Mr Daniel Parnell

Faculty: Education, Health and Sciences

School: School of Science

Subject Area: Sport and Exercise

Lecturer in Physical Activity, Health and Management.

Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science.

Teaching responsibilities

• Sport Management and Development
• Physical Activity and Health
• Research Methods
• Academic and Applied Skills
• Elite Sport Development
• Applied Sport Management and Development

Professional interests

Dan's studies began at Liverpool John Moores University in Sport Science from 2003-2006, specialising in Exercise Health. Following this, he stayed at LJMU and took up research assistant position in 2006 where he studied part time towards my PhD.


Dan has worked within a range of positions within the public, private and voluntary sector in community development and sport management roles, alongside various teaching, research, consultancy and management roles at LJMU. These include a number of English Premier League and Football League Clubs, Age UK and the Football Foundation (the UK's largest sports charity.

Research interests

Dan's PhD concerned the evaluation of a community based football orientated intervention delivered by an English Premier League Football in the Community scheme. The research adopted a multi-method approach within an action research protocol. The focus on the reconnaissance phase being on the health impacts of the intervention, which was followed by prolonged facilitation of positive organisational change.

Whilst Dan's PhD research evolved into organisational change, he is presently involved in a number of research activities related to physical activity and health including:

• Extra Time: a national football based health promotion intervention for older people

• Fit Fans: an intervention delivered within an EPL Football Club to promote health in older men

• Everton Active Families: a family based intervention delivered within an EPL Football Club

• The SmokeFree Sports campaign

• Children's perceptions of 'play' within Primary School Recess.

This research interest has evolved and linked to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Dan has a specifically interest in the notion of genuine CSR and understanding the Effectiveness of Community Engagement within Sport and Football. Within this in mind he is also keen to explore the role of Sport/Football as a vehicle for Social Change (in particularly physical activity and health). These areas of research are growing, with Sport and Football ever increasingly being used to tackle major social issues. With very little research concerning the impact or effectiveness of this work, there is a real need to create partnerships with sport based organisations to help them articulate, measure and subsequently improve their effectiveness.

International Experience

Most recently, Dan has presently a case study on knowlegde transfer at the British Heart Foundations National Conference for Physical Activity and he has been part of the Scientific Committee for the World Congres on Active Ageing where he is looking forward to delivering a symposium on "Football, Health and Older People". In addition, in both 2008 and 2010 Dan was invited by the European Association of Sport Management (EASM) to extend an initial abstract submission into a 5 page paper for entry of the EASM New Researcher Award. At the European College of Sport Science 16th Annual Conference, in Liverpool 2011, Dan presented for the Young Investigators Award, alongside contributing to 3 other presentations and a symposium, all of which surrounded understanding the vehicle of football for social change.

Membership of professional bodies and advisory committees

• East Midlands Health and Wellbeing Platform
• European Association of Sport Management
• British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences
• European Congress of Sport Sciences

Recent Conferences

Dunn, K. & Parnell, D. Football as a vehicle for social change: reflections from the field. Football and its Communities Conference, Manchester Met University.1st June, 2012. Dunn & Parnell: ORAL.

Lizzie, T., Parnell, D. & Richardson, D. (2011). Growing Old, Staying Active: Extra Time - Supporting independence and wellbeing for older people, Translating the evidence: What works for physical activity, British Heart Foundation National Conference, Nottingham, 17th November, 2011. Parnell: Case Study Poster.

McGee, C., Hilland, T., Romeo-Velilla, M., Beynon, C., Murphy, R., Parnell, D., Casstles, H., Stratton, G. & Foweather, L. A multi-dimensional campaign promoting the smoke free message to children and young people, Tackling Tobacco in your Community - A Compelling Business Case for Action, Manchester, 11th October, 2011. McGee: Poster.

Richardson, D., Burgess, T., Newland, A., Watson, L., Bingham, D.D. & Parnell, D. Football as an Agent for Social Change, European College of Sport Science 16th Annual Conference, Liverpool (UK), 9th July, 2011. Richardson: Oral.

Trotter, L., Parnell, D. & Richardson, D Examining the Football Foundations Extra Time Programme: Healthful Change in Older People, European College of Sport Science 16th Annual Conference, Liverpool (UK), 8th July, 2011. Trotter: Poster.

Trotter, L., Parnell, D. & Richardson, D. An Economic Analysis of Extra Time: A Football Orientated Community Programme Using Social Return on Investment (SROI), European College of Sport Science 16th Annual Conference, Liverpool (UK), 8th July, 2011. Trotter: Poster.

Knowles, Z., Parnell, D., Ridgers,N.D. & Stratton, G. Learning from the experts: Exploring playground experience and activities using a write and draw technique, European College of Sport Science 16th Annual Conference, Liverpool (UK), 8th July, 2011. Knowles: Poster.

Parnell, D., Stratton, G., Drust, B. & Richardson, D. The Role of the Community Coach in Enabling Healthful Change through a Premier league Community Football Programme, European College of Sport Science 16th Annual Conference, Liverpool (UK), 7th July, 2011. Parnell: Oral/Young Investigator Award Nominee.

Parnell, D., Watson, L., Newland, A., Bingham, D.D. & Richardson, D. Providing a Reference Point - Practitioner Reflections from a Community Based Family Intervention Delivered within a Professional Football Club, European College of Sport Science 16th Annual Conference, Liverpool (UK), 7th July, 2011. Parnell: Poster.

