Lyndsey Barrett was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2021. She worked as a Senior Occupational Therapist for the NHS before launching Sport for Confidence, creating sporting opportunities for more than 3,000 individuals who face barriers to participation. Through establishing Sport for Confidence CIC, Lyndsey has extended occupational therapy practice into mainstream community-based settings, such as leisure centres. This is enabling more people to enjoy community spaces that promote movement, activity, wellbeing and relationships. Her ambition to influence nationally and to reimagine physical inactivity from an occupational perspective has recently resulted in a system partnership investment from Sport England.
Sport for Confidence now operates at multiple leisure centres across Essex and London, bringing occupational therapists together with sports coaches to deliver goal oriented, person-centred sporting experiences.