Search begins for new Chairs for UK Sport and Sport England
Hugh Robertson kicks off the recruitment process for new leaders.
We are looking to recruit two high-calibre individuals to replace chair and chair , who will both step down from their posts in the first quarter of this year.
The new chairs of UK Sport and Sport England will be tasked to help keep up the momentum for sport at the elite end and at the grassroots respectively, following the success of the .
UK Sport - leading elite sport
UK Sport helped Team GB and Paralympics GB land a record medal haul at the Games with聽the UK聽finishing third in the medal tables at both the Olympics and Paralympics. The elite sport funding body announced in December that it will not rest on its laurels and has already made clear that the target is for both Olympic and Paralympic teams to win more medals in Rio 2016 than in London 2012. The chair of UK Sport will help the body create a stronger, more sustainable elite sport system that will support world-class British athletes.
Sport England - increasing sports participation
Sport England has played a pivotal role in increasing sports participation since London won the bid to host the Games. A record , up by 1.6 million on 2005. In the last 12 months alone 750,000 more people are playing sport once a week. The chair of Sport England will help deliver the body鈥檚 to increase participation further and encourage a culture where people have a sporting habit for life.
Robertson thanked Sue Campbell and Richard Lewis for their dedicated service.聽 Campbell has 鈥渓ed the transformation of elite sport in this country鈥� and deserves great credit鈥�, while Lewis has been an 鈥渆xcellent chair鈥� who has laid 鈥渢he foundations for an extremely strong sports legacy from London 2012.鈥澛� He added that, thanks to the pair, 鈥渇rom the grassroots to the elite, sport is in the best possible health.鈥澛�
Developing a shared approach - but no full merger
Robertson also announced that UK Sport and Sport England will be tasked to build on their work in 2012 - to develop a shared strategic approach on issues such as sports governance and talent management - but added there would not be a full merger of the two organisations. However, he wants to drive further synergies between both bodies with UK Sport and Sport England co-located by 2014, sharing some back office services. This will help reduce administrative costs over this Spending Review period.