The Board of Trustees provides strategic direction and oversight for the Active Partnerships charitable company and comprises a diverse team with six members drawn from Active Partnerships and four from other sectors, all appointed for the value they bring to our work.
Julie originally set out to work in social work but in her first year at university and through her love of playing sport, she had a change of heart and subsequently a change of course. This was when she first connected to a passion and belief that sport and physical activity was not just intrinsically a brilliant way for people to spend time, but it also had the power to change lives. Her course leaders played their part, encouraging their students to have an enquiring mind, and showing how coaching and mentoring can support personal growth and development.
The passion has never left, and she has worked in the physical activity and sports sector her whole career. In leisure facilities, sports development and latterly in one of the networks 43 Active Partnerships. She has worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors, developing her leadership experience cross-sector. She also forged creative partnerships across Culture, Media and Sport in a 6-month secondment to Culture Southeast. She is committed to developing strong relationships with people and creating great conditions and opportunities for collaboration. Whilst not always the easiest road to travel, she believes that if we are going to understand the complexities of inactivity and inequalities, and facilitate change, we have to identify the bold leaders and the organisations that can help to do this. Very recently, this has led to a new collaboration in her Active Partnership area, joining forces with the arts and culture sector in the New Forest who share a passion for creating happier and healthier communities. They are exploring how arts and culture can fuse with physical activity to engage new audiences and participants in both sectors.
Julie is a squash, racket ball and padel tennis player as well as an occasional tennis and table tennis player. In fact, put a bat or racquet in her hand and she’ll happily chase a ball around. When she’s not doing these things, you’ll find her volunteering in one capacity or another. She has been a school governor for over 20 years, and at different points a team manager, a team captain, a club secretary, and a general helper.
Start Date: May 2023
Born is CEO and founder of Our Parks which aims to get 1 million participants fit for free by 2025 by bringing free, group exercise classes, led by fully qualified instructors to parks across the country in partnership with local authorities, and online on-demand content specifically targeting inactive people to be active. Born has developed key partnerships across the charitable and commercial sector. Born is also a trustee of on Active Surrey, LTA, British Olympic Foundation, British University of Colleges and Sport (BUCAS). As an ex athlete Born is passionate about capturing video moments and creating content that inspires others to share and become more active. Start Date: May 2023
Sport has always played a huge part in my life ever since I left school aged 16 to spend four years as a professional footballer at my boyhood club – Sheffield United FC.
After retiring through injury aged 20, I embarked on a “proper” career path which has seen me spend over 15 years in the health and wellbeing sector.
Leading the growing Westfield Health Group as CEO, I am actively involved in helping the businesses and communities we serve to stay both physically and mentally fit by reducing barriers to physical activity.
My day job means that I see day in, day out, the significant impact that the current levels of health and social inequality is having on our society. The impact on our people, our economy and our over stretched health system is both unacceptable and unsustainable. So, the opportunity to join the national Board of Active Partnerships as Chair seemed a perfect fit in order to have a greater influence on the public sector and to make a greater impact within the community.
Sport and physical activity can make a difference and unite people together and I believe Active Partnerships are ideally placed to play a lead role as part of a wider eco-system to help make this happen.
Start Date: January 2023
Neil is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 30 years experience. Having managed financial reporting and budgetary control in several major international companies and more recently the public sector in education and central government. He is currently the Finance Compliance Manager in Defra.
Neil is a level three coach and 6th Dan in Judo. He has been involved in Judo for over 40 years. As Head Coach and Chairman of Pudsey Judo Club Neil is actively involved in grassroots through to senior international level Judo and is based in Leeds. Having trained to be a coach in France he later supported the Visually Impaired GB team in Japan. He is the elected non-executive board director for the British Judo Association.
Many years ago, Neil was a competitive player winning national medals and representing Great Britain at the World Student Championships. Nowadays he is passionate about getting everyone into sport and supports several local initiatives in creating opportunities for children to enjoy sport.
With two grown up children he has supported many sports especially basketball and gymnastics and travelled extensively to watch several different sports.
Start Date: August 2023
Dr Hanya Pielichaty is an Associate Professor within the Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln and runs the MSc (Hons) International Sports Business Management programme. Hanya’s teaching and research expertise relate to sport, equity and education with a specific focus on the sociology of sport.
Hanya’s lived experiences of playing football (including West Bromwich Albion and Lincoln City) for over 20 years provide the roots to her examinations into gender, football and identities. A passion for challenging social inequities and gender injustices comes through in Hanya’s pedagogical and research approach. Furthermore, Hanya is the Director of Student Inclusion at the Eleanor Glanville Institute and works institutionally and internationally to challenge power imbalances in higher education.
Prior to working in academia, Hanya gained industry experience as a Competition Manager (through the Youth Sport Trust) and as a Sports Manager for Lincolnshire Sports Partnership (now Active Lincolnshire). Being in a position to continue working with the Active Partnerships network is a privilege for Hanya who hopes to add value to the Board through her expertise in equality, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Start Date: January 2023
"I have been a sports "nut" for most of my life, trying everything available at school and college and participating in Rugby and Athletics to a reasonable level into my late 30's. More recently I have been spoiling a good walk with golf clubs but also have fewer frustrating walks every day with our dog. As a season ticket holder, I have enjoyed Northampton Saints resurgence, (sorry Bedford Blues, Ampthill and Luton Rugby Clubs)!
