Brightstar boss showcases work of club at UNESCO international conference in Paris

Joe Lockley, one of the founders of Brightstar in Shifnal, received a VIP invitation to be a guest speaker on the panel discussion at the Change the Game conference at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.

The invitation came from Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, who recognised the positive impact Brightstar is having on young lives.

Mr Lockley, a former amateur boxer, was part of a panel discussion on the Social Impact of Sport, exploring how to leverage sport’s social impact across all sectors, showcasing good practices in measurement, communication and scaled investment.

Other members of the panel included Aleksander Ceferin, the President of UEFA, Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, and Marja Ruotanen, Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Council of Europe.

Mr Lockley said: “I was amazed to receive the invite to attend the UNESCO conference in Paris and was delighted to take part.

"The two-day conference was structured around a Partners’ Forum – which was why I was there – and a Ministerial Forum.

“The Partners’ Forum explored the social return on investment in sports policies and programmes, particularly in areas identified in the UNESCO Report on the Social Impact of Sports. The various panels focused on opportunities for investment in people - youth, athletes, coaches and in infrastructure and support network systems.

“The panel discussion I was involved with was part of a session that began with the launching of the Social Impact of Sport Report, where key findings were presented.

“This report aims to clarify what is meant by social impact, including both the tangible and intangible benefits associated with investing in sport, while highlighting the importance of measuring and communicating this impact.

“Our Investing in People panel discussion followed and there were a wide range of views put forward that were both interesting and thought-provoking - there was certainly a lot that I was able to take away from the discussion.

“It was quite a pivotal moment for Brightstar to be recognised in this way and I was proud to be a part of such a meaningful discussion, showing that there are many individuals and organisations out there all working towards the same goals as ourselves.”

In her invitation to Mr Lockley, Ms Ramos said: “We commend your efforts to transform the lives of young people from all backgrounds through sport and education and to create a platform for building sustainable, resilient and equal communities."