David Walsh
Wellbeing Champion
community development manager
David first got involved in sports volunteering at a community doorstep sports session that was taking place in Derby City. After showing commitment and excellent delivery along with a great compassion for young people, David was taken on by Ben Rigby as a Sports Coach. David is very keen on fitness and nutrition, being qualified to Level 3 Advanced Fitness and Nutrition. David also raises funds for charities including Macmillan Cancer Support through long distance running events. David was recognised as UK Coaching 'Children's Coach of the Year for 2017.
David Walsh is also Sporting Communities' Wellbeing Champion. As a Wellbeing Champion it's David’s job to improve the wellbeing of Sporting Communities colleagues and participants.
Nick Kelly
Staffordshire and Cheshire Development officer
Nick has a background in developing services within the business sector. Helping to grow and sustain businesses including Granflex Roofing and Alsager Oven Clean. Nick's passion for sport and communities finally led him into sports coaching and developing community services in 2014. Since then Nick has taken on the role of Staffordshire and Cheshire Development Officer and takes responsibility for developing and co-ordinating projects across both counties.
Ed Chrayah
Derbyshire Development Officer
Ed first found his passion through coaching after playing badminton from a young age. Then developing on to work at Derby College on a Sport England project, tackling inactivity for all students, in particular those who are harder to reach. Ed is also a qualified Personal Trainer. He has now taken on the role of the Derbyshire Development Officer at Sporting Communities and will be focusing on developing opportunities for young people and BAMER communities.
David Richards
Insight and evaluation officer
David is a former Staffordshire University student, graduating with First Honours. Following work experience and working as a Community Coach and Development Officer with Sporting Communities, David has become the Insight and Evaluation Officer. He has a natural ability to understand and evaluate impact alongside a real enthusiasm for community development.
Sam Rhodes
Family Support Worker
Sam has recently graduated from University as a qualified Family Support Worker. She first came into contact with Sporting Communities while on placement from Derby University, valuing the companies ethics and philosophy, so much that she wanted to stay on and become part of the Sporting Communities team. She then worked with us to develop our family support arm so that we can better serve the families that we are working with.
Dave Smith
Workshop Facilitator
Dave is a former GB bobsleigh athlete. Having spent a number of years competing, he made the transition into high performance coaching, helping other athletes across a number of different sports with strength and conditioning to improve their performance and wellbeing.
Adrija Pal
Marketing Officer
Adrija first became involved with Sporting Communities through Keele University's Internship Scheme as an Assistant Community Development Officer. Whilst Adrija studies Biomedical Science, she has a talent for utilising social media and other marketing tools to maximise the awarenesses of Sporting Communities' projects.
Emma MacLennan
Creative Engagement Officer
Emma is an actor, facilitator and yoga teacher. She specialises in puppetry and creating theatre for young people. As well as touring the world with stage shows - from London’s West End to Asia and the Middle East, Europe and right the way across America - Emma has also worked on films for Disney and Warner Brothers, and voices animations for the BBC. In 2018 Emma won ‘Best Female Character Performance’ at the One Voice Awards, a worldwide platform for voice artists. She is a regular collaborator on enrichment projects for theatre companies such as Punchdrunk and Kit Theatre, and has worked on a number of public engagement commissions for venues such as Kensington Palace, the Southbank Centre and the Science Museum.
Richard Booth
Creative Engagement Officer
Richard is passionate about live theatre and performance. As a member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, he has been a professional Actor, Puppeteer and Voice Over Artist, since graduating from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2009. Since then his career has taken him all over the world, touring the UK, Europe, Russia, the Middle East and North America, and included work on stage, opera, film, radio and computer games. He is an Associate Artist of the critically acclaimed Flabbergast Theatre and specialises in the creation of new work. Richard has helped in the development of several productions for stage, film and TV, collaborating with Plan B and Kate Bush as well as starring in the National Theatre's West End production of 'War Horse'. He has taught theatre and puppetry at Mountview, East 15, Pineapple Dance Studios, West End Workshops, the Actors Centre, and schools and community centres all over the country. Richard has also trained puppeteers and acted as puppetry adviser at such theatres as the Bolton Octagon, Plymouth Theatre Royal, and Citizens Theatre Glasgow.
Danielle Pointon
community engagement officer
Danielle started as a participant on one of Sporting Communities community sports sessions. Having internal conflict due to physical injury and constant peer pressure to make poor choices, Dani opted instead to get involved in volunteering for Sporting Communities. 4 years on, Dani is a lead Community Coach and has been recognised on a local and national front for her extraordinary, life changing journey. In 2016 she won the CYPNow Children's Achievement Award. She is an inspiration to many young people, in particular vulnerable young girls and now develops projects that connect community members together.
Gerome Palmer
Youth Engagement Officer
Gerome first came to Sporting Communities as a young semi-professional footballer wanting to gain some work experience during his off-season. Training to be an architect at University, he gained a strong passion for community development and decided to change his career path into the social field.
Alex Wilkinson
Community Ambassador
Alex is a Sports Psychology student at Loughborough University, currently on a 12 month placement with Sporting Communities. Alex is a keen marksman who has represented England within the Olympic Skeet team. He has a passion for supporting children to achieve their potential.
"I chose to complete a work placement with Sporting Communities to gain valuable and hands on experience within including sports coaching, community engagement and events planning. From the very start of my placement Sporting Communities have valued my input and ideas, making me feel welcomed and a part of the team. The staff show great desire to improve the work that we offer and there is a highly supportive network within the company. Sporting Communities provided specific training to enable me to develop new skills and gain confidence to lead on a diverse range of projects. I look forward to the rest of my placement with an aim to carry on supporting communities and offering activities to better the lives of others."
Sandy
Sandy is Sporting Communities' mascot. She loves inspiring children to be creative and active.
Her favourite hobbies include playing games like chase, especially after a ball, and making friends with new people.
If you want to speak to our board members, please get in touch.