The UK sports sector has launched a new campaign aimed at improving the standards of governance in sports organisations. The Voluntary Code of Good Governance for the Sport and Recreation Sector, authored by governing bodies and other experts in the fields, aims to give sport-specific guidance to governing bodies which are seeking to improve the processes and policies which underpin their decision-making. The Code has the support of the entire sector – including the sports minister - and, while no single body will force its principles on sports bodies, the Sport and Recreation Alliance will be working with its members to encourage take up.
Sport and Recreation Alliance chair Brigid Simmonds OBE believes that it is high time guidance tailor-made for the sector was created.
“We hear a lot about how sport could be better governed but it’s difficult to apply principles developed for the private sector or for charities to sports organisations. That’s why we’ve worked with the sector to produce the voluntary code.
“A few sports bodies come in for some stick for their governance but, like every sector, there are some organisations which are beacons of great governance and others which could do more. The Code is aimed at all of those organisations and we want it’s principles to become recognised as the benchmark of success.”
Timothy Dutton QC, who led the inquiry into the World Class Payments Bureau, has applauded the move:
“Following on from my work on the Sport England enquiry and the concerns my report raised about good governance, I am delighted to have been asked to be involved in the Code. Any initiative which improves the governance of the sector for the better nurturing of sport is welcome, and the Code, having been drawn up by sport for sport, is particularly so.”
Lisa Wainwright, a member of the expert working group which drew up the Code, believes it can make a genuine contribution to the performance of the sector.
“The words ‘good governance’ are enough to turn a lot of people off but what they should understand is that it’s simply about formalising processes which many organisations already use as a matter of common sense. If you put the right processes and policies in place it increases the chances of making good decisions and reduces the chances of making mistakes – it really is as simple as that.”
Notes to editors
• The Voluntary Code of Good Governance for the Sport and Recreation Sector was drafted by an independent governance stakeholder group chaired by Alliance director and former England Netball chief executive Pauline Harrison
• The Code’s development has been supported by the Sport and Recreation Alliance in cooperation with the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association, Birkbeck, University of London, SkillsActive, Sport England and UK Sport
• The Code is designed to provide specific governance guidance to sports bodies including governing bodies and county sports partnerships.
• Following its launch, the Code is being promoted via a series of events and rich content provided on a dedicated section of the Sport and Recreation Alliance website.
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