Active Black Country Partnership Update

As a valued stakeholder & partner we wanted to provide you with an update regarding the Active Black Country partnership.

2023 was a significant year of change for Active Black Country, as we left the hosting relationship with Black Country Consortium Limited & established Active Black Country as an independent organisation.

As a result there have been some changes to our board & executive team.

We are delighted to announce that Jerry Page & Steph Chamberlain have joined the Active Black Country Board as Non-Executive Directors.

Steph has over two decades of experience in project management and consulting, working with iconic brands like Channel 4, the BBC, Jaguar Land Rover, the Scouts, the UK Home Office and Age UK.

As a business owner from the region, she not only brings a wealth of commercial insight but also a diverse network of partnership opportunities.

Steph is passionate about the goal of the organisation to empower the local community in uplifting the residents mental and physical health through sport and exercise.

Jerry is a Compliance, Risk and Governance (CRG) specialist and a senior financial services professional, working for a range of organisations including Mercedes-Benz Retail Group UK Ltd.

With an extensive background in risk management & governance Jerry will chair the Active Black Country Audit, Risk & Compliance committee.

Jerry believes in the benefits of physical activity as it feeds mental wellbeing and a healthy body.

Amanda Tomlinson – Active Black Country Chair said:

“I am delighted that Steph & Jerry have joined the Active Black Country Board. They bring fantastic skills, knowledge & experience to the Black Country Active Partnership, and will help provide the executive with the support & challenge required in the coming years. Both Jerry & Steph clearly demonstrate their passion & belief in the benefits of getting people more physically active”

A restructuring of the executive team has seen the creation of a number of new positions including two new director roles to lead the partnership & impact directorates respectively.

Lesley Hill has been appointed to the position of Director of Partnerships with Mike Salmon appointed as the Director of Impact.

We have recently welcomed the below colleagues to the Active Black Country team over the past few months:

• Helen Milanes Tidmarsh - Business Operations Manager
• Mohammed Loonat - Community Aquatics Programme Lead
• Arshad Siddat - Community Connector
• James Tolorunshagba - Programme Officer
• Jodi Adams - Active Communities Strategic Lead

All new colleagues have shared their thoughts on joining Active Black Country;

Helen Milanes Tidmarsh: ‘Having worked in operations and HR for many years in the commercial world and having lived in the Black Country for most of my life, I am thrilled to now be part of the Active Black Country team; ensuring that all of ABC’s internal operations run smoothly, while be able to support a fantastic team in their mission to get people in the Black Country active.’

Mohammed Loonat: ‘Joining the Active Black Country team has given me the unique opportunity to work in Community Development and Swimming, two things that I am very passionate about. The team have been very supportive in helping me settle into my role and I am looking forward to increasing participation in aquatics across the Black Country.’

Arshad Siddat: ‘It is exciting times to work for ABC, having newly formed as a charitable organisation I fully believe in their vision and strategies. My goal is to create a vibrant self-sustained community by investing into the residents of Sandwell. We should involve local partners within a neighbourhood to come together with local people to identify and work on the issues that matter most to them. Successful partnerships paves ways for organisations to attract each other’s potencies, it will help thrive businesses together rapidly and efficiently. ABC principles aligns to this, and I want to be a part of shaping this journey.’

James Tolorunshagba: ‘Joining ABC has been an exciting experience for me. From the warmth of the team members to their technical capacity down to the integration of the team with the grassroot communities that they seek to impact. I look forward to the being part of this journey to an active healthier region.’

Jodi Adams: ‘Having worked with Active Black Country for several years in previous roles, I am now really pleased to be joining the ABC team as the Active Communities Strategic Lead and looking forward to working with partners, agencies, and community organisations to create local opportunities that support people in being active’

Ian Carey CEO of Active Black Country said of the new appointments: ‘I am delighted we have been able to secure some really great people through our recent recruitment. All of our new colleagues joining the team will help Active Black Country grow and develop, playing an important role in creating a future Black Country where all ages, abilities and backgrounds are able to be active, move more and play sport’

Some people have also left Active Black Country during this period and in December & January we bade farewell to Leah Goode who worked as our Education Programme Lead, and Joanne Dodd who fulfilled the role of Workforce Lead since 2019.

All of us at Active Black Country wish Leah & Jo the very best for their future careers. For further information on our executive structure please click here or visit the About Us page on our website.