Claire Jenkin

Claire is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Development at University of Hertfordshire. Previously to this, she was a Sport Management Lecturer at Victoria University in Melbourne, where she undertook her PhD in sport and ageing. She has worked with a number of industry partners on research projects, including the Australian Sports Commission, Tennis Australia, Cricket Australia and Basketball Victoria. Her research has largely focused on understanding community sport participation for older adults and exploring how to ensure sport is more accessible for older adults. 

Prior to entering academia, Claire was a Sport Development Manager in London and also worked on sport for development projects in Zambia. 

Claire is a current committee member of the UK Sport Development Network (UKSDN), and former board member of the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ), and the Victorian Active Ageing Partnership (VAAP).

• Community sport participation
• Sport for development
• Sport diplomacy

Claire's research interests largely focus on understanding community sport participation, engaging with industry partners to translate the research into practical settings. Most of her research has focused on older adults, both on older adult determinants of participation, but also the determinants that influence sporting organisations to engage and offer appropriate opportunities for older adults to play sport. A current project Claire is involved in is evaluating a walking sport programme in Australia for a sporting organisation.

She has also undertaken research in community sport participation for people with disabilities, women and girls and evaluating sport for health programmes.

Additionally, Claire also a research passion in sport for development and sport diplomacy research.

Claire teaches on the current Sport Studies programme in sports development. She coordinates the Introduction to Sport Development and Sport Development modules, whilst also contributing to the Advanced Sport Development and Research Skills modules.

Claire is available for research consultancy and media enquiries in the fields of community sport participation and sport management.