I work at the National Centre for Sport & Exercise Medicine, based in Sheffield. My role as an Operations Manager involves overseeing an innovative co-location model, which aims to transform the way physical activity is embedded within the NHS.

I also have experience developing specialist physical activity services for people with a variety of long-term health conditions, including cancer, cardiac conditions, stroke and obesity. In addition, I have managed an award-winning social prescribing services which helped reduce health inequalities across a London Borough.

My Fellowship will involve travelling to the USA and Canada to learn how physical activity is integrated within cancer care. There is a wealth of evidence to show the benefits of physical activity before, during and after cancer treatment, yet the majority of people diagnosed with cancer are not active to recommended levels. My project involves looking at how the culture within the healthcare system impacts the way physical activity is talked about and offered to patients, and how healthcare models help engage both healthcare professionals and patients. This will include examining the impact of a competitive healthcare market on people’s perceptions of physical activity.

This is a topic I am passionate about both professionally and personally. I plan to share my findings with networks across the UK, to help find more effective ways to integrate physical activity within the cancer care pathway, and create a culture where physical activity is everyone’s business.