Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England will address the physical activity sector at this month's ukactive National Summit.

Whitty has been named as one of the headline speakers for the summit, which will be held as a virtual, online event.

His keynote speech will take place on Wednesday 25 November and – ironically – will focus on the importance of the physical activity sector’s role in supporting NHS England and the government’s wider prevention agenda.

Whitty will join other speakers at the summit, which will this year consist of a series of free online sessions taking place every Wednesday throughout November.

The series will kick off on Wednesday 4 November at 2pm with a session titled ‘Political and business leaders: a new vision for physical activity’.

Delegates will hear about the impact of COVID-19 on public attitudes towards health, the importance of cross-sector collaboration to secure lasting behaviour change, and how the pandemic has fast-tracked consumer demand for responsible business.

The session will set the scene for the remainder of the National Summit series, which will explore how the physical activity sector can work with stakeholders across various industries and policy areas to transform the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity for societal change.

The next session will take place on Wednesday 11 November, featuring representatives of Sport England, Sheffield Hallam University, Liverpool John Moores University and the Centre for Ageing Better. They will discuss the potential of data and insight to improve public health and wellbeing across the country.

Delegates can expect to hear from panellists about the role of data in identifying ‘what works’ and the measures businesses can put in place to foster a culture of innovation and open data sharing.

On Wednesday 18 November, delegates can register for a session titled ‘Placemaking for better social, economic and health outcomes’ to find out more about the future of our cities, town centres and housing developments.

Keynote speeches for this session will highlight changes in consumer behaviour, and outline the ways in which the physical activity sector can leverage growing consumer demand for health and wellbeing services to its advantage.

The summit will then culminate in the session featuring Whitty, titled ‘Integrated approaches to health and social care’, on Wednesday 25 November.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “As the sector endures the continued impact of COVID-19, the National Summit will lead a diversity of ideas and views to help our thinking on the future role we play in the communities we serve.

“We’ve brought together a programme of outstanding speakers including the Chief Medical Officer in England, Professor Chris Whitty, that will challenge us, as well as inspire us, to answer the fundamental question of how we react to change.

“We would like to thank our partners at Sport England, who have supported us in bringing the sector together for this important series of events, which I hope as many of you can enjoy and watch online, as well as take part in the Q&A after each session.”

To book your free place at the ukactive National Summit, please visit the National Summit website.