University of Brighton academic honoured

The Association for Physical Education’s (AfPE) highest honour, the Honoured Members Award 2018, has been awarded to Dr Gary Stidder, Principal Lecturer in PE in the university’s School of Sport and Service Management.

Dr Stidder, who coordinates the initial teacher training for Physical Education and is the subject's route leader for PGCE and Schools Direct student trainees, received his award for services to physical education and for instilling values based education within the PE curriculum through his work with Football 4 Peace (@F4Pvalues).

He is co-founder and Deputy Director of the University of Brighton’s ground-breaking Football 4 Peace International which has been operating in Israel, Palestine, Northern and Republic of Ireland, The Gambia, South Korea and South Africa since 2001.

Dr Stidder said: “I am absolutely delighted to have received this very prestigious and highly esteemed prize from the association.

Katharine Merry, Gary Stidder (centre) and Michael Chrighton, Chair of AfPE

“Like the many physical education teachers I have had the privilege meet, got to know and become friends with, I have always been driven by a desire to make a difference to the way in which physical education is taught in schools and ultimately a difference to those in a position to make a difference, namely physical education teachers and trainee teachers of physical education.”

His award was presented by former 400m Olympic sprinter Katharine Merry.

Dr Stidder, the first University of Brighton academic to receive the award, co-authored four academic textbooks with his colleague Sid Hayes, and single-authored ‘Becoming a Physical Teacher’ in 2015.