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Prof. Margaret Talbot

Margaret Talbot has been an active volunteer in physical education, sport and recreation for the whole of her working life, mainly working on behalf of young people and equity.

Her current paid role is Chief Executive of the Association for Physical Education (UK), the national professional organization for teachers, lecturers, advisers and consultants in physical education. Her previous post was Chief Executive of the Central Council of Physical Recreation, the umbrella organization for English and UK non-governmental sport organisations.

Previously, Margaret was Carnegie research professor and Head of Sport at LeedsMetropolitanUniversity. She was Vice Chair of the Government's Physical Education Working Group on the National Curriculum (England and Wales); and national convenor for "SPEEDNET", the Sport and Physical Education Network, bringing together all the UK national organisations for physical and sport education.

As ICSSPE Vice President, she led the discussions at the World Summits on Physical Education in Berlin in 1999 and Magglingen in 2005. She is currently working on the arrangements for the 2012 International Convention which will precede the London Olympics. She secured for ICSSPE, an international research project, funded by the IOC, on the value of sport and physical education in schools, which was completed by Prof Dr Richard Bailey (Christ Church University College) in 2004. She was President of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women from 1997 to 2005, being awarded an Honorary Life Membership in 2005.

Professor Talbot was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to physical education and sport in 1993. In 1999 she was awarded the AD Munrow Award by her peers in University sport and physical education. In 2001 she was appointed Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and in 2003 received the Ling Award of the Physical Education Association UK and Companionship of the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management.

Read Professor Talbot's presentation here.