Hands On Hub & STA Conference
The inaugural ‘Hands On Hub & STA Conference’ will be taking place in Exmouth on Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st of September.
With two days (half day on the Sunday) of fantastic speakers, presentations & practical workshops, the conference has been designed to provide a meaningful, therapist-centred learning experience for all practitioners, whether you are a Sports Therapist, Osteopath, Massage Therapist, Physiotherapist, Soft Tissue Therapist, Movement Therapist… in fact anyone who works with people.
The Future Of Healthcare Education
This event promises to offer so much more than just a conference. It is a powerful expression of collaboration where the STA South West Regional programme meets the broader Hands-On Hub agenda, blending professional CPD with a wider invitation to connect across disciplines and practice boundaries.
Yes, we are immensely proud of the wonderful speaker line up, but their focus for this conference is on YOU and your PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Yes, we have put together two days of fantastic theory & practical sessions to develop your knowledge & skills, but their focus will also be on MEANING & PURPOSE.
Conference Goals
In a nutshell (did we mention the social evening yet?!), this conference will:
- Deepen your skills and connect with evidence-informed practice
- Show how to apply research to real clinical settings
- Explore modern manual and movement-based approaches.
- Provide a safe and stimulating space to truly connect, share ideas and learn from each other
- Facilitate collaboration and self-reflection to foster continuous improvement & growth
- Give you the tools & confidence to evaluate & evolve your individual practice.
Social Evening
As you will see on the ticket page, there is an option to join us for a Social Evening on the Saturday night, offering delegates the chance to chat & share thoughts in a relaxed, judgement free, social environment. This is a totally optional extra, but we would love for you to join us!
Two Day Programme
Day 1: Saturday September 20th 2025
| Main Theatre | Breakout Room | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times (may change) | Title | Speaker | Title | Speaker |
| 08:30 - 09:00 | Registration | |||
| 09:00 - 09:40 | Welcome Plenary | Matt Phillips Andy Hosgood | ||
| 09:45 - 10.25 |  | James Earls | | |
| 10:30 - 11:10 | | Dr Claire Minshull | "Grounded Strength: Barefoot Strategies For Pain Free Movement" | Sarah Jones |
| 11.30 - 12.10 | "The Answer Isn’t Regulation or Licensing, So Do We Need A New Question?" | Gary Benson | | Dr Claire Minshull |
| 12.15 - 12.55 | | Serena Simmons | "Balance for Life: Enhancing stability in older adults" | Imi Testa Sarah Jones |
| 12.55 - 13.40 | Lunch | |||
| 13.40 - 14.20 | "Metacognition, Memory, Missing Data Inevitable Self-Dillusion" | Tristen Attenborough | | Dr Rebecca Walker |
| 14.25 - 15.05 | "Supporting The Person with Parkinson’s - The Importance Of A Person Centred Approach" | Emma Edwards | "Beyond Birth: Supporting the Postpartum Body & Mind" | Jojo Hogan |
| 15.10 - 15.50 | "When Pain Echoes Trauma & When Massage Echoes Embodiment" | Anna Maria Mazzieri | "Asking Coaching Questions" | Andy Hosgood |
| 15.55 - 16.35 | | Michelle Lyons | | |
| 16.35 - 17.00 | Closing Day 1 |
Day 2: Sunday September 21st 2025
| Main Theatre | Breakout Room | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times (may change) | Title | Speaker | Title | Speaker |
| 08:30 - 09:10 | Breakfast Movement Session | Imi Testa | ||
| 09:15 - 09:55 | "Matrescence: Reconceptualising Peripartum Care With Massage Therapy" | Anna Maria Mazzieri | "Massage & Manual Therapy for Scars" | Anna Maria Mazzieri |
| 10:00 - 10.40 | | | "Freedom From The Couch: Mat Based Techniques For Massage Therapists" | Imi Testa |
| 10:45 - 11:25 | Making CPD Count | Andy Hosgood | ||
| 11.45 - 12.25 | Making CPD Count | Andy Hosgood | ||
| 12.30 - 12.45 | Closing The Conference |
Meet The Speakers
James Earls
Writer, Lecturer & Bodyworker. Born to Move
James Earls is a writer, lecturer and bodyworker who in recent years he has concentrated on blending movement with manual therapy to create a new functional approach to bodywork, which he teaches as co-founder of the training company ‘Born to Move’. As a highly respected author, his publications include ‘Born to Walk’, ‘Understanding the Human Foot’, and ‘Functional Anatomy of Movement’, a unique and comprehensive approach to functional anatomy countering the oversimplified & static current teaching of musculoskeletal anatomy.
JoJo Hogan
Founder of Slow Postpartum Movement
Jojo Hogan is a postpartum doula, maternal massage therapist, and founder of The Slow Postpartum Movement
. With over 20 years of experience supporting families through the tender transition into parenthood, Jojo is passionate about reclaiming postpartum as a time of deep healing, rest, and transformation. Drawing on traditional care practices, bodywork, and the principles of slow living, she works to educate both parents and professionals on how to create more nourishing and supportive postpartum experiences — for the benefit of mothers, babies, and entire families.
Michelle Lyons
Women's Health Physiotherapist. Founder of Celebrate Muliebrity
Michelle Lyons is a Women’s Health Physiotherapist with over 30 years of experience. Her toolbox has expanded over the years to include postgraduate qualifications in health coaching and wellness, yoga, pilates and mindfulness as a therapeutic intervention. As founder of Celebrate Muliebrity, Michelle is passionate about women’s health, with a special interest in menopause and oncology rehab issues. She teaches on these topics, on courses and conferences nationally, internationally and online, and is fervent about spreading the word about pelvic health.
Dr Claire Minshull
Rehab & Conditioning Specialist. Founder of Get Back To Sport
Claire Minshull is one of the most highly respected and research active rehabilitation & conditioning specialists in the UK. She has worked in the field of sports medicine and health for over 20 years as a Senior Lecturer, Researcher, Consultant and as a Practitioner. She has designed, led and managed major clinical and nonclinical research trials, supervised several PhD students, and has published over 30 research papers in leading peer-reviewed sports medicine journals. She founded her company ‘Get Back To Sport’ to enable the transference of research findings into enhancing clinical practice, and has developed the teaching portfolio that now has an international reach.
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Conference Location
Ocean Exmouth – The Engine Room
- Address: Queen’s Dr, Exmouth EX8 2AY
- Phone: 01395 266500
- Website: oceanexmouth.co.uk
Get in Touch Today
Do you have a question about ‘Hands On Hub & STA Conference’ or indeed any other topic we can help you with? Feel free to reach out by using the contact form below.
