ukactive bolsters board with new directors

ukactive has broadened the experience of its 10-person board by appointing four new non-executive directors as it looks to boost its influence in the physical activity sector.

Adrian Packer, Sarah Kendall, Peter Bonfield and Phil Rumbelow, who have all joined on three-year terms, come from different sectors and backgrounds.

Packer, who is chief executive at CORE Education Trust, will bring education sector experience to the board, having used physical activity programmes and other initiatives to transform Rockwood Academy, the school that was at the centre of the ‘Trojan horse’ scandal - an organised attempt to introduce an Islamist or Salafist ethos into Birmingham schools.

Kendall, head of PR and communications at Fuse Sport + Entertainment, has developed international campaigns for major brands including Castrol, Powerade, Sainsbury’s, E.ON and Pirelli.

Dr Bonfield, chief executive officer of the Building Research Establishment, will bring infrastructure development and capital investment experience to the board and has led policy reviews on behalf of the UK government.

Rumbelow, ukactive membership council chair, has physical activity sector experience and will be a voice of the membership base on the board.

The appointments are the latest part of the not-for-profit health body’s ongoing mission to improve its governance structure and build on recommendations from a comprehensive review of the organisation by management specialist Portas Consulting in 2014.

Steven Ward, ukactive executive director, said: “These world-class appointments mark a major milestone for ukactive and reflect our organisation’s commitment to making serious headway across a range of work streams centred around physical activity.

“Our new board members bring enviable expertise in the fields of education, infrastructure development, strategic communications and health club leadership, representing the increasingly diverse and expansive sector that ukactive represents.

“The new directors are already making an impact within ukactive and I can’t wait to work more closely with them as we drive towards significant progress in fields such as youth activity, workplace health and capital investment across the UK’s leisure estate.”