Carl Hawkes

Areas of Work

• Overall responsibility for the development and operation of Yorkshire Sport Foundation.
• Advocating the benefits of sport, physical activity and movement to a wide range of organisations across the region and country.
• Taking a lead on the strategic planning for sport, physical activity and movement across the region. 

Previous Experience

Carl was Director of Operations at FareShare UK, a charity that fights hunger and food waste by redistributing surplus food to over 8,000 charities and one million beneficiaries every year.  

Prior to FareShare, Carl started his career working in Higher Education. From there, he spent several years at South Yorkshire Housing Association, leading a team of employment coaches, occupational therapists and counsellors co-located in health services across Sheffield, all supporting people into employment. Part of that work focused on helping people improve their wellbeing through physical activity and he saw first-hand how transformative that could be.  

In addition to his role at FareShare, Carl is Deputy Chair of the Leeds Community Foundation, overseeing the distribution of grant funding to communities across Leeds. He has held several other board roles across education, health, and community sectors

He is also Deputy Chair of Leeds Community Foundation,  a charity that distributes funding to local organisations across Leeds, helping tackle issues like poverty, mental health, social isolation and digital exclusion.  Carl is also an Associate Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University

Keeping Active

Carl is a committed family man, a keen skier, and can often be found hiking in the Yorkshire Dales with his wife, young son, and their dog.