Parnell, D., Stratton, G., Drust, B. & Richardson, D. The Role of the Community Coach in Enabling Healthful Change through a Premier League Community Football Programme, ECSS Pre Conference Symposium: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Interventions for Children and Young People, LJMU. 5th July, 2011. Parnell: Poster.

Knowles, Z., Parnell, D., Ridgers, N.D. & Stratton, G. Learning from the experts: Exploring playground experience and activities using a write and draw technique, ECSS Pre Conference Symposium: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Interventions for Children and Young People, LJMU. 5th July, 2011. Knowles: Poster.

Parnell, D., Hilland, T., McGee, C., Foweather, L. & Stratton, G. SmokeFree Sports: A pilot to explore the use of physical activity and sport to promote the smoke free message to children and young people, ECSS Pre Conference Symposium: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Interventions for Children and Young People, LJMU. 5th July, 2011. Parnell: Poster.

Bingham, D.D., Parnell, D., Dunn, K., Watson, L., & Richardson, D. The Everton Active Family Centre - Understanding Football as a Vehicle for Positive Behaviour and Lifestyle Change, ECSS Pre Conference Symposium: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Interventions for Children and Young People, LJMU. 5th July, 2011. Team Market Place Submission.

Parnell, D., Stratton, G., Drust, B. & Richardson, D. The Role of the Coach in Contributing to the Effectiveness of an Intervention to Promote Positive Healthful Change within a Premier League Community Football Programme, LJMU's Institute for Health Research Conference, LJMU, 21st June, 2011. Parnell: Poster.

Knowles, Z., Parnell, D., Ridgers, N.D. & Stratton G. Learning from the experts: Exploring playground experience and activities using a write and draw technique, LJMU's Institute for Health Research Conference, LJMU, 21st June, 2011. Knowles: Poster.

Parnell, D., Hilland, T., McGee, C., Stratton, G. & Foweather, L. SmokeFree Sports: A collaborative research project aimed at promoting the smoke free message to children and young people via the vehicle of physical activity and sport, LJMU's Institute for Health Research Conference, LJMU, 21st June, 2011. Parnell: Poster.

Trotter, L., Parnell, D. & Richardson, D. Extra Time: A Collaboration to Promote Positive Healthful Changes in Older People delivered by the Football Foundation, LJMU's Institute for Health Research Conference, LJMU, 21st June, 2011. Richardson: Poster.

Parnell, D., Watson, L., Bingham, D.D., Newland, A. & Richardson, D. A Collaborative Venture: Practitioner Reflections from the Everton Active Family Centre, LJMU's Institute for Health Research Conference, LJMU, 21st June, 2011. Parnell: Poster.

Bingham, D.D., Parnell, D., & Richardson, D. An Intergenerational Health Promotion Intervention: Reflections on Bringing Children and Older People Together, LJMU's Institute for Health Research Conference, LJMU, 21st June, 2011. Bingham: Poster.

Parnell, D., McGee, C., Hilland, T., Foweather, L. & Stratton, G. Understanding the effectiveness of an intervention to promote the smoke free message to youth via the vehicle of sport: SmokeFree Sports, UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, London, 2011. Parnell: Oral.

Littlewood, M., Parnell, D., & Richardson, D. The Role of a Football Club in a Local Community, Seoul International Conference on Science and Football, Kwanggyeto Hall, Sejong University (The Korean Society of Science and Football), 1st June 2011. Littlewood: Oral.

McGee, C., Parnell, D., Foweather, L. & Stratton, G. Overview of SmokeFree Sports: A multi-dimensional campaign to promote the smoke free message to youth, European Tobacco and Health Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 29th March, 2011. McGee: Poster.

Additional Interests and Activities

Dan is keen to ensure that research undertaken by the team and students has a greatest impact possible. To ensure this a focus on community engagament is key to all research projects undertaken, which has been echoed in his past research and consultancy activities.

The research undertaken by Dan has involved extensive public and community communication and dissemination. With Dan having produced and edited reports for academic, public, private and third sector partners and funders, whilst also being involved in the SmokeFree Sports report for policy makers and health professionals. Whilst also contributing to professional online dissemination platforms (i.e., Responsiball).

Previously, Dan has project managed and presented within a unique Everton Active Family Centre Seminar within Goodison Park, which attracted 100+ local, regional and national colleagues from practitioners to commissioners. Here the focus of the day was to share and update colleagues on the present project delivery, research and evaluation being conducted within the Everton Active Family Centre.

With an extensive community coaching background Dan has developed extensive applied experience. In this regard, due to the novel work undertaken within an intergenerational project Dan managed, he was invited by the Football Foundation to present to an audience of football in the community applied practitioners on his experiences and key recommendations for such work.

Media experience

Contributed to promotional media content for Technogym highlighting collaborations between HE and Football Clubs.

Undergraduate qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Sport Science (Exercise and Health), Liverpool John Moores University

Research qualifications

• PhD on Football in the Community scheme (writing up), Liverpool John Moores University

Research posts

Institution	Project	Dates
Liverpool John Moores University	Everton in the Community	2006-2010 (PT)
Liverpool John Moores University	Everton Active Family Centre	2008-2011
Liverpool John Moores University	SmokeFree Sports	2010-2011

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