BRINGING BRITISH SHOWJUMPING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

 

Modernising the sport will involve many changes not least a radical decrease in the size of the Board and the formation of a Sporting Council.

 

The Board will comprise of eight skill based individuals five of whom will be elected by the Membership and appointed as Members’ Directors, one of whom will always be the Member voted Chairman of the Association. During these instrumental changes it is important that continuity is maintained in respect of Performance Strategy and it is with this in mind that the Member voted International Performance Director will retain their position on the Board until 2012 alongside the current Chairman. The remaining three Board Directors will consist of employees of the Association namely the Chief Executive, National Director of Sport and the Finance Director.

 

Sitting below the Board will be a Sporting Council made up initially of the existing Executive Board Members plus regionally/branch elected stakeholders. The purpose of the Sporting Council is to bring forward and develop initiatives for the sport and input into the future strategy of the organisation. The stakeholder groups to be represented on the Council are: National rider, International rider, Show Organiser, Official, Coach and Owners/Volunteers.

Working Parties rather than the current committee structure will be appointed as the need arises and will last purely for the duration of the project required.

 

For best practice, a permanent Audit Group will be appointed whose role is to review the Association’s financial position. This group will consist of one Members’ Director who will head the group, one Member of the Sporting Council and one other independent individual.

 

Elections for the remaining three Members’ Directors positions and vacancies on the Sporting Council will commence shortly after the AGM if these proposals are passed.

 

These proposed changes will give members a better route of communication and greater involvement in initiatives being considered whilst also having in place a skill’s based Board to ensure the governance of their Organisation. The Membership should be re-assured that with these proposed changes they are still very much in control of the sport via the pivotal role the Membership will play in electing individuals at both Board and Sporting Council level that can add value in strategically directing the sport forward whilst assisting with national delivery of objectives.