The Sport for Development Coalition has announced the appointment of three new Board members following a period of governance reform aimed at ensuring a wider range of lived experience informs its decision-making and leadership of its collective action. 

The Coalition is a growing group of 200 charities, civil society organisations, networks, sports clubs and governing bodies who are committed to maximising the contribution of sport and physical activity to positive social change. It is supported by Comic Relief, Sport England and Laureus Sport for Good. 

The new Board members bring substantial expertise, understanding and deep knowledge of a wide of skills across public affairs and government relations, charity law, and equality, diversity and inclusion action planning from local to international levels. They are: 

Masha Gloukhovski - Managing Director and Head of Global Sovereign Advisory Group at JP Morgan. Masha brings 20 years of experience in sovereign advisory and balance sheet analysis, advising governments globally on ratings management, credit positioning, targeted strategy building, fiscal policy optimisation, and most recently ESG. Masha is a strong proponent of diversity, spearheading initiatives for the firm’s EMEA Investment Banking Diversity and Inclusion Council. 

Bradley Pritchard – Bradley is a former professional footballer with Leyton Orient, Charlton Athletic and Zimbabwe, who is founder of The Sporting Way CIC. He is also a Trustee of Groundwork London; Trustee and Treasurer of Grow Lewisham; a current Chair of the Football Association’s Judicial Panel (Anti-Discrimination, Disciplinary, Integrity and Safeguarding); a member of the FA Exception’s Panel (Immigration) and Kent Football Association Council member. 

Hannah Crane - Director of People and Partnerships for the national charity, StreetGames. Hannah brings 15 years of community sport experience, specialising in skills and training and most recently led the review of StreetGames approach to youth development setting the direction of the next strategy period. Hannah has 20-plus years of experience in the volunteering sector and is County Commissioner and Chair of Trustees for Girlguiding London South-West. 

The new appointments, who will serve three-year terms on the Board, will be tasked with championing the Coalition’s collaborative approach, providing leadership, sharing experience, and ensuring oversight of the collective action of the Coalition. 

The Board renewal and recruitment process was supported by sector-leading organisations in the fields of equality, diversity and inclusion - Sporting Equals, Women in Sport and Stonewall. Additional inputs were provided by Sport England, Activity Alliance and Perret-Laver, the executive search firm.

PASSIONATE

Masha said: “I have experienced first hand the positive impact of sport on individual lives and broader society, and feel deeply passionate about furthering the Coalition’s efforts in creating a platform for change and inclusion. I am thrilled to be joining the Board and look forward to contributing towards progress and results for the Coalition.” 

Bradley commented: “I am excited to be a part of the Coalition. Much of my work is based on the cohesive collaboration of different groups; cultures, organisations and people, to address and affect positive change within our communities. This requires, along with other factors, an empathetic approach to understanding a variety of lived experiences and their subsequent impacts on personal and social development. I am a product of how sport can facilitate those positive changes and hope to add value to a movement that I strongly and wholeheartedly believe in.”  

Hannah explained: “I didn’t have a positive relationship with sport for many years. I have come into the sector and found so much to inspire. But there are many people we don’t reach. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to affect change through a positive organisation like the Coalition whose ambition aligns with my personal values of fairness and trust.” 

The appointment of new Board members is part of a wider governance reform process that has widened the opportunities for organisations and leaders across the Coalition to contribute to the leadership and governance of the network. As of June 2021, 33% of the networks, organisations and groups that make up the Coalition were involved in directing the collective action of the network through a range of steering groups and advisory panels that drive the Coalition’s collective action under the guidance of the Board.  

STRENGTHEN

Andy Reed OBE, Chair of the Coalition, said: “We are delighted to welcome Masha, Bradley and Hannah to the Board of the Sport for Development Coalition, and feel confident their respective skills will serve to strengthen its purpose and mission. 

“I would also like to thank those organisations who have supported the recruitment process. It is fundamental for the Board of the Coalition, and the wider group of organisations who lead and drive our collective action, to better reflect the rich diversity of the communities and people who make up the sport for development movement, and we will continue to work with specialist organisations who can help us to achieve that goal and strengthen the diversity of the network. 

Andy added: “When we commenced our review of governance, I spoke about how we needed to work harder on diversity and inclusion across the sector, including at Executive and Board level, and to become more reflective and representative of society. These appointments represent the first steps on that journey.” 

DIVERSITY

Arun Kang OBE, Chief Executive of Sporting Equals, said: “Sporting Equals is delighted to see the Sport for Development Coalition's appointment of three new Board members, their commitment to gathering greater lived experience and diversity to reflect at Board level is commendable. We at Sporting Equals have been campaigning and advocating for such approaches to be adopted and it is wonderful to see the Sport for Development Coalition embrace and entrench this approach through these appointments. Reflecting the communities we serve at all levels in organisations is instrumental for delivering greater equality and success and we are hopeful that more organisations will also embark on this path. ” 

Stephanie Hilborne, CEO of Women in Sport, said: “Women in Sport really welcomes how the Sport for Development Coalition has approached these appointments.  It is vital that more organisations learn how best to attract women to apply for roles.  As a society we need to recognise the language in job advertisements that attracts women or puts them off, and how to manage the recruitment process in a way that does not inadvertently make it less likely that women will be appointed.” 

The Coalition will be undertaking a further Board recruitment process in early 2022 with additional opportunities to join Coalition advisory panels and steering groups to be announced later this year.