Sophie Warrener

I am delighted to join team BEDS&LUTON as their new Insight and Impact Officer – a role I take pride in.

I have recently finished studying my degree in Sport Development with Coaching from Sheffield Hallam University, where I graduated with a First Class Honours degree. During my time at university, I have had a hand in a range of projects including the Scottish Exiles Women's Rugby programme and the StreetGames Fit and Fed programme. I've also spent time working in local authority sport with Active Westminster during my second year of university and prior to this, I worked in Parliament for my local MP.

My passion lies with sport policy and contemporary issues in sport, particularly around fiscal policy and how this affects the sport development industry. This passion was the inspiration for my dissertation project titled: 'The Relationship between Austerity and Sports Participation in England'.

On a personal level, I am a keen horse-rider. I have been riding longer than I have been walking and I'm fortunate to have been trained by top-level riders on the eventing, showjumping and dressage circuits. I'm also passionate about swimming and was trained to teach swimming by the 1996 and 2000 Paralympic Swimming Team head coach, Patsy Coleman, who subsequently employed me during my gap year.