I joined Team Beds & Luton as a Non Executive Director in 2020 just as the pandemic struck and we had to adapt to a whole new way of working (successfully!), About a year ago I was asked to stand for Chair and am delighted to have been fulfilling that role as we ease back to a more “normal” environment. Now I look forward to contributing at a national level by joining the Board of the Active Partnership network to develop our ambition to inspire people to move more.
Although my initial reason for joining an Active Partnership was based on my interest in sport, I quickly realised that my business background, Non-Executive experience in public service bodies and a commitment to helping underserved communities all came together in taking the mantra of “healthy body, healthy mind” to a much wider audience of local communities.
I had a 30-year corporate career including senior Marketing roles at Granada, Bedford and Pirelli Retail, Luton, culminating as joint UK MD of a large US Marketing Agency and subsequently Commercial Director of a European Media group. After leaving corporate roles I have enjoyed working in SME’s often as an Investing Director and have also developed and launched a few start-ups – I continue to work in this area as an angel and Advisor.
This experience has helped me support the team at the Bedfordshire Active Partnership as we re-branded to www.beactivebeds.co.uk .
Start Date: October 2022
Maxine Rhodes began her career in Higher Education as an academic and senior manager. After raising a family, Maxine returned to a career in the third sector and in sport. She is now the Managing Director of County Durham Sport – which she describes as the most rewarding time of her working life. Her values and passion for fairness, equality and opportunity have been important throughout her life and she has joined the Board to support those underrepresented voices in the sector.
Before injury, she was a member of her local running community and enjoyed triathlon. Here too she was passionate about widening access to sport and trained as a running coach before setting up a community social running group (for people who don’t like clubs).
As Professor in Practice at Durham University, Maxine is keen to engage with the sport leaders of the future and to support the development of their skill and experience. She is interested in the development of learning cultures and learning organisations as well as in the interplay between sport policy, physical activity, poverty and health. She is a keen rugby union fan and, through no fault of her own, attends Coventry City Football Club home games as a loyal wife and sidekick.
Mike is Director of Public Health (DPH) for Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council being appointed to the post in February 2014. Mike has worked in public health since the early 90’s in a number of public health intelligence, r&d development, manager and consultant roles for both the NHS and academia.
Mike moved to the East Midlands in 2005. Before that he spent most of his career working across Greater Manchester and Merseyside. Mike is the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) Council representative for the East Midlands and represents the Faculty of Public Health on the Independent Advisory Panel for Data Release (IADPR) of Public Health England. Mike’s public health interest lies in the health improvement capability of asset-based community development approaches, moving public health from a focus on disease and illness to one that recognises the context in which people live their lives.
Mike is vice chair of Leicester-Shire and Rutland Sport (LRS). Whilst still keen on swimming, cycling and bouldering (injury permitting), Mike’s sporting career peaked early as a member of the 1983 Plymouth Schools Cricket league and knock-out cup double winning side. A dashing left handed number 3 batsman, with a crushing vulnerability to chasing the ball outside off stump, he remains available for an England call up.
Start Date: September 2019
Finish Date: June 2025
Jack is moving into the role of Director of Strategic Projects at 4Global and will join the board in June 2023.
Jack has worked at ukactive since 2017, most recently as Director of Research, Policy & Communication overseeing the Research & Insight, Policy & Public Affairs, Risk & Standards, and Communications teams. He was responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships across the sector, including central and local government departments, to bring about positive change.
Jack also is a member of the Physical Literacy Expert Group led by Sport England & Liverpool John Moores University and a Board Trustee of Mytime Active.
Start date: June 2023
As a Charted Fellow of the CIPD, Ali has enjoyed a career within Leadership, Learning, Coaching, Governance, Organisational development and People matters for over 25 years working for global organisations before founding her own successful consultancy.
She is a passionate advocate of improvement through cultural learning and values and thrives on helping organisations understand what good people practices look and feel like, and how they can positively impact on organisational effectiveness and growth. She focuses on matters she sees matter most – purpose, governance, strategy, people and culture - helping leaders to be clear on their collective why, what and how –and has developed a renowned reputation working with organisations who have ambitions to build better lives for its people, local communities and places.
Ali is strongly connected to the Active Partnerships network having worked within it, supported it and advocated on its behalf for a number of years. She has built deep rooted understanding and relationships and is passionately committed to helping local Active Partnerships and the collective network develop, learn and grow together. She brings to the Board extensive experience in organisational design, leadership and people development and expert working knowledge of the Code for Sports Governance and continuous improvement systems.
On a personal note Ali has been an avid lifelong sports fan and enjoys keeping active as well as supporting local sports club through sponsorship and advisory roles. As a busy Mum to two sports kids, she spends lots of time attending tournaments, matches and events up and down the Country with cricket and volleyball holding a special place in her heart!
Start Date: 20 Sept 2018
Finish Date: September 2024