Goalball UK has made a high-profile business appointment by naming John Grosvenor – former senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers – as its new chair.
In a statement, the governing body for the only Paralympic sport said the recruitment was part of plans to "be self-sufficient in order to support the grassroots and elite development of the sport".
According to Mark Winder, CEO of Goalball UK, Grosvenor will bring a "great deal" of experience as the organisation looks to grow incomes streams from non-public sources.
“John’s decades’ of experience at the highest level of business is going to be invaluable in founding new relationships and securing the partnerships that can allow us to grow the sport," Winder said.
“We have fantastic support from the likes of Sport England, but it is crucial that we are able to consistently deliver for players at all levels of the game – as well as giving our GB and talent pathway athletes an assurance that the only limit is their ambition.
“I’m really looking forward to working with John in the coming years to transform even more lives.”
Commenting on his appointment, Grosvenor said he already has a "strong personal connection with goalball."
"My nephew plays for Winchester goalball club and has been in the GB development squad," He said.
“When he found goalball he said it literally changed his life. Playing sport has many advantages in terms of learning to be a team player, gaining leadership skills and the fantastic sense of community and camaraderie that it offers.
“When you have a disability it can be hard to gain these benefits but goalball has been a very positive influence on my nephew’s life.
“I’m looking forward to working with the board, staff and volunteers to develop new strategies to allow goalball to reach as many VI people as possible and get the GB squads on the Paralympic podium.”
Grosvenor will join the board this month ahead of the end of season tournament in Sheffield on 7 July.
Grosvenor's appointment is one of a series of appointments to the board, as Goalball UK looks to secure the long-term growth of the sport.
Peter Elliott, former Olympic middle-distance runner, has joined the NGB to focus on developing talent and elite performance as well as issues around athlete welfare.
Steve Ferres, formerly of the Bradford Bulls, recently started as business development manager to identify partnerships and opportunities for income generation as well as developing existing revenue sources.
Steve Cox, an experienced coach and sports educator, was appointed to develop a new volunteering strategy to support and enhance the experience of the existing volunteer workforce as well as increasing the number of opportunities to be involved in the sport.
