Holly Henderson BA, PhD, PFHEA, NTF, CF

Holly Henderson

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Assistant Professor Sport Business & Management

Contact details

Email
h.henderson.2@bham.ac.uk
Address
University 麻豆精选
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Holly Henderson is a National Teaching Fellow, passionate about education innovation that enhances the learning experience, engagement, quality and outcomes in sport, business and health sciences. Combining her experiences with watersports coaching, competing and an unconventional career path frames and enhances her teaching, research and professional practice.

Qualifications

PG Cert Academic Practice, University of Exeter

PG Cert Law (Maritime), University of Southampton

PhD Drowning Epidemiology, University 麻豆精选

BA (Hons) 1st Class Degree, Maritime Leisure Management, Southampton Solent University

Biography

Dr Holly Henderson is an Assistant Professor in Sport Business & Management at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. She is part of the team delivering the MSc Sport Business, Management and Leadership. Holly is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and she was awarded the prestigious National Teaching Fellow award in 2023, acknowledging her outstanding contributions to education.

She has designed, taught and managed Vocational, Further and Higher Education curricula for over 15 years, for UG and PG Programmes for Business, Sport, Education and Health Sciences. Holly is a UKCEG Associate Supervisor for PhD and EdD Supervision. With extensive experience from various sectors beyond higher education, Holly has successfully managed both national and international projects from concept to completion. Notably, she served as the LOCOG Operations Manager for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth & Portland. An avid sportswoman, Holly has worked as a multi-disciplined watersports instructor and has represented England and Great Britain in the International Surf Association SUP and Paddleboard World Championships.

Driven by her personal experience with dyslexia and neurodiversity, Holly is dedicated to educational innovation aimed at enhancing engagement, quality, and outcomes. As a Certified Advanced, Face to Face, and Online Facilitator in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, she delivers engaging and dynamic sessions. Additionally, she is a Brick-By-Brick® Certified Facilitator for LEGO® brick-based therapy, a MHFA England Mental Health First Aider, and holds a Play Therapy Level 3 Certification. Holly's interests lie in the pedagogy of play and gamification, and she regularly publishes research in this area.

Teaching

MSc Sport Business, Management and Leadership

Research

Research interests:

  • Sport
  • Events Management
  • Wellbeing and Pedagogy Innovation

Publications

Shipway, R. Henderson, H. Nicholson, R. and Marmion, V. (2025). Using Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) to Manage Player Transition in Women’s Semi-Elite Association Football in England.  Leisure Sciences.

Henderson, H. Shipway, R. Nicholson, R. and Marmion, V. (2025). Using Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) to Manage Women’s Mental Health and Physical Wellbeing in Semi-Elite Association Football in England. Leisure Studies. 1 - 46.

Kight, C., & Henderson, H., (2025). Building a bridge between Analogue and Digital with Lego® Serious Play® In Roushan, G., Polkinghorne, M., & Patel, U., eds (2025). Teaching and Learning with Innovative Technologies in Higher Education Real-World Case Studies Routledge

Henderson, H., & Shipway, R. (2024). (Re) framing Lego® Serious Play® for children & young people. International Journal of Educational Research, 124, 102322.

 Shipway, R., & Henderson, H. (2024). Everything is awesome! Lego® Serious Play®(LSP) and the interaction between leisure, education, mental health and wellbeing. Leisure Studies, 43(2), 187-204.

Henderson, H., & Shipway, R. (2023). Liminality, Leisure, and Lego®: Using a leisure-based creative methodology to support children and young people. Leisure Sciences, 1-21.

