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Three new members appointed to our Board

The experienced trio will help set our strategic direction over the next three years.

2nd September 2025

Three new members have been appointed to our Board by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Tom Gribbin, Vaughan Lindsay and Sarah Massey have each been appointed for terms of three years.

Headshots of Sport England Board members Tom Gribbin, Vaughan Lindsay and Sarah Massey.

They join the team – led by our chair, Chris Boardman – who are responsible for:

  • setting and agreeing strategy and policy
  • overseeing the development and implementation of major projects
  • approving all grant awards which exceed £2 million
  • approving Sport England’s Annual Report and Financial Statements
  • overseeing performance management.

Chris is pleased to bring the trio on board as we enter a new phase in the delivery of our Uniting the Movement strategy under a new chief executive, Simon Hayes.

“I’m delighted to welcome Sarah, Tom and Vaughan to the Sport England Board,” Chris said.

“Together, they bring a wealth of experience – from major events to start-ups, to work with national governing bodies and environmental sustainability projects.

“Align that with their own personal experiences of sport and physical activity, they’ll be a great addition to our Board and I look forward to working with them.”

Our new Board members

  • Tom Gribbin

    Tom is an entrepreneurial leader who builds innovative partnerships, high-profile ventures, and campaigns across business, sport, and government. 

    He has over 20 years’ experience in strategy, creative development, commercial, public relations, and behaviour change.

    He is the founder of Planet League, a platform that mobilises sports fans to live greener, and has partnered with Premier League, NFL, NBA, and NHL teams.

    He is one of the founders of the annual Green Football Weekend campaign and has worked with many professional athletes to drive leadership in sustainability and sport.

    Earlier in his career he founded Boost, a digital platform to get young people more physically active, and has worked in the digital innovation sector.

    Tom has taught management and entrepreneurship at UCL, he is trustee of Nottingham Forest Community Trust and recently entered the BIMA Class of 2025, which recognises individuals who are shaping the future of Britain’s digital industry.

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  • Vaughan Lindsay

    Vaughan is a leading professional in profit with purpose businesses and impact investing, with deep sector knowledge of carbon markets and climate adaptation.

    He was the CEO at Climate Impact Partners and is an advisor to a number of businesses and private equity companies interested in the carbon markets.

    Vaughan has over 20 years’ experience in the charity sector and is currently chair of New Philanthropy Capital and the Oversight Trust (dormant assets for public good).

    He is also a keen triathlete and is representing GB (age group) in the world championships.

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  • Sarah Massey

    Sarah is an accomplished leader in the world of sport, with over three decades of experience in sports leadership, global event strategy, and planning.

    She is currently the managing director of the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025, set to be a landmark event for women’s sport.

    Prior to this, Sarah was the CEO of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA and her career spans various roles across Olympic and Commonwealth Games, as well as Cricket and Hockey World Cups.

    She has worked with multiple international and national sports governing bodies across a range of sports globally.

    She firmly believes in the positive impact that sports can have on individuals and communities and actively supports work to reduce the dropout rates of teenage girls, helping them benefit both physically and mentally through staying engaged.

    Passionate about all sports, she is an England representative at age-group Masters for 10km and, as a qualified athletics coach, regularly volunteers at her local club.

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Find out more about our Board

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