Thursday

 Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre

1. What did I get from being a BUCS Student Officer?

Description: We are lucky to stand on the shoulders of giants with many BUCS Student Officer alumni going on to achieve great things. In this session we will hear from previous BUCS Student Director Ella Williams, through a fireside chat and Q&A. Ella is currently the Community and Fan Engagement Manager at the award winning professional football club London City Lionesses FC.

We will hear about their time as a Student Officer and where the skills have been transferable in their career since, before opening to the floor for Q&A.

Suggested audience: Student Officers

Session facilitator(s): Alex Duggan, Karl Kirkpatrick - Student Directors, BUCS and Ella Williams, Community and Fan Engagement Manager, London City Lionesses and former Student Director.

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 1

2. Strategies to increase participation in disability sports, including Para Sport competitions 

Description: BUCS Para & Disability Survey found that lack of awareness of the BUCS Para Sport programme and disability sport options was the major access barrier for participation. Join BUCS as we share: findings from the survey (including most effective communication methods), how you can support students to engage in the Para Sport programme and our plans for creating inclusive environments that empower disabled athletes.

Suggested audience: Open to all

Session facilitator: Molly Byrne, Head of Belonging, BUCS 

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 2

3. Club Culture: educating, supporting, responding  

Description: Issues relating to poor club culture manifest through sexual harassment, extreme behaviours, initiations, hazing and bullying continue to detract from the value that sport and active participation can provide students. In this session delegates will explore what works in educating students and exploring the issues with them, and what happens when things go wrong.  

Suggested audience: Open to all 

Session facilitator: Emma Poulton, Founder, Sports Culture Consultancy Services

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 3

4. Reflecting on the challenges of Senior Leadership 

Description: Fresh from the mainstage platform, Tim Hollingsworth (former CEO, Sport England and British Paralympic Association) and Laura Cordingley (CEO of the Chelsea FC Foundation and former CEO of Chance to Shine) will share in more depth their experiences and discuss the challenges and their approach to leading organisations to meet challenging goals, in an open Q&A session with senior managers.

Suggested audience: Senior Managers

Session facilitator: Will Roberts, CEO, BUCS

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 4

Concussion remains one of the most important safety challenges in higher education sport, with brain injury such a serious concern for return to learning and play, and complex opportunities to provide support to an injured student. This session will launch new sector guidance and bring together practitioner, academic, sport programme and insurance expertise to explore what universities must do to recognise, manage and prevent concussion across higher education sport.

Panel guests:

Mary O’Hanlon - Associate Clinical Professor, University of Birmingham 

Dominic Malcolm - Professor of Sociology of Sport, Loughborough University 

Naomi Deakin - Honorary Clinical Fellow, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 

Richard Rainbow - Vice President, Marsh (Risk and Insurance) 

Chris Campbell (host) - Director of Sport, Nottingham Trent University 

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre

Ask BUCS is an open Q&A session, where members have the opportunity to pose questions directly to BUCS representatives on any subject or delivery area, offering an opportunity for direct, open, two-way dialogue between BUCS representatives and the membership.

This year the panel will include Student Director Karl Kirkpatrick (University of Glasgow), alongside the BUCS senior leadership team.

Panel host: Kate Cox, Head of Physical Activity and Sport, Sheffield Hallam University

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre 

1. Navigating gender eligibility and supporting trans+ participation in sports 

Description: Keeping pace with the shifting landscape of gender eligibility policies is a significant undertaking for any higher education sport professional. This session provides a comprehensive briefing on the key learnings from the 2025-26 season and a forward-look at what to expect for 2026-27. Beyond the updates, BUCS will outline our dedicated support framework for the year ahead. Join us to explore successful trans+ inclusion case studies from the sector and participate in an open forum for any of your burning questions. Leave equipped with the confidence and tools to ensure every student finds their place in sport.

Suggested audience: Institution Administrators and Senior Managers

Session facilitator: Molly Byrne, Head of Belonging, BUCS 

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 1 

2. BUCS Safeguarding: A guide to BUCS Safeguarding for Members 

Description: Content areas for this workshop session will include: 

• BUCS Safeguarding Policy 

• BUCS Safeguarding Scope of Liability 

• Case Management 

• Implementation - BUCS Events and Programmes 

Suggested audience: Student Officers and Institution Administrators

Session facilitator(s): Helen Weeks, Head of Governance and Integrity, BUCS and Chris Rawlings, Governance Manager, BUCS

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 2

3. Fandom - sport building belonging and pride beyond the playing field and why this matters

Description: In this session colleagues from University of Bath and University of Nottingham will share what they have learnt about the value and impact of building 'Fandom' through their sport programme. Whether the 'green and gold' thread running through the campus in Nottingham, or the packed stadium at The Rec for Bath's home match in BSR - sport has unique potential for institutions. Leave ready to implement the first steps in the journey for your institution.

Suggested audience: Open to all

Session facilitator(s): Jo Dixon, Student Sport Development Manager, University of Bath and Mark Bullock, Sport Marketing and Communications Manager, University of Nottingham

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 3

4. Senior Managers Network 

Details to be sent separately.

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Breakout room 4

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre. Room - 2nd floor atrium

Being Great in HE Sport - 10 Lessons

Ben O'Connell, the host of the SportH.E podcast, powered by BUCS, has had the opportunity to speak to over 40 high performers across the first 3 seasons. In this session, he has picked out 10 of the key lessons he's picked up from chatting to Directors of Sport, CEOs and Students on how they drive success in their work and key learnings across their personal and professional careers.

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre 

Closing comments

Location: Van Mildert College