Sport For Confidence CIC, has appointed five, new, Non-Executive Directors to support the pioneering organisation’s intent to extend national reach and unlock latent potential, making sport and physical activity more accessible to those who face barriers to participation. 
 
Lyndsey Barrett, Founder of Sport For Confidence and lead Occupational Therapist, says. “These appointments mark a hugely significant point in the evolution of Sport For Confidence. Since 2015, when our organisation was formed with just 4 people, we have built a team of over 10 Occupational Therapists who, working alongside highly skilled and inspirational sports coaches across a number of leisure venues in Essex and London, have proved that sport and physical activity provide an ideal setting for the delivery of occupational therapy practice. 
 
“I am extremely proud of what we have built, but we were approaching the limit of what could be achieved within existing parameters. Through the creation of these Non-Executive Director positions, we will expand our knowledge, expertise and network, creating opportunities to open new doors and extend the reach of our services to a much wider segment of the population. 
 
“As part of our core strategy, we support the mobilisation of the Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) workforce, bridging the gap between physical activity and health. AHPs collectively make up the third largest clinical workforce in the NHS and are instrumental in promoting the health of people, communities and populations. We have identified a clear role for this incredibly talented segment of the workforce and, through our model, these health professionals will be empowered to support delivery of both strategic AHP and Sport England outcomes. As a result, we actively sought professionals who share this vision and can steer us towards success. 
 
“As part of our 2-year funding award with Sport England, we have also adopted some learnings from the Code of Sports Governance through open advertising for a skills-based board with a keen eye on diversity and inclusion, whilst being mindful of the ambitions laid out in our new Strategy. We have been completely overwhelmed by the level of interest and professional calibre our appeal for support has generated. Whilst we are only able to select five Directors at this time to continue our journey with us, I would like to extend thanks to everyone who applied.” 
 
The inaugural meeting of the new board will take place virtually on December 16, 2020, and will meet at least quarterly, thereafter. In addition to supporting an aggressive growth strategy in terms of service reach, the new appointments, all of which are stepping into voluntary roles, will increase executive capacity and bolster professional governance. 
 
From December 16 2020, the Sport For Confidence Board will comprise of: 
 
Incumbent Directors 
 
Steve Mitchell, Learning and Skills expert – Executive Chairperson 
Lyndsey Barrett, Sport For Confidence Founder and Lead Occupational Therapist – Director 
Dan Black, Founder of Detail Design Consultants, Director 
Non-Executive Directors 
 
Julia Skelton, recently retired Director of Professional Operations at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists 
Victoria Wells, National Lead for Inclusion and Targeted Interventions at the Youth Sport Trust and head of Governors at a Multi Academy Trust 
Stuart Palma, Head of Allied Health Professionals at NHS England and NHS Improvement 
Dr. Amy-Jo Lynch, Social Psychologist and currently working at the MCC 
James Holloway, retired from investment banking, retrained and is now enjoying a new career in the field of counselling and psychotherapy. 
 
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