YSF appoint Joe Thompson as Director of Development

Yorkshire Sport Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Joe Thompson as Director of Development.

Joe has 17 years’ experience supporting the physical activity, sport and charity sectors. He has led teams and projects working in partnership to deliver positive social outcomes and improve people’s lives through physical activity and sport.

He joins from the London Marathon Foundation, where he led the charity’s grant making work, overseeing investment of £50m in community sport and physical activity since 2016. This included building the Foundation’s first professional grant making team, developing its first national funding strategy focused on addressing inequalities, and playing a key role in the development of Go! London – the biggest ever community sport fund in the capital focused on young people – in partnership with Sport England and the Greater London Authority.

This was preceded by eight years working for Continuum Sport & Leisure, a consultancy specialising in fundraising, strategy and capacity building to support the physical activity, sport, leisure and public health sectors. This included successful multi-million-pound funding bids, advising on community facility developments across the country, developing collaborative local authority strategies and supporting National Governing Bodies of Sport with the development of their Whole Sport Plans.

“I’m delighted to be joining Yorkshire Sport Foundation at an exciting point in the charity’s development, and with so much positive work to build on across South and West Yorkshire,” said Joe.

“At the same time, we know there is so much more that needs to be done to get people, and particularly children, moving more and benefitting from all the positive health and social outcomes this brings.

“I’m excited to work with the brilliant team at YSF and our partners to help make physical activity and sport accessible, inclusive and fun for all. I bring a passion for sport and physical activity, a focus on positive social change and a drive to support people and communities to move more.

“I’m looking forward to using my experience and skills to work with communities and partners to connect, support and influence across an incredibly vibrant, diverse and impactful sector.”

“Joe will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to our team,” said Nigel Harrison, CEO of Yorkshire Sport Foundation.

“He has worked for organisations that have made a real difference to the communities they work with, and we’re sure he will be asset as we continue to look to do the same in South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.”