We are please to announce the appointment of our new Trustee Board.
The Trust appointed specialist recruitment firm, S&you, to support the recruitment of an entirely new Trustee Board following the resignations of the previous Trustee Board in January and February 2023.
During the transition period between the departure of the previous Trustee Board and the appointment of the new Trustees, the Trust worked extensively with the Charity Commission and Torfaen County Borough Council to ensure the Trust continued to satisfy all relevant legal and governance requirements throughout.
Following an extensive recruitment and selection process, the Trust appointed the following to serve as the new Trustee Board:
- Gareth Betts (Curriculum Leader in Sport for Coleg Gwent)
- Susan Griffin (Head of Health and Safety for Salvation Army Trading Company)
- Griff Griffiths (Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust)
- Jessica Hale (Head of Finance for Eramol UK)
- Alex Hunter
- Ed Jones (Lead People Partner, Allianz Insurance PLC)
- David Nash (Director of Strategy and Policy for Engineering Construction Industry Training Board)
- Jennie Owen (Senior Communications Manager for Evoqua Water Technologies)
Accompanying the new Trustee Board will be Councillor Rose Seabourne, who will serve as the appointed representative of Torfaen County Borough Council at all future Trustee Board meetings, in a further demonstration of the strong partnership that exists between both the Trust and local authority.
Further to the appointment of the new Trustee Board, the Trust is also pleased to confirm that David Nash has been appointed as the organisation’s new Chair.
David has over a decade of experience working in policy, strategy, leadership and corporate affairs roles in the public, advocacy and charitable sectors. He is currently Director of Strategy and Policy at the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) - an arms-length government body with a statutory remit to invest in training and skills provision in the engineering and construction sectors.
On becoming the Trust's new Chair, David said:
“I am delighted to have joined Torfaen Leisure Trust and I am looking forward to working with my fellow Trustees and the executive team to enhance the Trust’s sporting and leisure offering to the community.
“I know first hand the passion for sport and leisure that exists here in Torfaen. The Trust is central to this and I, and all our new Board members, are firmly committed to supporting such a vital cornerstone of the community.”
The new Trustee Board was appointed in November 2023 and will be tasked with both setting the future strategic direction of the Trust and supporting the executive team in developing the day-to-day operational and performance aspects of the business. All Trustees are voluntary unpaid positions.
Comment from Chief Executive Officer for Torfaen Leisure Trust, Ben Jeffreys:
“Appointing the new Trustee Board is a significant and symbolic milestone in our quest to continue to transform the fortunes of the Trust.”
“The past twelve months has seen significant yet vital changes made at all levels of the Trust and we are confident that the diverse range of specialities and experience the new Trustees possess will serve as the platform from which we can further develop a modern and effective governance framework moving forward.
“With the continued impacts of COVID-19, high energy costs and pressures on the cost of living, it has been a challenging environment for the Trust to operate within whilst still ensuring we provide value to our customers and stakeholders.
“Notwithstanding this, we remain determined to continue to play a leading role in supporting the sporting, leisure and health ambitions of the communities we serve and the direction of the new Trustee Board will be paramount to ensuring we continue to effectively serve the Torfaen community in the months and years ahead.”
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