In October 2023 Scotland hosted the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA) for their 2023 World Abilitysport Conference on Physical Activity for Health for People with Cerebral Palsy and other Neurological Conditions, which took place at the University of Edinburgh from 20-21 October 2023.
Working with venue partners at the University of Edinburgh and with the CPISRA management team, we were able to understand more about the conference, its importance to members, and what they wanted to conference to achieve for delegates and the wider community of those with Cerebral Palsy. The key aim of the organisers and the association is to ensure those with Cerebral Palsy have access to sports and recreation opportunities, that they can live fulfilling, active lives and enjoy the benefits to physical and mental health that sports offers.
Once we knew this, we were able to bring this event to the Scottish Government, who will now attend and contribute at conference. Those in charge of healthcare policy and delivery should be able to hear direct from those affected, and the CPISRA conference is an excellent opportunity for those government policy leads to hear directly from a global gathering of experts on what really needs to be done to help those with cerebral palsy have access to sports and recreational opportunities.
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Target 3.4 aims to reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
In this example we can see how the CPISRA conference will contribute towards this goal. Engaging the host country and brining policy makers to meet global experts can help make change happen in Scotland, and elsewhere.
The UN SDGs cannot be accomplished by one person, one company, one country or at one time. They are a process, a constant progression towards a better future, thousands of small improvements will lead to a big change. And business events can help make those changes.