Two New Consultants Join The APF

We’re so excited to welcome two outstanding consultants to The APF team, Erin Hedger and Dr Lou Atkinson. Both bring deep expertise and a shared commitment to strengthening our work supporting women to be active before, during and after pregnancy.

Meet Erin Hedger

Erin joins us as Head of Partnerships, Digital & Communications, bringing more than 15 years of experience across digital product management, communications strategy and stakeholder engagement.

Erin has delivered complex digital projects across the charity, sport and media sectors. Her experience ranges from managing digital product at the British Olympic Association, including overseeing the build and launch of the first Team GB app, to developing the first peer-support platform for a mental health charity and leading customer journey projects at the RSPCA.

Passionate about digital innovation that genuinely benefits people and organisations, Erin combines strategic thinking with hands-on delivery. She brings deep expertise in agency management, content strategy and end-to-end digital project delivery.

At The APF, Erin will lead our partnerships, digital development and communications strategy, across our Sport England Strategic Partnership programme. Her leadership will help us strengthen relationships across the sector whilst continuing to build impactful digital platforms that support women and professionals.

Meet Dr Lou Atkinson

We’re also pleased to share that Dr Lou Atkinson has stepped into the role of Head of Insights & Impact.

Lou leads the design and delivery of our monitoring, evaluation and learning approach across our Sport England–funded programmes. Her work focuses on ensuring accountability, generating meaningful insight and strengthening our ability to influence systems, whilst remaining clear and proportionate about what impact can be evidenced within a systems-focused programme.

With a PhD in Health Psychology and nearly 20 years’ experience across maternal health, public health, academia and digital health, Lou brings deep expertise in behaviour change, inequalities and physical activity during pregnancy and the postnatal period.

She has led and delivered numerous publicly funded evaluations and is passionate about translating data, research and lived experience into practical learning that strengthens delivery. Lou knows our work well having volunteered with us, as well as sitting on the Scientific Advisory Board.

Growing Our Impact

Both Erin and Lou bring experience, insight and energy that will help us strengthen our work and extend our impact.

From building stronger partnerships and digital resources to deepening our understanding of what works and why, their expertise will help ensure The APF delivers on it's Strategic Partnership commitments whilst continuing to champion and support women to be active before, during and after pregnancy.

We’re so happy to have them both on board.