Government policy on fitness and wellbeing in Wales set for scrutiny

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has been named as a keynote speaker for the Getting Wales Moving conference, which will scrutinise Welsh government policy on issues relating to fitness, health and wellbeing.

The one-day event will look at how organisations can work together to improve the fitness landscape in the country, a requirement of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

The forum will involve exploring the progress of the Welsh government’s plans and ambitions to increase participation in sport and physical activity across the country.

Baroness Grey-Thompson, who is chair of ukactive, will be joined at the conference by Tom Overton, head of development at Sport Wales, Gary Denton, managing director at ICON Training, Geoff Thompson, executive chair at The Youth Charter, and Ken Skates, cabinet secretary for economy and infrastructure at the National Assembly for Wales.

Denton, who will address the professionalisation of the fitness industry, said: “The aim of the conference is to stimulate real debate on how Wales can get all sectors working together to deliver real change and improved wellbeing in its widest sense.

“The day will also include dialogue around the current positioning of sport, leisure, fitness, further education, community development and public health in Wales, and what unique and important contribution each can bring to the delivery of a more active Wales.”

Welsh health demographics differ to the rest of the UK, with levels of chronic ill health greater than that of its UK neighbours.

Exercise alone could help reduce the instances of many long-term conditions by over 30 per cent and release an estimated £750m (US$1bn, €850m) worth of resource for the NHS.

The event takes place at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff on 15 February.