About

My educational background includes a first class honour's undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science with Coaching (Northumbria University), a masters degree in Psychology of Sport and Exercise Behaviour (Northumbria University), and a second psychology (BPS conversion course) masters degree (Sheffield Hallam University). I have also completed a PhD in behavioural health psychology at the University of Sheffield, department of psychology. My PhD explored the impact of significant life transitions of physical activity behaviour.

I joined Sheffield Hallam University, Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC), Physical Activity, Wellbeing and Public Health (PAWPH) team, in 2016 after completing my PhD. I currently work on various projects around the theme of behaviour change, psychology, physical activity promotion and whole systems thinking. My work concentrates on children and young people and people with severe mental ill health.

Within the children and young people realm, I support Sheffield's whole system approach to physical activity, Move More, where I concentrate my efforts on the education subgroup. Examples of impact within this role include co-producing a whole school approach to to physical activity, the PESSPA Toolkit (PE, School Sport, Physical Activity), and leading on a programme designed to influence the physical environment within a community of health deprivation, building a state of the art cycling facility, enabling people (with a focus on children and young people) to live more active lives through engagement with the cycling facility.

PESSPA Toolkit: https://www.learnsheffield.co.uk/partners/PESSPA/
Cycling facility programme: Search @Hillsboroughpumptrack on social media.

My work with people with severe mental ill health focuses on intervention design to aid this population to live a more active life, benefiting their physical, mental, social and emotional health. A key programme here is the SPACES trial, which aims to implement physical activity programmes into existing NHS pathways.

My expertise lay within psychological theory and behaviour change research. My knowledge of relevant theories and implementation methods, optimise the potential study impact by being grounded in theories and practices that are known to work. 

Subject Area

Psychological theory and behaviour change theory. 

Teaching

Academy of Sport and Physical Activity

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences

Projects

SPACES - NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research funded. Embedding physical activity into NHS pathways

Physical environment for behaviour change - Access Sport, Sheffield City Council funded. Creating a new cycling facility and behaviour change programme to support children and young people from an area of health deprivation to live more active lives

PESSPA Toolkit - National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine funded. Co-producing a whole school approach to physical activity to enable children to live a more active life. 

Research

• Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre
• Health Research Institute

Current research projects 

• Jones, G., and Norman, P. (2021). Predicting exercise after university: An application of the reasoned action approach across a significant life transition. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1-12. DOI:10.1080/13548506.2021.1890160

• Jones, G., McIntosh, E., Brose, L., & Klonizakis, M. (2021). Participant experiences of a quit smoking attempt through either Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) methods or the use of an e-cigarette. Journal of Addiction Medicine. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000881

• Walker L., Dawson, S., Gascoyne, S., Hillison, E., Jonse, G., Wildbore, E., & Peckham E. (2023). Co-Producing a Physical Activity Intervention with and for people with Severe Mental Ill Health. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health.

• Jones, G., Williams, S., & Longbon, K. (2022). Exploring the acceptability and feasibility of a whole school approach to physical activity in UK primary schools: A qualitative approach. BMC Public Health.

• Peckham, E., Tew, G., Lorimer, B., Bailey, L., Beeken, R., Cooper, C., Gascoyne, S., Gilbody, S., Jones, G., Machaczek, K., Traviss-Turner, G., Stubbs, B. (2023) Interventions to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in severe mental ill health: how effective are they?’- a systematic review. Mental Health and Physical Activity (in press).

Selected research projects 

• Hillsborough Pump Track
• Move More Sheffield 

Publications

Other activities

I chair the 'Children and Young People Physical Activity and Sport Research Group'.
I am a board member of the 'Sheffield Children and Young People and Families Consortium'.
I am a board member of 'Onboard Skatepark'.

Postgraduate supervision

I am a PhD supervisor for the 'Move More Evaluation', 2023-2026.