England football star Jill Scott MBE has been revealed as a headline guest speaker for this year’s Active Uprising, joining leaders from across sport, fitness, health and politics.

The former Lioness has become one of one of TV’s most recognised sports personalities and was recently announced as a member of the Government’s new National Physical Activity Taskforce.

Jill will share her story and views during an on-stage conversation with Professor Greg Whyte OBE, in front of more than 700 delegates from across the worlds of health, fitness, sport and politics.

ukactive can also reveal that Sports Minister, Stuart Andrew, will speak at the conference, taking place at London’s QEII Centre in Westminster on Thursday 1 February, to share the Government’s ambitions for sport and physical activity.

The pair will join a host of leading speakers set to explore the growth of the sector and its impact on the nation’s health.

Other speakers include Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sport and Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen, Kim Leadbeater MP, sport psychologist and leadership coach, Dean Leak and ukactive Chair, Mike Farrar.

Jill follows in the footsteps of other international sports stars who have spoken at ukactive’s flagship event and is no stranger to driving the agenda, having inspired change throughout her career.

She began her senior career with Sunderland before going on to Everton and then Manchester City where she won three Continental Cups, three FA Cups and the Barclays WSL league title. Her success continued into the England senior squad amassing 161 England caps and taking part in four UEFA European Championships and four FIFA World Cups. Jill also appeared at two Olympic Games – London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 for Team GB.

In 2020, she was recognised for her exceptional contributions to women’s football, when she was appointed an MBE in the 2020 New Year Honours and showcased her versatility by triumphing in “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here,” earning the title of ‘Queen of the Jungle’ in 2022.

Within her keynote session, Jill will discuss her role in the Government’s National Activity Taskforce, which aims to help drive up participation levels across the country by getting one million more adults and 2.5 million more young people more active.

Jill will discuss the wider role the physical activity sector can play in influencing change as well as discussing her own trajectory and success in the arena.

Commenting on the event, Jill Scott said: “I’m a huge believer in the power of sport and physical activity to improve the health and opportunities of people of all ages, and it’s such an important challenge for our nation to take on.

“I’m delighted to be speaking at Active Uprising and I’m looking forward to discussing my own motivations for helping to create a country where more people can access sport and activity in their daily lives.”

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Having Jill and Stuart as speakers at Active Uprising adds a great perspective to our agenda and will help show the role our sector can play in driving change at a national level, so more people experience the lifelong benefits of physical activity.

“With less than a month to go, momentum is building and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to an incredibly insightful and inspirational day that will set the direction for the next chapter of our shared mission.”

To purchase your tickets for Active Uprising, click here.

Early bird tickets are only available until Friday 12 January 2024 so get them while you can!