Welcome to our new Trustees

Yorkshire Sport Foundation (YSF) is pleased to welcome three new people to our Board of Trustees.

Rebecca Bibbs is Head of General Practice and PCN Support at Connexus Healthcare. She is proudly born and raised in Barnsley with a degree in Sport Studies and Physical Education from York St John University.

Rebecca is a Chartered Manager with extensive experience in healthcare leadership. After graduating from university, she started her career working for a charity to promote sport and physical activity to improve health.

More recently, Rebecca managed a multi-award-winning Social Prescribing service in Wakefield and in her current role, works collaboratively in the West Yorkshire Health and Care System to improve access and deliver greater benefits to patients.

Mark Winder is CEO of Goalball UK. Goalball is a Paralympic sport for people who are blind or partially sighted.

Mark has lived in Yorkshire since studying in Leeds, where he began his professional career as a teacher. Subsequently, Mark became an advisory teacher for Education Leeds, delivering study support sessions in partnership with the city’s professional sports clubs in Leeds, and eventually leading the entire project. Mark also spent a period in Wakefield working for Wakefield Council, establishing a study centre at venues including the home of Wakefield Trinity, Castleford Tigers and The SnoZone.

Mark later worked in rugby league for both Wakefield Trinity and Bradford Bulls, leading the club’s community activities through associated registered charities, and led the Academies into full-time environments. During his time in Bradford, he was part of the initial group who formed Active Bradford.

Yorkshire-born, Michael Hirst, is Chief Executive of Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL) and has over 32 years’ experience in health, leisure and hospitality management. With postgraduate qualifications in Marketing and Management, Michael uses his experience to develop branded products and services that enable people to feel good.

Michael has helped BPL to become a self-reliant leisure trust which operates across Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, employing over 550 people. Michael is now determined to ensure that leisure venues are at the heart of addressing community health and wellbeing.He is a keen cyclist, and helps his wife run a gymnastics club.

Brendan Fatchett, Chair of the YSF Board, commented: “I am delighted with the appointment of three new Trustees.

“We had a very competitive process and have been able to add three very talented and experienced individuals to the Board.

“They bring new knowledge to the group in areas such as a healthcare, which we felt we needed. I am very much looking forward to working with new appointees.”