Nigel Harrison

Areas of Work

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

Previous Experience

Nigel believes in the power of movement, physical activity and sport to change people’s lives, bring us together and tackle inequalities

As Chief Executive of Yorkshire Sport Foundation he wants to inspire a vision of shared leadership of how groups and organisations plan and deliver ways for everyone to move more and live better in South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

He works on the strategic planning for physical activity across a wide range of local, regional and national partners. In particular, he works with regional and sub-regional partners to ensure sport and physical activity is making its full contribution to addressing a range of health, social and economic matters.

Nigel has over 30 years of experience of working within the sport and physical activity sector. In his early years within sports facility management through to sports development and now working at a strategic influencing level. He has extensive experience in drawing up strategic plans in sport making a major contribution to the sports strategies in many Yorkshire districts. He has also been seconded into several interim roles including CEO of the National Actie Partnerships team and Assistant Director of Bradford Council.

He was the first employee of West Yorkshire Sport in 2001 and was pivotal in creating an alliance between South Yorkshire Sport and West Yorkshire Sport under a single non-for-profit charitable organisation that started in January 2013.

He has held a number of voluntary Board positions including the Active Partnership Board, Chair of Oldham Community Leisure, Yorkshire Netball and is currently on the Board of Europe Netball

Keeping Active

Nigel is fortunate to be able to be active in a range of sport and activity pursuits. He is a regular runner having taken part in half and full marathons in the past, plays football and golf on a weekly basis and competes for his local tennis club. He also walks on a daily basis. He admits to being a season ticket holder of Oldham Athletic having been a lifelong fan.