The Board
The Board of Directors is made up of the following:
Chair of the Board
Helen Phillips is a successful business woman working as a director with a UK multi million pound company with headquarters in South Wales. Helen has over 20 years involvement in the sport as a gymnast, Squad Coach, International Brevet Judge, Area Chair, Technical Committee Member, Spectator Fee Collector and Competition Compère and Organiser.
Helen took the reigns as chair in 2001 and has since built up, with the support of the CEO’s who have held position, a professionally driven limited company with a staffing structure commensurate to the nature of our funding and sports requirements. Helen’s key message is; "it’s about the sport and the opportunities that gymnastics can offer any one, at any level, in any local authority in Wales".
The key role of the Chair is to manage and support the CEO and to guide and facilitate strategic, financial and policy driven discussions at board level between staff and board members.
As well as her role in Welsh Gymnastics Helen is Vice Chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales, Director for British Gymnastics and one of the 10 selected candidates in GB on the Women in Leadership program, an initiative partly funded by British Olympic Foundation, UK Sport, SCW & CCPR.
helen.phillips@welshgymnastics.org
The Technical Director
Andrew Morris is a highly accomplished Olympic and Commonwealth gymnast who represented Wales & Great Britain in numerous National, European and World Championships in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics. Andrew is a fully qualified International Performance Coach in both Men’s & Women’s Artistic and over see’s the technical programme and performance planning and funding for all our technical disciplines.
The National Coaching Panels and Technical Chairs work directly with Andrew at Joint Technical meetings to streamline the processes of performance pathways whilst maximising the funding available.
The Joint Technical Committee also aims to bring consistency across the disciplines in terms of costs, processes and transferable skills between disciplines. Andrew’s acumen as a gymnast and judge gives him the whole picture approach to delivering an athlete centred approach to success in performance.
Andrew liaises with the BG technical staff to ensure that Welsh Gymnastics remains at the forefront of opportunity and training innovation.
The Membership Director
Dorothy Neyland MBE
Since 2006 I have been on the Board of Welsh Gymnastics as Membership Director.
I see my position as a bridge between all the WG members and clubs and the Board and like to think that my role is to pass information from the clubs to the Board and also back from the Board to the members, through the Membership Directorate which I chair. The Membership Directorate is made up of Helen Phillips, Chair, Welsh Gymnastics, Jo Coombs, Head of Performance & Excellence, and the Chairs of the four Areas of Welsh Gymnastics. Together and we meet every three months.
I have always been interested in sport. In 1976, when my children wanted to do gymnastics and we couldn‘t find a club, I started a small after-school gym club called Gowerton Gymnastics Club. The Club grew quickly and in 1987, we moved to our own premises and became West Street Gymnastics Centre where I am still involved. I have never coached, but have been more interested in the admin side. From the early 1980s I got involved in the West Area committee and served in various positions - Chairman, Secretary and Competition Secretary. Since about 1990 I have been a member of the Women‘s Artistic Technical Committee as Competition Secretary and have been responsible for running all Women’s Artistic competitions until the present time.
The Legal & Policy Director, Company Secretary
Nicola Edwards joined Welsh Gymnastics in 2005 shortly after incorporation. Currently a solicitor with Dolman’s in Cardiff, Nicola advises the board on all contractual, legal and policy legislation that WG have comply with.
Fortunately Nicola not only has an expertise in law. Nicola was an International Gymnast and National Judge. After following the process as a gymnast, coach and judge Nicola, who is a mother of 2 with a successful career in law, is an exceptional role model for the gymnasts and youth within our sport.
Nicola has been instrumental in ensuring Welsh Gymnastics conforms to the Sports Council for Wales NGB assurance initiative. This ensures we have a procedure and policy for all eventualities relating to a limited company with strict accountability to its members and funders.
The Finance Controller
David Vickery
The Education Director
Judith Davies is a highly professional educationalist who holds the position as Senior Advisor for Physical Education at ESIS which covers 5 local authorities in Wales. A former teacher, now senior advisor, Judith works with teachers and fellow advisors maximising the efficiency of teaching practices of sport in schools whilst managing the expectation of the government targets for PE in education.
Judith is instrumental in developing the foundation stage of Welsh curriculum and is a key advisor to Sports Council for Wales on PESS – Physical Education in School Sport programme.
This is our newest appointment since September 2008 and one we believe will be able to capture a void of activity, influence education programmes and identify funding opportunities to provide greater opportunities for school children and teachers.
The Development Director
Elaine McNish has been seconded to write the Physical Activity Report for the Health Policy Unit in the Welsh Assembly. Elaine has contributed significantly to our cause and we hope she will re-join us following her current task.
The Commercial Director
TBC
