Board Recruitment 2026

Chris Jones

Election Address to Members:

I was born into a family steeped in community volunteering and I was signed into my local sports club aged 3 weeks old; the future was set and a lifetime in sport was assured.

I understand the important role of volunteers in community sport and the organised structures that are essential to develop inclusive opportunities for participants of all backgrounds, whatever ability, demographic, or aspiration. Sport plays a vital role in uniting communities, forging friendships, disciplines, breaking down barriers, and helping to create a safe space for people to sometimes be okay not to be okay. These virtues have stayed with me throughout a career in sport but also running parallel to this, volunteering in sport as a coach, administrator, committee member, non-executive director, and trustee for over 30 years.

If I were elected to the Board of the SR&A then I would proactively apply my professional sector experience and deep understanding of local community sport and recreation to further strengthen the campaigning role that the Alliance plays in nurturing, protecting, and strengthening our sector. We are at an important juncture for the sector – one that is opportunity rich but not without risk. We need to ensure that sport and recreation is at the heart of this and future government policy and decision making. We need to further celebrate and champion the role that sport can play in shaping and changing lives and impacting broader society – uniting communities and helping to make our nation healthy and inclusive in all forms.

Skills and Experience

I have been CEO of England Athletics for 14 years. I am a senior leader in the sector who has been fortunate to work with some wonderful colleagues during this time, both within the organisation but across the sector. I have experience of organisational design, strategic planning and delivery planning, participation and performance sport, risk management, people leadership and cultural/values setting.

Prior to my current role I have fulfilled various development roles within athletics but across the sector in both executive and non-executive positions. I have worked previously for Sport England, in project management at a regional and national level, in local government sport and leisure management, and in developing opportunities for young people to enjoy sport in the school and community setting. I have served as a tutor for NGB qualifications, as a community coach in local club sport, as a committee member at my own sports club, and fulfilling further volunteer roles in areas such as fundraising, secretariat and chair positions. I have previously served as a NED for Welsh Rowing, Cambridge Cricket Board, and my local Active Partnership. I am also a founding trustee for the England Athletics charity Personal Best Foundation. I have played sport at a relatively high level having represented several counties at cricket as a senior, the MCC, and my local club. I have also played rugby to a good level and am still actively involved as a volunteer in the local club game.

I believe that beyond my sector leadership experience as detailed above, I have further skills and knowledge in important areas such as equality and diversity, rural affairs, community development, commercial, and public speaking.

Please set out how you will balance the commitment of being a Board member of the Alliance with your current role

The two roles are complimentary and mutually beneficial. I am actively engrained in the sector day to day so this lived experience will only complement the role on the S&RA board as I bring this practical and lived experience from my commitments as a professional and volunteer to the table. I also am involved heavily with the newly formed NGB Coalition so am talking with colleagues and peers regularly about the opportunities and challenges facing sport as a sector which will be important in shaping the ongoing work of the Alliance.

What do you think may be the next big challenges affecting the sport and recreation sector in the next three years? And what role do you think the Alliance should be playing?

• Safeguarding community and performance sports facility stock in the sector – particularly for those sports and activities where asset ownership is limited and the dependence is great upon local authorities, schools, universities and colleges who themselves faced a backdrop of public sector funding challenges – protecting places where we play/take part both indoor and outdoor is fundamentally important to participation.
• Continuing to work proactively to break down inequalities and barriers to sports participation amongst underrepresented groups – school sport is important in this regard.
• Building a healthier nation through the power of sport and recreation, ensuring that sport is at the heart of government policy and lobbying for further investment, unlocking other government department funds to support the work that sport does – prevention first to avert more investment in cure.
• Bringing more global major sporting events to our nation – supporting NGB and UK Sport/Government to host major events that serve as an inspiration to unite the nation, to boost our economy, and to build stronger communities.
• Proactively shaping and influencing future government sports strategy.
• Understanding how AI will shape and inform sport and how people(s) participation habits are shifting/digesting their sporting experience in a world that is fast changing, uncertain, and evolving. How do we adapt as a sector and what does the futures agenda look like with this in mind?

