Protecting sport through science, education, and innovation
What’s at Stake
When poorly managed, 30–50% of concussions result in symptoms lasting longer than four weeks. Around 60% of these individuals do not return to education or work within six months.
The consequences extend beyond sport:
- Disruption to education and employment
- Social isolation from sport and community
- Increased risk of mental health challenges
- Long-term economic and health impacts
This contributes to an estimated £3.8 billion annual cost to the UK economy, alongside significant personal and societal impact.
Building safer sport
The solution
Early identification and improved management of concussion can significantly improve recovery outcomes.
Advances in research, technology, and education are already changing how concussion is understood and treated. However, these solutions must reach the environments where sport actually happens.
Our focus is to ensure innovation is:
- Accessible
- Usable in real sporting environments
- Grounded in evidence
- Designed for behaviour change, not just awareness
We are not here to change sport — we are here to make it safer.
Our Approach
We are deeply sympathetic to former players seeking support and recognition for the long-term impacts of concussion.
However, we believe that lasting change will come from innovation, collaboration, and education — not litigation.
Legal action risks creating division and discouraging participation in the sports we value most. Instead, we focus on building solutions that protect players while preserving the integrity of s
We work across three connected pillars to create a world where people can thrive in sport:
Education
Working in partnership with Concussion Toolkit to empower players, coaches and support staff across grassroots sport, schools and universities with concussion awareness and recovery guidance
Technology
Supporting innovations and start-ups that advance concussion prevention, diagnosis, and management, and fostering new ideas through hackathons and collaborative challenges.
Research
Raising funds to advance concussion research and support new studies, partnerships and trials, including work delivered through the UK Concussion Research Network, to improve player welfare across all levels of sport.
Together, these pillars strengthen our shared goal: to protect every player, preserve the joy of sport, and build a safer future for generations to come.
Meet the Team
President Simon Shaw MBE
Simon is a former England and British and Irish Lions rugby player. He played in the domestic game for Bristol and then Wasps, starting in 1990. He finished his rugby career with two years at Toulon. Simon won 71 caps with England between 1996 and 2011, and 2 for the British and Irish Lions with whom he toured three times. Simon is one of the founders of Love of the Game, driven by his own experiences of head injuries during his playing career.
Chair of Trustees Stuart Bagshaw MBE
After starting his career in the Royal Air Force where he worked on airborne RADAR, communications and computer systems, Stuart went on to hold c-suite positions at multiple international companies, including Apple, Sequent, Xerox, Gemplus and ILOG as well as CEO for 3 venture backed software companies. Thereafter founded Business LEAP and has spent the last 14 years sharing his knowledge championing British and other foreign businesses expanding into the US market. He was the past President and Chairman of the British American Business Council in Northern California and most recently the past President and Chairman of the British American Business Network, Additionally, Stuart served on the board of several charitable organisations including the British American Benevolent Society, Play Rugby USA, the Atlas Foundation Americas and currently Love of the Game.
Co-founder & Trustee Sally Pettipher
Sally Pettipher is Chief of Staff to Sir Richard Evans KCMG and CEO of the Cornish Pirates, a professional rugby club playing in the second tier (Champ League) of English Rugby
Previously, she was Chief Executive of an international rugby charity, the Atlas Foundation, which she took from a start-up to a global enterprise of rugby champions overseeing child welfare and education projects.
She has been a Trustee on a spinal research charity, her local Community Foundation and was a founding Trustee of British Rowing’s Charitable Foundation.
Medical Adviser, Professor Mike Parker BSc, MS, FRCS, FRCS(Ed), FCASE
Professor Mike Parker is a retired consultant surgeon with over 45 years’ experience in the NHS, specialising in laparoscopic and colorectal surgery. After an extensive surgical career, he spent four years training consultants in Denmark, where his work helped establish one of the world’s leading national laparoscopic colorectal programmes. A former Council Member and Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Mike has published over 175 peer-reviewed papers and co-edited two surgical textbooks. He has also held presidencies within multiple national and international surgical societies. Alongside his role as Medical Adviser to Love of the Game, Mike co-founded Sirius Genesis Ltd, a UK-based surgical innovation company. Outside of medicine, he enjoys sailing, jazz piano, and rugby.
Communications Advisor and Trustee Michelle Elkins MBE
Michelle is a communications expert who has led and supported the communications portfolio across many sectors, including the mainstream media, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, local and central Government (both in the UK and abroad), the charity sector, security industry and in the private sector. Michelle joined LOTG as its Communications Advisor and became a trustee in December 2024.
Clinical Advisor Donna Sanderson-Hull
Donna is a Chartered Physiotherapist with 34 years’ experience and a distinction-level MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine (2006). She has worked in the UK and New Zealand across hospitals, private practice and elite sport, including six seasons as Bristol Rugby Physiotherapist and two years with England Rugby.
Donna founded her own private practice in 2007 and now runs five clinics in Bristol. Since 2018, she has specialised in concussion management, training with completeconcussions.com and works closely with Love of the Game. She now delivers concussion education to GPs, school nurses and physiotherapists alongside running her practices.
Treasurer, Will David MA FCA
After gaining a degree in PPE from St. Edmund Hall, Oxford Will qualified as a Chartered Accountant before joining The Stock Exchange. He then joined the broking firm of Hoare Govett where he was Director of the Smaller Company Corporate Finance Advisory Team before fulfilling similar roles at PwC and Investec.
In 2001 Will, in modern parlance, went plural and began his own consultancy and acted as non-executive director or chairman of public companies in the media and communications, electronics and medical devices industries.
Will has always had a keen interest in sport, particularly rugby and cricket, and is treasurer of the Kent committee of The Wooden Spoon, Chairman and Treasurer of Knockholt Cricket Club and a debenture holder at the Principality Stadium.
Operations Director Millie Puddephatt
Millie Puddephatt is Operations Director at Love of the Game, where she oversees daily operations and helps turn the charity’s vision into action. With a background in Medical Anthropology and Innovation, she brings a human-centred and design-thinking approach to concussion education, technology, and research. Millie is passionate about creating inclusive, practical solutions that make concussion awareness and recovery accessible for everyone.
Business Development Director Pippi Heath
Pippi Heath is the Business Development Director at Love of the Game, where she leads strategic partnerships and outreach to expand access to concussion care across sport. Drawing on her own concussion experiences and a passion for grassroots sport, Pippi is committed to ensuring that every athlete—at every level—receives the support they need to stay safe and stay in the game.
Our Legendary Ambassadors
We are proud to have the support of a range of incredible ambassadors from across the sporting world, who provide advice and encouragement and help deliver our cause.
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