Inspired by the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games last summer, my three years on the Board and my adventures as a novice paddler, I am now truly humbled as a volunteer to be appointed as Chair of Paddle UK, as successor to Professor John Coyne CBE.
I wanted to give you an early sense of how I see my role, leading the Board and engaging with colleagues in our community as the organisation seeks to promote, grow and maintain the integrity and safety of our sport.
Our AGM in March, at which I was appointed, was an exercise in efficiency, but its clinical virtual setting did not allow us to truly convey the commitment and energy that is apparent in our leadership team, staff, volunteers and the paddling community.
As part of our engagement, I am keen that we also have the opportunity to build and renew relationships in-person with members, and so I will be looking at how best we might take this forward, having now fully emerged from the remnants of the pandemic.
I see my role as building and leading an effective Board, which can guide a talented executive leadership team, within a structure of purposeful governance. I will act where relevant as a voice for the sport and as a catalyst for promoting and supporting change.
There is change necessary in order to be ‘future fit’ within a changing environment, whether that be driven by external factors such as technology, funding, regulation, the way sport is consumed or internal factors such as membership mix and commercial strategy.
We cannot eliminate uncertainty so we must have the tools to be agile and be prepared to do things in a different way, to innovate, to be bold and ambitious. We must remember our history and tradition but also be open to new ideas from a new generation.
To sustain and build our sport we must not be fearful of trialling projects but in doing so we must engage fully with our community, work collaboratively and where relevant across disciplines.
The hosting of the ICF SUP World Cup in 2026 on the English Riviera is a fantastic opportunity to learn and develop but also to utilise the skills and experiences from across our sport.
In addition to our staff team, we have a large pool of talented people within our community who we must nurture, empower, encourage and protect.
By investing in people, including our volunteer network, investing in sport development and investing in our clubs and delivery network we will open up the opportunities to drive our ambition and build further a sustainable and growing paddling community.
We have a fabulous platform from which to develop. I am very excited to be leading the Board and look forward to meeting and engaging with many of you.
Chair, Paddle UK