Grassroots sport finds new voice in English regions

The drive to get a million people playing more sport is to be promoted by nine new champions – one for each region in England.

The ‘Regional Champions for Community Sport’ will act as advocates for grassroots sport and Sport England’s plans to increase participation. They will help to develop and take forward local partnerships that improve sports provision and take-up, as well as securing continued investment for grassroots initiatives.

The Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, today announced the appointment of the champions:

• East of England – Stephen Castle;
• East Midlands – Manjula Sood;
• London – Shaun Dawson;
• North East – Peter Rowley;
• North West – Pam Jervis;
• South East – John Cove;
• South West – Tim Coventry;
• West Midlands – Dave Long;
• Yorkshire and Humber – Yuri Matischen.

The champions bring a diverse range of skills and experience, and include the chief executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, a former building society chief executive, a head teacher and a senior councillor responsible for securing a legacy for his county from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Gerry Sutcliffe said:

“Our new champions have an important role in taking forward the spirit of partnership that is essential if our aim of getting many more people playing sport as one of the key benefits from London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is to be realised.

“They all have practical experience, bags of local knowledge and the skills needed to unite the many bodies with an interest in getting people more active – and I look forward to working with them. This is an effective and value-for-money way of taking forward Sport England’s strategy in every corner of the country.”

The champions will be expected to commit an average of half a day a week to their new roles.

Richard Lewis, Chair of Sport England, said:

“The champions’ expertise and passion will help us make the case for sport, and its power to build happier, healthier, communities. Each of them will play a key role in cementing the local relationships that are critical to our drive to get more people playing sport and inspire individuals at every level to fulfil their potential.”

Their role will be to:

• Champion and advocate Sport England’s strategy to key regional and sub-regional partners including Regional Development Agencies, Government Offices, Primary Health Care Trusts, local elected members, county sports partnerships (CSPs), sport’s national governing bodies (NGBs) at a regional level, business partners and the Third Sector;
• Broker regional and sub-regional partnerships to secure continued investment in community sport;
• Support NGBs at a regional level to help them deliver their plans in support of Sport England’s strategic objectives;
• Work with the London 2012 Nations and Regions Group to maximise the sporting legacy of the Games; be spokespeople on behalf of Sport England on local community sports issues, reflecting the work being done to increase participation in sport, with funding from Government and the National Lottery.