Henderson, H.E., (2022) 4.5 Research Leadership Induction via Hybrid Lego® Serious Play® Facilitation in Nerantzi, C., & James. A., (2022). LEGO® for university learning: Online, offline and elsewhere (Version 1) [Computer software]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7421754)

Kight, C., & Henderson, H., (2022). Building and institutional Lego® culture using a community of practice approach in Nerantzi, C., & James. A., (2022). LEGO® for university learning: Online, offline and elsewhere (Version 1) [Computer software]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7421754)

Shipway, R., Henderson, H. & Inns, H., (2022). Exploring the use of Lego to support junior school mental health and wellbeing initiatives: Coastal Learning Partnership.

Kight C. & Henderson, H., (2021). Serious play: building knowledge with LEGO bricks The Times Higher Education, The Campus, 01 October 2021 (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/serious-play-building-knowledge-lego-bricks )

Santini, D., & Henderson H., (2021). The winners and losers in the race to environmental sustainability: a ranking of Summer Olympic International Federation progress [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. Emerald Open Res 2021, 3:12 (https://doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.14195.1)

Henderson, H., & Kight C., (2021)/ Reviewer Report For: The educator’s LSP journey: creating exploratory learning environments for responsible management education using Lego Serious Play [version 1; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]. Emerald Open Res 2021, 3:2 (https://doi.org/10.21956/emeraldopenres.15100.r27383)

Henderson, H., (2020). Case Study in Blair. S., (2020). How to Facilitate the Lego® Serious Play Method Online London: ProMeet.

Henderson, H., (2020). Case Study in Blair. S., (2020). Mastering the Lego Serious Play Method - 44 Facilitation Techniques for Trained LEGO Serious Play Facilitators London: ProMeet.

Shipway, R. & Henderson, H., (2012). Mega Events, Tourism and Host Resident Opinions of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth and Portland, UK. In: Holloway, C. and Humphreys, C., eds. The Business of Tourism. Harlow: Pearson Education, 730-737

Chien, P. M, Ritchie, B. W., Shipway, R, & Henderson, H, (2012) I am having a dilemma: Factors affecting resident support of event development in the community. Journal of Travel Research, 51 4: 451-463.

Henderson, H., (2012). Sailing events and the participant experience In: Fyall, A. & Shipway, R., eds. International Sports Events - Impacts, experiences and identities. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge

Henderson, H., (2012). All at Sea: Developing Sailing Sports Tourism – Project Report for the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Henderson, H., & Lissiman, C.M, (2010). The men from down under, the legacies of Australia II. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 1 (3).

Shipway, R. & Henderson, H., (2010). Leveraging Olympic Studies in HE: Go Forth and Olympify. LINK (26).

Shipway, R., Henderson, H., & Stuchberry, L., (2010).WPBC L2012 Residents & Schools Perceptions Project Report. Centre for Event and Sport Research & Market Research Group.

Henderson, H., Stuchberry, L., & Fletcher, J., (2010). Skandia Sail for Gold Event Survey 2010 - Project Report for the Royal Yachting Association. Project Report. Centre for Event and Sport Research & Market Research Group.

Henderson, H., & Stuchberry, L., (2010). Dorset Seafood Festival Research, 2010. Project Report. Centre for Event and Sport Research & Market Research Group.

Henderson, H., & Stuchberry, L., (2009). Skandia Sail for Gold Event Survey 2009. Project Report for the Royal Yachting Association. Centre for Event and Sport Research & Market Research Group.

Henderson, H., (2007). Safety at Sailing Events. Edexcel - Go2Go.

Ritchie, D., Harris, I. & Henderson, H., (2007). RYA Dinghy Entrapment. Wavelength.               

Watson, A. & Henderson, H., (2007). Elite Sailing Injuries. Discussion Paper. EIS / UK Sport.

Lonsdale, P. & Henderson, H., (2007). Concept Paper for the Development of an Educational Facility at Osprey Quay, Portland Exeter:. Discussion Paper. Weymouth College - Learning Skills Council - SWRDA.

Henderson, H., & Wilson, R., (2006). Water incident related hospital activity across England between 1997/8 and 2003/4: a retrospective descriptive study. BMC Public Health, 6, 210