Regional Management Board

I was appointed to the Board of Swim England West Midlands Ltd in May 2022 with a view to becoming Financial Director at the AGM on the retirement of Mike Beard.  This would be a hard act to follow due to Mike’s longstanding with the Region.  My background is Swimming; starting from a young age with Kingsbury Aquarius, Camp Hill Edwardians and Orion but settled later in my life with Tamworth ASC where I have been a member since the age of 18.  I moved on from swimmer to Young Official and also as a Coach for a number of years before taking some time out to start a family.   Once the family started learning to swim I decided it was time to get back into officiating and I took my referees exam in 2009, moving onto the British Swimming Referee Development Programme in 2012 which then led to a 4 year term on the FINA list from 2019 to 2022.  During this time I was privileged to represent British Swimming at the European Short Course in 2019 in Glasgow, 2021 in Kazan Russia and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.  To be involved in these games and in my home city was such an honour and something I will remember for a long time.  In 2014 I was approached to become Officials Secretary of Staffordshire ASA which I agreed to do. Since then I have been President between 2019 and 2022.  My career is as an accountant working in practice through my training until 2008 when I made the decision to move into a business to make family life/childcare easier and I haven’t looked back.  It was due to my background in Finance and Swimming that I decided to apply to join the Region.

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I have worked in the Leisure Sector for 30+ years, for 27 of those at Merlin Entertainments Group looking at central Commercial strategy, legal Commercial contracts, managing partners and improving the Commercial success of the business. This position supported 120+ visitor attractions covering all regions across the globe, working with both internal and external customers. I continue to be part of the attractions industry, supporting businesses in their Commercial performance and adding both financial and guest enhancing opportunities.

I compete regularly as a Masters swimmer, am an Assistant Head Coach, trainee Judge 1 and a Committee member at Dove Valley ASC supporting the sustainability and longevity of the club, where I was an original member when it was founded in 1985.

I became interested in Aquatics at a reasonably young age when I was asked to join a local Club by the Swimming Teacher at the Pool where we were taken from Primary School by bus once a week for Learn to Swim Lessons.

The Club, in Stoke on Trent, was stronger in Water Polo and I was drawn to this discipline in my early teens. I was reasonably proficient at Swimming and Water Polo, representing Staffordshire in both disciplines.

The Chairman of my Club had been a former County President encouraged me to apply for membership of Staffordshire A.S.A Executive. I was fortunate to be successful in 1972 and have remained as a member since that time.

Following my introduction to Swimming Administration at this level I was fortunate to work with several colleagues who were members of the District Board and a former President of the A.S.A. who asked me to undertake the role of County Treasurer. I have fulfilled this role since 1982.

In the intervening years I have acted in several roles with the three principal Clubs that I have belonged to, Stoke on Trent, Stafford and Lichfield as Committee member, Water Polo Secretary and Swimming Official .I have also undertaken the role of County Water Polo Secretary for many years. I continued Swimming and Playing Water Polo into late middle age, even representing Staffordshire  Masters on a number of occasions.

I have been fortunate to be elected President of Staffordshire A.S.A. on two occasions and also been awarded the honour of Life Member. In 2016 I was elected President of Swim England West Midlands Region. Honours that I cherish and enjoyed beyond measure.

As the Staffordshire representative on the R.M.B I see my role as a committed and interested intermediary between the Region and my County. To listen, support, report and encourage. During my life-time involvement in our sport I have witnessed many changes. Change is inevitable and continues at a pace, but my support for all things productive positive and beneficial remains undiminished.