The Youth Sport Trust Conference 2027 will bring together hundreds of school leaders, practitioners and influential voices from across education, sport and health to consider how PE, sport and play can help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing children and young people today.

Under the themes of Achievement, Enrichment, Inclusion, Play and Wellbeing, we will explore the contribution that physical activity can make to young people’s educational outcomes, personal development, sense of belonging and overall wellbeing.

The Conference will showcase evidence, insight and practical approaches, while creating a platform for discussion about how we can collectively ensure every child has the opportunity to be active, healthy and thrive.

This year, we are excited to welcome a bigger, broader community coming together to connect, share and learn, with practical ideas and strategies delegates can take back into schools and communities.

We’re proud to work with organisations who share our commitment to improving young people’s lives through PE, sport and play. Our headline sponsor is Sports Directory and supporting sponsors are Commando Joe’s Enrichment, Complete PE, David Lloyd Clubs Together Foundation and PGL Beyond.

From growing up in poverty to becoming an award-winning academic, Katriona O'Sullivan has an extraordinary story of resilience, opportunity and the transformative power of education.

Drawing on her personal experiences and professional expertise, Katriona will share powerful insights into overcoming barriers, challenging expectations and the difference that education and supportive relationships can make to young people's lives.

Biography

Katriona O’Sullivan is a Professor in the faculty of science at Maynooth University, a psychologist, speaker and award-winning author. 
 
As one of five children in a home shaped by her parents' heroin addiction, Katriona's story chronicles her journey from poverty, teenage pregnancy, homelessness to graduating with a PhD from Trinity College Dublin and becoming an award-winning lecturer whose work challenges barriers to education. 
 
Her new bestselling memoir, Hungry, is the biography of her body. It has received critical acclaim and has been translated into several languages. 
 
Her first memoir, Poor, is an international bestseller. It has sold over 250,000 copies and has been translated into eight languages so far. It was adapted into a critically acclaimed theatre production by The Gate in Ireland and the Belgrade Theatre Coventry, UK.