Update from Tim Luckhurst, Chair of the Trustees

As you will know, a huge amount of work has been going on in the past few years to ensure correct policies and structures are in place so we can deliver on our three-year strategy which many of you would have seen at the AGM.

However, three of my fellow trustees who have been instrumental in ensuring we meet the expectations of all our stakeholders and the requirements of regulators and legislators, have informed the board that they are stepping down from their roles.

Sandra Verkuyten, Julie Norris and Ian Martin have given many years of professional and personal support to the charity but have explained that increased commitments in their own lives means they cannot continue to commit to being a trustee moving forward.

Sandra, as my vice-chair, was always available and at times, we spoke daily about issues that needed to be discussed and the next steps ​required​. She was a great sounding board for ideas and ​helped me enormously, often with a wicked sense of humour. Even during some of the most testing times, we still managed to have fun.

Ian’s knowledge of disability cricket has been invaluable as we grew the programmes on a national level and he also helped develop our relationship with the players in the England disability cricket squads who we’ve had the honour of playing against and with, during this summer’s Taverners XI cricket matches.

Julie joined us at a very difficult time for the Trustee board and was always a wise voice who brought both great legal advice as well as a pragmatic approach to the options available to us.

I hope you would join all of us in recognising the hard work of all three and from a personal perspective, I’d just like to offer my thanks for all they have done for the charity. All three have played a crucial role in helping to shape the our future strategy and step down at a time with the Tavs in good health and a clear future direction. We have all become great friends and having spoken to them; I know they will continue to support our work and offer help and guidance where they can.

At the AGM it was also announced that Paul Walker will be joining the board and we’re delighted that he brings not just an extensive legal knowledge, but also his role as chair of the North West Region means he will offer valuable insight as to how we can support our regions to an even greater level.

We’re now ready for three new trustees to join the board bringing new lived experience, skills and capabilities that are required to ensure the future success of the charity. That process will be led by the nominations committee who will ensure we have a board that is diverse and has the skills we need to help us empower young people facing inequality to make positive choices, improve their health and wellbeing and achieve positive outcomes. More about this will be announced in due course.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the charity,

Tim Luckhurst, Chair of Trustees