Main Summit

Iris studied an MA in History and Sociology of the Middle East at the University of Erfurt (2019 to 2022) and the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut as well as an MA in Peace and Conflict Management at the University of Haifa (Topol Fellow) from 2018 to 2019. She is a passionate footballer who is responsible for social media, communication and workshop delivery for Spirit of Football’s “One Ball, One World” project. She especially likes to deliver workshops that inspire people and organisations to take sustainable action and to use social media to communicate participants’ stories and ideas. She co-led Spirit of Football’s global sustainability project “One Ball, One World” which took The Ball across 21 countries in 13 months – learning about and advocating for climate action.

Chris Broadbent has worked in senior roles in Olympic sport for 25 years. He is Founder and CEO of Planet Earth Games Trust, a UK-wide charity on a mission to inspire people to active and sustainable lives through the power of sport and physical activity. The charity has collaborated with scores of UK Sports Governing Bodies, professional sports clubs, non-profits and sustainable businesses to engage tens of thousands of people in community, education and workplace settings. Planet Earth Games has worked particularly closely with Youth Sport Trust, School Games and Association of Colleges, which led to the charity collecting the BASIS Sustainable Sports Award for Education in 2022. They are set to launch a new community plogging programme in November 2023.

Lydia Carrington is Sustainability Manager at Warwickshire County Cricket Club who leads Edgbaston Stadium on the venues sustainability strategy and targets. Through educating and inspiring change, she takes pride in encouraging interaction and engagement amongst spectators, fans and staff, whilst driving down the environmental impact of the Stadium’s emissions through the use of new technologies and verified data.

She has led Edgbaston Stadium to become the first cricket ground in the UK to gain the ISO20121 accreditation, highlighting their commitment to Sustainable Event Management. She also led the planning and delivery of the UK’s first sustainable international cricket matchday, the Go Green Game, held in September 2023. The event aimed to reduce operational emissions, whilst engaging and educating spectators and viewers from around the world using the sports industry platform.

Frank Lawley is Head of Corporate Partnerships at UNICEF UK, leading the partnerships team, with a focus on strategic relationships with the private sector. Previously Frank was Head of Sport at UNICEF UK, responsible for partnerships that increased the social impact of sports organisations, delivering purpose-led campaigns and empowering children through sport. Frank has worked on some of UNICEF’s high profile climate change and sport partnerships, including UNICEF’s global partnership with Formula E.

In addition to partnerships, Frank works with UNICEF UK’s sports ambassadors and high-profile supporters, creating and delivering activations with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Gareth Bale and Chris Hoy to raise awareness of UNICEF’s work for children. Previously Frank worked at the British Red Cross where he set up their first sport engagement strategy.

Jenny is an Associate Director at Nature Positive. She works with businesses and organisations to design, develop and deliver sustainability strategies to leave a positive legacy for people and planet. Jenny was previously the recipient of the BusinessGreen Leaders Award for “Young Sustainability Executive of the Year”. With a background in Geography and a master’s in environmental management, Jenny has ten years’ experience in different sectors, including sports and leisure, the built environment, energy, construction, and hospitality. She brings experience advising on a range of sustainability topics including biodiversity, social value, and climate change.

Current and recent projects include working with a UK sports and leisure organisation to develop their sustainability strategy, a biodiversity impact assessment for a construction company, developing an ocean strategy for a multinational business, and supporting RSK group to develop their sustainability strategy. Nature Positive is part of the RSK Group of companies, formed of more than 200 environmental, engineering and technical services businesses and a global leader in the delivery of complete sustainable solutions.

Jim is a Principal Consultant for Nature Positive, part of the RSK Group, who works to integrate sustainability into the heart of the organisations he works with. Having worked across multiple sectors, including sports and leisure, construction, manufacturing, travel and chemicals, he understands the environmental issues that are material to business and has a particular passion for seeing nature rise up the corporate agenda. Jim has experience developing both corporate and project level sustainability strategies and targets, with a focus on proactive, tangible actions to generate positive change. In the sports sector he is currently working with Charlton Athletic Football Club and Cardiff Rugby to support their sustainability ambitions.

Nature Positive is a management consultancy filled with a unique combination of environmental, sustainability and business specialists, and part of the RSK Group of companies. The RSK Group is formed of more than 200 environmental, engineering and technical services businesses and a global leader in the delivery of complete sustainable solutions.

Norman Vossschulte is originally from Berlin, Germany. His culturally rich background included ten years living abroad in Africa, Iraq and Spain before moving back to Germany to finish High School and College. He studied Biology and Physical Science before deciding to move to New York City in 1996 to attend the Herbert Berghof Institute for Fine Theatre Arts and Drama.

Norman’s work experience is as eclectic as his upbringing. He has worked in the hotel industry, the non profit industry, as well as both sports and entertainment industries. 25 years of practicing customer and client relations, has given him an overview of which techniques consistently enhance guest experiences.

Norman has over 16 years of staff training and team leadership experience working with The Walt Disney Company and currently the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2014, Norman became the official GO GREEN spokesperson and began leading the green team for the Philadelphia Eagles. During his tenure the Eagles obtained LEED Gold certification and were the first sports team in the world to obtain ISO20121 certification. He organized and re-branded the initiative as the GO GREEN ECO Committee (Engagement, Communication, Operations) to involve the entire organization. One of the main missions of the ECO Committee is to Innovate & Sustain. The Eagles are now the first sports team to actively invest in the ocean by offsetting carbon emissions from player

As Sustainability Advisor to the GAA’s Green Club Programme, Míde is part of a committed team working on structures and supports to encourage sustainability awareness and engagement at grassroots level within the GAA, Ireland’s largest sporting organisation. The Green Club programme is designed especially for the realities, challenges and opportunities of volunteer-led sports clubs and has been developed with the input of volunteer club members and the support and guidance of expert organisations and agencies from across the island of Ireland

 

Míde also works with community groups, campuses and business organisations in the development of sustainability strategies and programmes and is a guest lecturer on sports sustainability and management in University College Dublin.

From Thurles, Co Tipperary Jimmy D’Arcy is an experienced coach educator, group and systems change facilitator. His role supports the organisation to evolve its response to climate change, embrace sustainability and empower its future voluntary leadership.

He endeavours to support GAA members to strive in terms of personal and community development, and guides Clubs towards a more ecological way of being within their communities and environments for the betterment of all, and in line with the GAA values of Community Identity, Inclusion, Teamwork, Respect, Player Welfare and Amateur Status.

He is the GAA Green club Programme project manager.