Please find below information about the Sport in Museums Network's current programme. 

1. Conference: Why does sporting heritage matter? 

Nottingham, 11th February 2016.

Why does sporting heritage matter? Our next conference examines the role and impact of sport in museums. It aims to use the day as a focus point for understanding more about why sporting heritage, and its delivery through different organisations including museums, is both important in and of itself, but also how it impacts on wider agendas for example health, education, and sports participation.

For more information about the event, our call for contributors, or to book a place, please visit the conference website at https://impactofsportingheritage.wordpress.com/.


2. Mentoring programme - apply for funding: Applications close 6th November 2015.

The Sport in Museums Network is currently investigating how to better support those working in, or wishing to work in, the field of sport in museums or wider sporting heritage. One of the strands of work aims to understand the benefits of a mentor / mentee relationship. 
As a consequence, the network is able to offer up to 12 bursary's of up to £250 to support the creation of a mentoring partnership with a focus on sport in museums, sporting collections, or wider sporting heritage. The applicant does need to work in a formal heritage organisation. 
The funding is for the sole purpose of the knowledge, support and information exchange from one party to the other in connection with sport in museums and associated collections. For more information, or to request an application form, email [log in to unmask]


3. New Sport in Museums Education Pack: Launched to celebrate National Sporting Heritage Day

Sport in Museums, and wider sporting heritage, is a key tool to support teaching and learning and deliver the national curriculum. To help support schools, teachers and other learning professionals use sporting collections and sporting history within their delivery, the Sport in Museums Network has created an education pack. 

We're working with the Department for Education to ensure that as many schools as possible are able to access the pack, available free to download from our website at www.nationalsportsmuseumonline.org.uk, and we'll be highlighting it to teachers at the upcoming education show in Manchester this December. 


4. Sport in Museums Journal - pilot programme: Call for contributions 

As part of our development programme over the next three years. We are investigating the potential to deliver a Sport in Museums Journal. At this stage, the journal will be very light touch and aims to understand if there is an appetite for both contributing and reading the journal.
As a pilot programme, and to complement the theme of our forthcoming conference, this edition will focus on the impact of sport in museums and wider sporting heritage. In the first instance the journal will be downloadable for free. The contents will be drawn from across the sector and it is hoped as many people as possible will contribute. As a result, we are already looking for contributions! If you would like to submit an article, please ensure it is no more than 1500 words and include the following information:

•	Your contact details
•	Your organisation (where relevant)
•	Article title
•	Focus of the article - What did you do? why did you do it? what was the impact? on who, how and why? did it change practices? do you have any follow up plans? was the activity evaluated?
•	Images! If at all possible, and please confirm that you have permission for us to use them in the journal

Email your article to [log in to unmask] by 5pm on the 11th December 2015. 


Any queries, questions or comments about the programme, please get in touch [log in to unmask]

Many thanks 

Dr Justine Reilly
Sport in Museums Network 

*Apologies for cross posting*