Last year will go down in history as the year the UK was host to a successful Olympic Games. One of the main aims of the 2012 Games was to inspire a generation and leave a lasting legacy of sport and physical activity across the UK. But how does the reality compare with the rhetoric? Obesity and related conditions continue to rise, Sports England figures show there are now fewer adults playing sport regularly than before the Games, and school sports provision remains inconsistent and under-funded. How do we ensure that sport and physical activity become a lifelong habit, and what needs to be done to ensure a viable legacy is successfully delivered?

The government has committed £1bn to the five year Youth and Community Strategy and an extra £80m of Treasury money has been pledged to UK sport in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. In addition to supporting school sport and elite athletes, a ring-fenced public health budget allows local authorities new opportunities to use sport and physical activity as an effective, preventative strategy in tackling often costly healthcare and long-term health conditions.

The time has come to make winners of us all and embed sport and physical activity into the heart of lifestyle choices and social engagement. Join us at Sports Development: Ensuring a Fitter, Healthier Nation, where high-profile speakers will discuss how sport is being used to build stronger, healthier and more vibrant communities.