The S&RA plays an important leadership role across research, lobbying, campaigning, educating, evidence gathering etc in raising awareness of these issues but in also leveraging influence to unlock resources – representing and championing the work of the sector. Partnership working is central to all of this effort. The S&RA has an important leadership and coordinating role to play in all of these areas.

Lynn Robinson

Election Address to Members of the Alliance

I’ve undertaken extensive and senior volunteering with the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), Mountain Training UK&I, Climbers Against Cancer, and Blackdog Outdoors. This, combined with my NHS management roles, especially in Public Health, has led to an understanding and evidence-based knowledge on the positive impact sport and recreation has on people. All these organisations have a strong commitment to improve diversity and equality and understanding the needs of under-represented groups. This has involved Parliamentary links and lobbying on legislation.

Having read the Strategic Plan I know my senior professional and voluntary background align with its stated objectives.

I have a working knowledge of the SRA. Firstly as a BMC President, which including SRA Director training. Also from awareness of the work of the organisation and its Awards, where I have attended Community Sport and Recreation Awards. I am impressed and motivated by the breadth and depth of organisations and initiatives that are supported by the SRA.

I have spoken to the current CEO and the President of the BMC regarding this application and they are in full support, and welcoming someone on the SRA Board who could represent the Outdoor Pursuits and Recreation sector, alongside the wider activity community.

I am driven by a genuine determination to make a positive contribution to the SRA and its work. I want to use my professional and volunteering experience to work as a Director and I believe I can positively contribute to its growth and successful delivery of its Strategy. 

Skills and Experience

I have detailed working knowledge and understanding of not-for-profit voluntary sector organisations and sports governance, gained through four-years’ experience of being a Director of the BMC and being a current Director of Mountain Training (MT) UK&I and as a Trustee of three Charities. I work to the role and responsibilities of those organisations and fully understand the responsibilities that this brings.

Organisational
I am a methodical planner and I am able to plan and organise a broad range of complex activities, formulating and adjusting plans, implementing new ways of working and facilitating collaborative working.

Leadership
I’ve demonstrated leadership in aspects of all these organisations. A personal highlight was developing the equality agenda within the BMC which led to it being assessed and successfully achieving the Sport England Intermediate Equality Standard (which assisted in developing wider diverse input).

In both my paid and volunteering work I have led on a large number of important meetings and dealt with serious problems and emergencies in an appropriate and professional way.

Influencing, listening and highly developed interpersonal and communication skills

As BMC President I worked with and formed effective working relationships with many other organisations. I have a record of influencing a range of stakeholders, nationally and internationally including: BMC members, landowners, MPs, professional experts and the media, understanding competing issues and priorities. I have excellent negotiation and influencing skills. I am able to put people at ease.

Governance
During my time working as an NHS manager, I gained working knowledge of governance structures. In my final job, before retirement, I worked on the COVID-19 vaccination programme. This involved working with NHS Region, vaccine supply and distribution, partner organisations; all within financial and clinical governance frameworks.

I’ve had governance roles in all my senior volunteer positions, including developing a new BMC structure and Articles of Association, in liaison with Sport England, whilst I was the Vice-President and President.

Risk Management
I have significant experience in Risk Management, both in my professional and Board positions. I am the current Director lead on Risk Management on the MT UK&I Board.

Volunteering Strategy Development
As BMC President I developed ideas and policies in relation to expanded recruitment, retention and reward of volunteers. This included developing a BMC Volunteering Strategy, during which time I proposed and implemented a revised award and recognition scheme for BMC volunteers helping to improve recognition of the considerable contributions of diverse volunteers.

Please set out how you will balance the commitment of being a Board member of the Alliance with your current role

I retired from paid work in May 2024, after working for 35 years in the NHS.

In addition to my Directorship and Trustee roles, I am currently a member of International Working Group, Women & Sport Global Summit Committee. The Summit is taking place in July 2026. Some of my Director and Trustee roles will be coming to an end in early 2027, as will some of my smaller areas of volunteer contribution. Therefore I feel I have the necessary capacity to contribute fully to a position on the SRA Board.

What do you think may be the next big challenges affecting the sport and recreation sector in the next three years?