Wellbeing for All: Why We Must Act Together

Bio: Rob Noonan is Professor of Public Health at University of Chester, where he helps people and organisations thrive by supporting behaviour change, clearer thinking, and evidence-based decision-making. He strives to raise awareness of how economic systems influence health, wellbeing, and inequality, while advocating for systemic change to build a healthier, fairer society. His book, Capitalism, Health and Wellbeing: Rethinking Economic Growth for a Healthier, Sustainable Future, asks a fundamental question: what good is economic growth if it leaves society sicker? .

What Dance Can Teach Us About Being in the World: The Wisdom of he Body Beyond the Studio

Bio: Jane McLean is a dance artist, facilitator and creative leader. She works with improvisation, touch, poetry and mark making to cultivate presence, attention and curiosity and to create dances with people of all ages and abilities. 

As the Creative Director of Cheshire Dance she champions the importance of embodied knowledge and of valuing, celebrating and amplifying the creative expression of people from underrepresented communities.  

Jane holds a first-class BA (hons) in Dance with Nutrition and an MA Dance (Distinction) from The University of Chester and is a former Bradbury Prize for Performing Arts and Mary Zempke prize holder.  

"Centring 'Intersectionality' Within Health Equity Movements"

Bio: Harvey Kennedy-Pitt is a global public health consultant, health equity strategist, and scholar-advocate focused on advancing health equity for raciosexual and gender minorities. With expertise in research, policy, and practice, he develops inclusive health interventions, fosters sustainable solutions, and drives systemic change to dismantle barriers to better health worldwide. 

Plant ethics and Multispecies Kindness - Rethinking Our Relationship With Our Botanical Neighbours

Bio: Barry Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Chester. His research focuses on the relationship between past humans and their environment, and how this can help us navigate our way through the rapidly changing climatic and environmental conditions that we face today. His aim is to encourage people to think differently about the nature of non-human lives, and to foster a closer connection with the plants and animals with whom we share our world, in a way that improves life for us all

Active Travel: The Small Daily Choices

Bio: Chanette Marie Oyaas is a PhD researcher at the University of Chester, working with Active Cheshire. Her work explores how health inequalities, social factors, and the design of local environments shape people’s ability to walk and cycle as part of everyday life. Originally from Norway, experiencing active travel as a normal part of everyday life, she is interested in why mobility feels effortless for some groups but not others, and how evidence can support more inclusive, healthier travel environments for local populations.

“What is Needed For Enhancing Resilience and Promoting Wellbeing Among those With Disability in a Changing World”

Bio: Prof Sujeet Jaydeokar is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Director of Research for Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. He was instrumental in setting up the Centre for Autism, Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities (CANDDID), for which he is also the Academic Director. He is a National Professional Advisor, Intellectual Disability and Autism, for the Care Quality Commission. 

Prof Jaydeokar is a parent carer of a boy with multiple neurodevelopmental issues. His lived experience and clinical work drive his interests in research and education. His areas of interest are health inequalities, implementation science, and the phenomenology of neurodevelopmental conditions. 

My Voice Is My Own: Building Resilience Through Vocal Practice

Bio: Since graduating from the RNCM with both a degree in Session Musicianship and a MMus in Popular Music Performance, Jen has been teaching vocals both as a private Vocal Coach and as a Visiting Lecturer / Lecturer in Voice at the University of Chester She has worked for Leeds College of Music and The Hammond and was formerly head of Vocals at Jamm Studios  and The Music Shed.

She has been a member of the British Voice Association for over 15 years and is the lead singer for Red Room Band Manchester, which she has run since 2010 with her Bassist husband, Mike. 

A self-described voice nerd, Jen is passionate about helping people of all ages and abilities find their voice. She is enthusiastic about the use of technology in Music learning and how it can bridge the gaps created by funding and access issues. 

"Empowerment Begins With Her Health: Redefining Resilience For Women Everywhere."

Bio: Dr Diksha Chaudhary is a Public Health Specialist with a strong focus on health promotion, health equity, and health systems strengthening. As an academic, she is dedicated to advancing public health through teaching, research, and applied practice. Previously, she worked within India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the National RMNCH+A Unit, contributing to large‑scale initiatives under the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health programme, with a particular focus on improving maternal and

"The New Wave of Leadership: Returning to Our Nature to Redefine Resilience."

Bio: Nic Wagstaff is a leadership and wellbeing specialist with over 20 years in Learning and Development, including serving as Group Head of Learning and Development for a global organisation. A CIPD Fellow with a Master’s in Psychology, her research focused on leadership burnout, an experience she has personally overcome. Nic founded Inspire Rewire in 2015, delivering 90+ retreats and programmes across the UAE and Europe for both public audiences and organisations. She supports rest, recovery and self leadership, working with emerging talent to C suite to create high performance cultures grounded in psychological safety, wellbeing and sustainable success.