Carl Hawkes will be the new Chief Executive Officer of Yorkshire Sport Foundation

We are delighted to announce that Carl Hawkes has agreed to become the new Chief Executive Officer of Yorkshire Sport Foundation. 

Carl comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge of the charity sector. He is currently 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.  

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. 

Brendan Fatchett, the Chair of Yorkshire Sport Foundation said: “Over the last two months we have undertaken a very thorough process to recruit our new Chief Executive and we are indebted to our partners who have helped us tremendously along the way. 
 
“We are thrilled to attract someone of Carl's calibre. He has widespread experience of working within a senior role in the charity sector and his passion for the role that sport and physical activity can play in people's lives shone throughout the discussions.  
 
“Carl is an experienced senior leader, who we are confident can lead the organisation to its next stage of development to ensure we can be the best we can be in supporting our partners to tackle the challenges arising out of inequalities across all the communities we serve. 

Carl said: “I’m delighted to be joining Yorkshire Sport Foundation as Chief Executive. Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed the powerful role that physical activity can play in transforming lives not only by improving health, but by helping to build stronger, more resilient communities.  

I’m passionate about the work of Yorkshire Sport Foundation and I believe deeply in its mission and its potential to create meaningful, lasting impact, which is why I’m honoured to lead such a brilliant organisation. I look forward to working closely with our partners to tackle inequality and help even more people experience the life-changing benefits of sport, physical activity and movement.” 

Carl will take up the position on 22nd September with our current CEO, Nigel Harrison, continuing in the role until that date. 

About new CEO Carl Hawkes 

Carl is a multi-award-winning leader in the Third Sector, with over 15 years of experience across higher education, housing, health and charitable operations. He joins Yorkshire Sport Foundation from FareShare UK where he has served as Director of Operations. He led a national operation delivering over 150 million meals annually to more than one million people across the UK.  

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 and is an Associate Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University.  

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.