Patrick Ismond

Patrick Ismond grew up in London and started his career as a Sociology lecturer in England's West Country, where he has lived ever since.

Patrick's experiences have shaped his writing as well as his outlook. Throughout his life, he has been reminded that cultures of opportunity and inclusion don't just 'happen' - they are created - but that the weight, or 'credit' for that change is often one where marginalised groups have been unheard. Hence his special interest in 'hidden' histories, collaborative working-class struggles, and diverse sporting identities. His holistic approach draws him to the philosophy of Ubuntu, which stresses that we discover our human qualities through the common bonds between us, and our natural environment.

These themes translated to work in the public and private sectors, where he has engaged with Board members, frontline staff and HR departments, to embed organisational development, and culture change programs.

Patrick has been lucky enough to have a text book published, on a subject close to his heart: the complex relationship between social class, ethnicity and sport. Several journal articles on subjects as diverse as the pirate radio scene in the North of England, and minority ethnic Tv channels followed, and his PhD focused on the communications situation across the USA and worldwide, in the 1990s.