Notes to editors

1. The new appointments were not regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments but the spirit of the OCPA code has been followed in selecting them.
2. The champions will be paid a daily rate of £300, plus reasonable expenses.
3. Stephen Castle, Shaun Dawson, Peter Rowley, John Cove and Tim Coventry will serve three years terms that began on 16 December 2009. Manjula Sood, Pam Jervis, David Long and Yuri Matischen will serve three year terms beginning on 28 January 2010.
4. In June 2008, the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Sport England announced Sport England’s new strategy, which included plans to rationalise their national and regional funding streams. As a result, Regional Sports Board ceased to operate on 31 December 2008 and plans were taken forward to appoint new Regional Champions to take over their key functions.
5. Sport England invests National Lottery and Exchequer funding in organisations and projects that will grow and sustain participation in grassroots sport and create opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport. Sport England is committed to creating a world-leading community sport system, and getting one million people doing more sport by 2012/13.
6. East of England champion – Cllr Stephen Castle is the Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Education and the 2012 Games. He is Chair of Nations and Regions East (East of England Development Agency), Conservative lead on the LGA Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, Deputy Chairman of the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership, Board Member of the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership representing the East of England Regional Assembly, Member of the Regional Economic Forum and Board Member of the Lea Valley Regional Park Authority. Stephen was also a former President and Board Member of the national Conservative Party and Chair of the East Regional Board of Sport England. A lifelong resident of South Essex, he is Director of Castle Opticians, the largest independent chain of optometrists in Essex, and a qualified ski instructor.
7. East Midlands champion - Cllr Manjula Sood has been an elected Labour Councillor for fourteen years. She became the first Asian female Lord Mayor in the UK in May 2008 and was the first Asian female High Bailiff in the UK in 2007. She is currently a Trustee and an Executive Director of the Leicester Council of Faiths, which promotes better understanding amongst faith communities and has previously served as a Non Executive Director for the NHS. She is a Community Patron for the Special Olympics in Leicester and Governor of Leicester College. She was the Leicestershire and Rutland Woman of the Year in 2006. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Leicester University in 2008 and an MBE in 2009.
8. London champion – Shaun Dawson joined the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority as Chief Executive in 1997. Shaun leads the Authority’s remit as a central legacy owner/operator organisation for a number of Olympic venues and parkland. Shaun has spent his career in the leisure industry both in the public and private sector. Before moving to the Authority he was Assistant Director of Education and Leisure at the London Borough of Hackney. Shaun’s particular areas of experience cover sports venues design, facilities management and parks management/activation. Shaun graduated from the University of East Anglia with a BSc in Ecology and went on to Loughborough University where he gained an MSc in Recreation Management.
9. North East champion - Peter Rowley retired as a director and Chief Executive of Darlington Building Society in April 2009 after 17 years in post following a long career in retail finance in banking and building societies at senior levels. Peter has developed strong associations with grassroots sports through his role at Darlington Building Society, including longstanding sponsorships of a broad range of sporting leagues, organisations and initiatives. Now an adviser to the third sector and social enterprises, he is Head of Business Support at the Social Investment Business, the UK’s largest social investor and holds a portfolio of non-executive appointments in community, public and private organisations. An enthusiastic sportsman, he is a passionate runner, competing domestically and overseas at club level at all distances from 5k up to, and including, marathons.
10. North West champion - Pam Jervis was the Head Teacher of Brookfield School in Kirkby - one of the first specialist Sports Colleges in the country and is now Principal of Kirkby Sports College. She is Chair of the Knowsley Schools Forum, a council member of the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services and represents education on the North West Steering Group for the 2012 Games. She was previously a member of the Sport England Lottery Panel and a North West Sports Board member.
11. South East champion - John Cove is Chief Executive of the Milton Keynes Dons Sport and Education Trust. He was previously a Group Director (Sure Start and Community Learning) at Milton Keynes Council. John is also Vice Chair of the national charity 4Children, and a non executive director of MK Dons Football Club. He was previously a member of the South East Regional Board of Sport England.
12. South West champion - From 1981 until retirement in 2004, Tim Coventry was Chief Executive and Chairman of Performance Sailcraft, the laser builder. He is currently a freelance consultant to the international marine industry specialising in event management in South East Asia. One of his current roles involves project managing the ISAF Connect to Sailing project, focussed on key strategies and delivery of country specific projects to bring industry and sport together to reverse the decline in participation in sailing on a worldwide basis. He is a member of the Royal Yachting Association Sport Development Committee. Tim is a life time competitive sailor in dinghy, catamaran and sport boat classes.
13. West Midlands champion - Dave Long works for CV One, Coventry’s Destination Marketing and City Centre Management Company and has a particular responsibility for Image, City Perception and Partnership Working. Dave has been a Trustee of Coventry Sports Trust for nine years and is involved in numerous sports projects in the West Midlands. He competed for Great Britain in the marathon at both the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games in Seoul and Barcelona respectively.
14. Yorkshire and Humber champion – Born in Bradford, Yuri Matischen is presently Managing Director of MLS Ltd based in Sheffield, one of the UK’s leading sports and events consultants. MLS are also the owners and operators of the Sheffield Sharks professional basketball franchise, of which Yuri is founder and the present chairman. He is also a long serving Director of the British Basketball League. Yuri became the youngest ever General Secretary of the British Universities Sports Federation in 1986, and was Assistant Director of Sport for the 1991 World Student Games in Sheffield. He is currently Regional Chairman of the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure and a member of its national board, whilst in Sheffield he is Senior Vice President of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Yuri is a keen supporter of disability sport, professionally involved with the Inclusive Fitness Initiative for disabled people, and a Trustee of Autism Plus.
15. The DCMS is committed to the principle of public appointments on merit with independent assessments, openness and transparency of process and to providing equal opportunities for all, irrespective of race, age, disability, gender, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, transgender and working patterns. Appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. Shaun Dawson, Peter Rowley, John Cove, Tim Coventry, Pam Jervis, Dave Long and Yuri Matischen have declared no political activity. Stephen Castle has declared that he is a Conservative councillor at Essex County Council. He has spoken and canvassed on behalf of the Conservative Party and made recordable donations to the Conservative Party. Manjula Sood has declared that she is a Labour Councillor at Leicester City Council. She has spoken and canvassed on behalf of the Labour Party, held office at a local branch of the Labour Party and made recordable donations to the Labour Party.

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