News Update
October 2009
Simon Delivers Master Class at the Chief Health Professions Officer's Conference
He'll soon be giving up the day job and heading for the professional speakers circuit, if Simon Shepard's latest day out is anything to go by. It was the National PE and Sport Conference last week for Optima-life's CEO, this week he was delivering a masterclass at the Chief Health Professions Officers Conference.
Delegates for the high profile Allied Health Professionals (AHP) conference held at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in London included senior managers, existing leaders and future leaders with David Nicolson CBE, Chief Executive of the NHS delivering the keynote speech.
Simon's master class focused on how innovation can save money and improve health through prevention. Empathetic to Lord Darzi's philosophies, he highlighted the importance of preventative health seeing it as one of 3 major strands of work sitting alongside reactive medicine and rehabilitation.
Instigating some extremely lively debate on the topics of wellness and stress, Simon also highlighted some of the many challenges the AHPs face within their own NHS workforce. He said:
'The Boorman interim report has already flagged up many issues in relation to the health and well being of NHS staff. It's important that Allied Health Professionals ensure that those working within the NHS look after themselves as well as their patients.
'There is a long way to go and major shift change needed but just as Lord Darzi said, the NHS does have a responsibility to promote good health as well as tackle illness.'
Health, Learning and Performance Hits the Right Note at the National PE and Sport Conference
Optima-life's CEO Simon Shepard had the privilege of kicking off the recent ESP National Conference 2009. The Belfry Golf Club provided the perfect setting for the event entitled, 'Shaping a Community of Practice Through PE and Sport' which was attended by sport and PE specialists from throughout the UK
The conference looked at the links between PE, Sport, health and learning and covered 4 key topic areas: Health, Multi-skills and Play, Building Schools for the Future and Communities of Practice.
Some joined up thinking in the planning stages brought together speakers from across education, public health, local authorities, professional sport, sport and exercise medicine and business, so providing a dynamic forum for discussion and interaction.
Simon was invited to speak at the conference by ESP's Andrew Wood. ESP specialises in outdoor resources and support across the academic school age range. Andrew has identified the positive correlation between use of the outdoor resources and improvement in areas such as levels of activity for children, inclusion, learning, leadership, self esteem etc.
Simon Shepard said: 'There is a natural empathy for Optima-life in both this approach to health and well-being and the need for a cohesive strategy linking the benefits of health and physical activity with active learning and improved performance.
'In schools now and in particular in the 'Building Schools for the Future' programme there is a real opportunity to influence change. School provides the foundation stone for health behaviours for the rest of our lives. The personalised physiological data provided by the Optima- life technology not only proves the concept relating health and performance, it provides a motivational and educational tool that can work across curriculum and across staff, students, support staff, ancillary staff and community alike'
Simon finished his talk with a very fitting quote from Leonardo da Vinci:
Knowing is not enough we must apply
Being willing is not enough; we must do
Prior to the conference the delegates had the opportunity of playing the world famous Brabazon golf course. The golf event and charity auction which was attended by sports stars Mark Foster from swimming, Andy Goram, football and John Bentley from rugby raised £1,500 for the Sparks Children's Charity.
Check out Simon's putting technique at:
http://www.espplay.co.uk/national-conference-2009.html
For further information relating to Simon's talk call: 0207 135 2424 or email info@optima-life.com
