ENGLAND Rugby League coach Steve McNamara is heading to Pocklington as the TEDx initiative arrives in town.

Fresh from the World Cup, Mr McNamara is guest speaker at TEDx Pocklington - a conference style event aimed at bringing together people from the worlds of technology, entertainment and design.

The initiative was founded in 1984 and has been taken up across the world, with Pocklington School now staging its first TEDx event.

Running on December 16, from 8.30am to 4pm, the theme for the event is ‘learning attitude’ and will focus on challenging approaches to education and learning; discovering how we learn and what inspires us.

Having just led England to the semi-final of the Rugby League World Cup, Mr McNamara will be talking about his approach to leadership and sharing how he built a strong team around unifying purpose, nurturing talent, bringing out the best in people and removing barriers to success.

He will be alongside a host of other highly respected speakers from all walks of life including education, inspiring schools, the NHS and business, including Ruth Sutherland, chief executive of relationship support provider Relate.

Her talk is entitled ‘All you need is love’ and will look at how we think and communicate with each other in the technological age and how we can create a happier, healthier society.

TED conferences and TEDx events bring together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, with the aim of sparking deep conversation and connections.

Tickets for TEDx Pocklington are limited and are priced at £50 to include lunch and refreshments throughout the day. To book, and for more details visit www.ted.com/tedx/events/10266.