The problem with conferences is that people turn up, listen to the speakers, and then go home: nothing changes and nobody remembers anything a year later.

 

When UK Sport hosted the Next Step sport for development conference in Windhoek, Namibia, they wanted to make sure that that messages outlasted the week of the event and reached beyond the conference venue.

 

That's where the iLearn team came in: providing online training before and after the conference, and creating a website to get some of the messages from the conference out into the world.

 

Feedback from trainees has so far been overwhelmingly positive. 'Like Oliver Twist I can only ask for more,' as one put. Another delared himself  'over the moon' with the training. To have a look at the feedback in more detail, please click here: http://www.yourgame2010.com/features/07112007/trainee_feedback_i_am_over_moon_about_course

 

At the conference itself, there were high profile speakers like Dame Kelly Holmes and Tessa Jowell – although a planned live two way with keen sports for development fan Jose Mourinho, did not happen: the conference unfortunately coincided with his sudden departure from Chelsea and he was not available for comment.

 

Media coverage did, however, include pieces on UK breakfast television and 1Xtra, as well as a World Have Your Say special, and TV and radio reports produced by iLearn trainees for their respective stations in Namibia, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

 

Youth leaders spoke about how sport had turned their life around, and coaches described how sport had changed perceptions of the role of girls and women in some countries, and encouraged discussion of condom use in others.

 

There was also face to face training in writing for the web, digital photography, sports reporting skills and participatory video (PV). The Yourgame2010.com site became a ‘training ship’ for trainees: they provided images, blog entries, and video.

 

The site will continue to be populated with relevant content, including some of the panel discussions from the conference, and distributed amongst delegates.

 

The trainees were a mix of African sports journalists and youth leaders from around the world and the specially-commissioned material covered both media skills and sports development topics. PV training was provided by Insight and World Service provided a sports journalism trainer.

 

The partnership included the Your Game team, part of BBC Sport, who put on a festival of football and street culture as part of the activities relating to the conference. As the web address suggests the Your Game team are looking forward to future sporting events including the World Cup in South Africa.