Paralympic legend Dame Sarah Storey to talk connectivity at Great Northern Conference

Paralympic star Dame Sarah Storey is among the participants at the Great Northern Conference next week.
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Dame Sarah, who won 38 world titles and 14 Paralympic gold medals in cycling and swimming, will take part in a debate about connectivity at the virtual event on Thursday October 22 - which is free to attend.

‘Connecting people, connecting business, the future and economics of travel’ is at 11.45am. It includes a keynote speaker and panel discussion.

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To see the agenda and book free tickets, go to: https://www.greatnorthernpowerhouse.co.uk

Dame Sarah Storey has won 14 gold medals to become Britain’s leading female Paralympian of all time.(Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)Dame Sarah Storey has won 14 gold medals to become Britain’s leading female Paralympian of all time.(Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Dame Sarah Storey has won 14 gold medals to become Britain’s leading female Paralympian of all time.(Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

It is part of a full day of speakers, discussions and break-out sessions designed to encourage networking, spirited debate and information sharing. Topics include education and skills, ‘levelling up’, the importance of a cultural strategy, creating a health agenda for the North, small businesses, digital infrastructure, energy and sustainable infrastructure, and engineering and manufacturing.

Dame Sarah Storey is Britain’s most successful female Paralympian.

In April 2019, she was appointed Active Travel Commissioner for Sheffield City Region, a role which involves working alongside Mayor Dan Jarvis to create a place in which more people travel on foot, by bike or by public transport.

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She has set out four pledges: being led by communities, enabling walking and cycling, requiring infrastructure to meet or exceed requirements, and requiring infrastructure to be accessible for all.

Dame Sarah Storey with Mayor of Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis.Dame Sarah Storey with Mayor of Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis.
Dame Sarah Storey with Mayor of Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis.

She is determined to inspire a new way of thinking about travelling in the region.

Organised by JPIMedia - parent company of The Star and the Yorkshire Post - and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, the Great Northern Conference is a meeting of business and civic leaders, from Liverpool to Newcastle, spanning all sectors of the economy and political parties. It aims to fire up the campaign for an end to regional disparity, hammer out how best to grow the North’s £329 billion economy, and build a greener, fairer and more equal society.

Some 350 people in business, politics, local government, charity, media and the public sector attended the inaugural event in Leeds last year.

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This year, speakers and panellists include mayor of Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis and Steve Foxley, head of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of Sheffield and prof Vanessa Toulmin, director of city and culture at the University of Sheffield.

The Great Northern Conference has attracted a host of major sponsors including:

Headline Sponsor - Virgin Money.

Key Note Sponsor - Sellafield

Key Note Sponsor - Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Breakout Sponsor - Northern Health Alliance

Breakout Sponsor - Northern Gas and Power

Breakout Sponsor - TalkTalk

Breakout Sponsor - Arcadis

Support Sponsor - Be The Business

Bespoke Support Sponsor - Sheffield Hallam University

Bespoke Support Sponsor - University of Sheffield

The Northern Health Science Alliance

Global Procurement Group

Clear.VUE

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund

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