Argus readers will be aware one area of policy I am particularly passionate about is sport and physical activity and in the context of the greater health and wellbeing benefits it can bring, not just individuals, but communities as a whole.

It’s why my office and I are organising our first ever “Active Newport” conference - an event which will bring different groups together from across the city, all with the shared goal of creating a fitter and healthier Newport.

With the Olympic Games starting tomorrow (July 26) and the Paralympics at the end of August, going into early September, we have a fantastic opportunity to ride that wave locally and get more people think about sport and exercise – and how it can lead to more active lifestyles.

It doesn’t have to be just playing football and rugby or taking up running (though as an avid parkrunner, myself, I would certainly recommend it) that you could look to for inspiration.

In the upcoming games, there are 42 Olympic disciplines – and I hope there will be local representation from individuals and groups from a number of these sport.

We have some fantastic sporting facilities in the city, most notably at the International Sports Village at Spytty, including the first class tennis facilities there, where I regularly play.

Back in 2022, I held a short debate in the Senedd where I spoke about our sporting excellence, where I praised the work of organisations such as Newport Cricket Club, County in the Community, Newport Live and many more.

Two years on, I hope the Active Newport conference can showcase all the excellent work which is being done locally and why we deserve to be recognised as a city of sport and healthy living.

And in the wider context, having a healthier and fitter population is also important for our NHS.

At present, we have a health service, which is far too reactive. We need to be far more preventative and look to avoid health problems before they escalate further.

This means Welsh Government, our local councils and other organisations, not just working together more collaboratively on these issues, but actually investing and prioritising in stronger and more meaningful public health measures.

Finally, I just want to end this month’s column on the current Welsh Labour leadership contest. I will be backing Eluned Morgan MS for leader and Huw Irranca-Davies MS for deputy leader.

With what I have said previously about creating a healthier society, I believe Eluned’s experiences as health minister and Huw’s background in sport and leisure before becoming an elected politician, will serve us well in this area.