James Child

James' presentation was not only insightful but also deeply personal, sharing his journey as a former professional rugby league referee and his experiences with coming out, facing challenges, and advocating for mental resilience and LGBTQ rights. His story is testament to the power of living authentically and the importance of inclusivity and support in both personal and professional settings. James' courage to share his experiences with us and the positive impact of his advocacy work made him a remarkable role model and an inspiration to many." - Shiongi BV

"James co-ordinated and spoke at a team event which was overwhelmingly well received and generated a lot of reflection from the attendees. James speaks clearly and powerfully about his lived experience, not shying away from the challenging experiences in his professional career but also celebrating the positives in an accessible and engaging way. Genuinely fascinating, thoughtful and wonderful." - Kat, Leeds City Council

"In an engaging and interactive presentation to our members, James touched upon all aspects about being an elite level match official and talked through a wide variety of thought-provoking situations both on and off the field of play. It was fascinating to hear James review and explain his rationale for some crucial season-defining decisions from games he had been involved in as well as how he dealt with abuse from fans on social media platforms in the aftermath of matches. James’s experience of working alongside video assistant referees was of particular interest to our members and very revealing to see how the role of this additional official in rugby differs to how it is performed in football. Such was the impact made by James, he was voted Speaker of the Year in 2022." - Richard, Rochdale Referees Association

"James was a very insightful and knowledgeable speaker. He was able to put people at ease and clearly address the key aims of the session in a thoughtful and warm way." - Simon, eCoach

“James was an excellent and professional speaker who was able to make his audience feel at ease right from the start. The talk James gave was well thought-out and helped break down many LGBTQ+ issues into easy to follow topics of discussion (particularly with regards to how far LGBTQ+ rights have come and how much remains to be done. On top of this, the life experience James shared was also very touching to hear. James’ presentation style was accessible and educational, and we have received very positive feedback with regards to James as a speaker. Of particular note, many attendees praised James’ passion and candidness throughout the presentation, as well as his openness to answering any questions they had. We would very much recommend James as a speaker to others and thank him for providing such an educational, powerful and memorable talk.” - Travis, Loss Prevention Executive, Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association Limited