By Rob Cole
The off-court revolution in Welsh Netball has been completed with the appointment of six new non-executive directors.
The expanded board is the fulfilment of a pledge made following in the wake of a skills-based audit conducted after a change in articles at the AGM in June.
The changes in the boardroom also come at a time of greater recruitment in general staff to help drive the sport forward.
With improved funding from Sport Wales into both their elite development programme (up from £97,026 in 17/18 to £106,500 in 18/19) and their National Body grant (up from £376,462 in 17/18 to £418,045 in 18/19) they are now among the best funded sports in Wales.
A national coach is also being recruited at present, following the successful capture of former Surry Storm director of netball Tania Hoffman to head up the coaching at Celtic Dragons, and they are also looking for coaches, umpires and team managers for the new Under 17 and Under 21 talent centres.
Chief executive Sarah Jones is also currently looking to fill two new full-time posts for a workforce development co-ordinator and events and competition officer.
Rosie Pretorius already heads up the performance department, Ben Williams recently became head of community development and Jones now has a staff of 12 working with her.
The changes to the articles of association voted through in the summer mean Welsh Netball now has seven appointed and five elected directors, rather than previously with five elected and two appointed.
There was a drive to recruit people with specific knowledge bases – communications & marketing, human resources, law, governance and policy, IT and digital – and Jones is delighted with the shape of her new board.
“This decision to expand the number of appointed, non-executive directors marks a revolutionary change in how Welsh Netball will operate,” said Jones.
“The change means we have been able to retain netball specific knowledge and experience that will now be complemented with defined skills-based directors.
“These director roles have never existed on the board of Welsh Netball before and these changes are as a result of a skills-based audit the current board undertook. These changes will modernise the way that Welsh Netball operates.
“They will help us to further deliver on our aims to grow the game and inspire success. Our existing board members are committed and passionate people and, combining this energy with these new skills, is an exciting prospect for the future.
“Our newly strengthened board will ensure positive levels of scrutiny to continue our growth journey through the Governance and Leadership Framework Wales. Furthermore, the newly expanded board will ensure that Welsh Netball is suitably skilled and balanced to drive the sport towards delivering on the Vision for Sport in Wales.”
Kerry McDonald was the first to join the new board when he became Welsh Netball’s commercial director in April 2018.
With more than 14 years’ experience in the sports industry he was a member of the rights holder working group for the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
Rob Rees, operations director at Box UK, will take over the IT and digital role while the position of policy & governance director has gone to Rhian Edwards.
The project manager of Social Business Wales, run by the Wales Co-operative Centre, she has extensive experience of advising boards of directors, trustees, and operational staff on business issues such as governance, legal structures, and commercial and policy development.
Lowri Williams, who has previously worked in the USA and Australia and was player liaison and partnerships manager for The Football Association, will be responsible for the communications and marketing role.
Zoe Grainger joins as HR director and Karen Meggitt, currently operations director with RedKite Solicitors, will be the new legal director.
Mel Hellerman was elected to return to the board at the AGM and will be responsible for community development.
With the boardroom now full to bursting, Jones’ biggest task will be in successfully implementing their proposals.
Many sporting bodies in recent years in Wales have fallen foul of developing highly knowledgeable board rooms without having enough staff to enact their recommendations.
At least the shape of things to come at Welsh Netball looks far brighter than it has been in its recent past.
With a 20% growth in playing numbers in the past two years, and the new ‘Netball Tots’ programme for children aged 3-6 successfully launched this summer, there is real impetus at grass-roots level.
The biggest challenge is in the player pathway area, getting the best talent through to the international and Celtic Dragons levels.
Without more success at the top for both the national side and the Dragons there is a real danger the Super League franchise could disappear and Wales, already forced to look in from the outside at next year’s World Cup in England, could drop further and further down the rankings.
There is plenty for the new board of directors to get their teeth into.