International basketball star and head coach of the England under 18 Men’s Basketball Team, Karl Brown, will be the after dinner speaker at active-net next month.

Karl Brown, who went from inner city Leicester to America and back again using sport as his ticket, will tell the delegates at the two-day event his inspiring story.

Active-net, now in its third year, will take place from 27 to 28 April 2016 at Loughborough University. As well as one-to-one buyer and supplier meetings, the physical activity sector event will feature a strong educational element and networking programme. It is aimed at all operators and suppliers with a focus on the public sector, whether Trusts, Local Authorities or Universities/Colleges.

Inspirational voices

Originally from Leicester, as a teenager Karl Brown travelled to America to study and play basketball for Georgia Tech. In 1990, aged 23, Brown helped the college to reach the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four, the ultimate prize in college basketball in the States, for the first time in the school's history. Brown was also the first Englishman to play in the Final Four.

Returning home, Brown’s skill saw him invited to play for the cream of the country’s basketball teams, including Leicester Riders, Guildford Kings, London Leopards, London Towers, and later for an Italian team too.

Since retiring from professional basketball, Brown, who also presents on Sky Sports as an National Basketball Association (NBA) and British Basketball League (BBL) specialist, has worked tirelessly in the community and in 2004 set up the Leicester Warriors Basketball Club.

In partnership with him the club delivers community-based National League basketball programmes and projects addressing social issues as well as encouraging participation, such as To the Hoop, which takes young people off the streets and away from gun and knife crime, Community Cohesion, which aims to bring communities together, Streetwise, which brings young people into basketball by delivering coaching in parks and open spaces, as well as mentoring and education in local school and colleges.

After dinner on 27 April, Brown will be interviewed by Gaynor Nash, Regional Legacy Coordinator for Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport (LSR) County Sports Partnership (CSP). Nash herself is a keen sportswoman, having played national-level football and hockey.

Brown said: “I have been a sports fan all of my life and Basketball has brought me many fantastic opportunities allowing me to travel around the world and create a fantastic network. I am still and fit and full of energy and passion for this sport and see the opportunities it and other sports can bring to young people. I am delighted to be able to attend the event to tell my story, try to inspire people and promote the work I am doing in Leicester for local young people.”

Dave Monkhouse, director of Leisure-net Solutions and organiser of the event said: “We are particularly grateful to Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport, one of the best performing CSPs in England, which has helped secure this wonderful after dinner speaker for active-net 2016.

Sport for the good of all with local sponsorship

“LRS’s focus is on ensuring that national sport and physical activity resources have local reach and, as such, this year we will be sponsoring local triathlete Lucy Hall. Both Karl Brown’s talk and our sponsorship of Lucy link seamlessly to the theme from this year’s panel with Sport England’s Charles Johnson - hard to reach communities, sport for the good of all and supporting potential.”

Known for being one of the fastest swimmers in the sport, Olympic triathlete Lucy Hall has also proven herself to be one of the strongest cyclists too. Aged just 20, she represented Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games and went on to make the commonwealth team for Glasgow 2014, where she broke away on the bike and led the race on and off before finishing 11th.

Hall made her senior debut in the ITU World Triathlon Series in 2011. She has won European and World medals in Mixed Team Relay events at all levels, from junior to senior, including the senior world title in Hamburg in 2014. She is a member of the UK Sport Lottery funded British Triathlon World Class Podium Potential Squad based in Leeds.

“My Dad introduced me to triathlons when I was just 8,” she said. “I competed in a fun kids’ triathlon the day before my Dad competed in an Olympic triathlon and I’ve loved it ever since! The pinnacle of my sporting career would be to represent and win an Olympic Gold medal for my country, and I am extremely grateful to active-net for supporting me in this mission."

Limited free places are still available for senior operators of public sector health, fitness and leisure facilities. Contact [email protected] to book your place.