways to ensure the consolidation and development of this increasingly important area of social policy.”

Prof. Coalter also took the opportunity to highlight some of the speakers who will address one of the key themes of the conference – the funding of sport-for-development organisations. The conference will include traditional funding organisations – Bjørn Omar Evju from the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, Annemarie Elsom from Comic Relief – and a range of speakers developing different approaches to funding: Mel Young of the Homeless World Cup will outline the entrepreneurial approach to funding which underpins this highly successful worldwide competition. Fabio Segura, Investment Manager with LGT Venture Philanthropy will explore the criteria considered when investing in sport-for-development organisations; Loïc Comolli, Director of Client & Investor Relations with Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-sustainability Team (NESsT) will provide examples of social entrepreneurial investment in sport-for-development programmes and Matthew Spacie of Mumbai’s Magic Bus (which works in Dharavi, the home of Slumdog Millionaire) will outline its mixed economy model.
Some of the harsh realities and threats to sustainability faced by sport-for-development organisations in Africa will also be addressed. Bob Munro, the founder of the Mathare Youth Sport Association (MYSA) in Kenya, will speak on Policies, Perils and Partnerships. He notes that “those working on the frontlines usually focus only on the good news about their organisations and its laudable goals. But we rarely speak about the threats and risks we often face from those who benefit from maintaining the status quo and perpetuating poverty.”
The 3rd Commonwealth Sport and Development Conference theme is: Achieving Sustainable Development – Building capacity in Communities, Clubs and NGOs and takes place at Glasgow’s Mitchell Library on the 3rd and 4th June 2010.

For full details of the conference programme, or to book a place, visit the conference website – www.regonline.co.uk/commonwealthconference

The 3rd Commonwealth Sports Development Conference is run in partnership between Glasgow City Council, Culture and Sport Glasgow and sportscotland, with support from UK Sport and the Commonwealth Games Federation.