New Chair for Black Country BeActive Partnership

GP and internationally recognised expedition leader Dr Raj Joshi has been appointed as Chairman of an organisation aimed at increasing sports participation. As the Black Country BeActive Partnership’s new Chairman, Dr Joshi will guide the Board, promote the work of the partnership and become the face of the well-established sports partnership.  Black Country BeActive Partnership is one of 49 government and Sport England funded County Sports Partnerships and provides the sports function of the Black Country Consortium.

Dr Raj Joshi hails from Walsall and brings considerable leadership experience as a GP, working in the military and as an internationally recognised expedition leader.  Dr Joshi was part of the successful leadership team raising money for the 2009 Comic Relief Red Nose Climb, which saw nine celebrities successfully scale the peak of Kilimanjaro to reach the summit of Africa's highest mountain. 

As an active sportsman, recognising sports important role in improving life chances, Dr Joshi said on his appointment: "I understand that we are at a critical time in sport and physical activity with rising levels of inactivity and increased pressures on some of the traditional stakeholders in sport & physical activity such as Local Authorities.  My main areas of focus will be to get stakeholders working better together; leading action needed to get people to be more active as well as promoting the important role sport and physical activity plays to the people and decision makers in the Black Country.  We know we need to raise sport and physical activities game”.

Black Country BeActive Partnership works with and supports more than 1,000 voluntary and community sports groups across the Black Country.  With its main aim of increasing participation in sport and physical activity, the organisation manages many different projects such as Sportivate and the innovative Black Country in Motion programme.  Dr Joshi also has a wide knowledge of the Black Country, its people, geography and visitor economy.  He grew up in and attended school in Walsall.

Andy Webb, the outgoing Chairman, who stood down at last year’s successful Black Country Sport & Physical Activity Awards, has been instrumental in the development of the partnership over recent years.  Mr Webb said "I have enjoyed being Chair of the Black Country BeActive Partnership and steering the Partnership through the organisation of the London 2012 Torch Relay through the Black Country in 2012.  I wish the new Chair the best of luck in what will be a challenging but exciting role”. 

Simon Hall, Director of the Black Country BeActive Partnership is delighted with the appointment of Dr Joshi as Chair.  He said: "We are looking forward to welcoming Dr Joshi to our new Board. He brings a wealth of leadership experience and local knowledge and I know he is very keen to ensure that we increase the number of people leading a healthy, sporting lifestyle across the Black Country.  Dr Joshi will also help us to recruit our new Independent Board members and help steer the partnership’s development over the coming years”.

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The Black Country BeActive Partnership is one of 49 County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) in England working to provide opportunities for people to participate in sport and physical activity across the Black Country.  The team and its partners aim to work together for all in the Black Country through PE, Sport and Physical Activity to inspire a generation to be active.

For more details on the work of the Black Country BeActive Partnership please contact Simon Hall, Partnership Director on 01384 471136.

Black Country Consortium Ltd (BCC Ltd) is a diverse, economic development, intelligence and strategic team working with partners from public and private sectors to steer and support the delivery of the Black Country Strategy on Growth and Competitiveness.  BCC provides strategic support, advice and on occasion leadership across the interconnected key areas for growth within the Black Country.

For media enquiries regarding this announcement please contact Joanne Taylor on 01384 471139.