082/06
01 June 2006
New Sports Chief For West Midlands
Minister for Sport, Richard Caborn today announced the appointment of Rauf Mirza as the new chair of Sport England's West Midlands Regional Sports Board. A pharmaceutical consultant, founder and vice chair of MBA Staffordshire, Mr Mirza takes over responsibilities from departing chair Derek Anderson CBE.
Mr Mirza will lead existing Board members with the aim of increasing participation and widening access to sport and physical activity in the region through effective community investments.
Through strong regional partnerships established at a county and local level the Board will invest around £22 million over the next three years supporting the priorities laid out in the regional plan 'Sign up for Sport'.
This investment will support the continued development and modernisation of community sports facilities as well as putting more professional coaches, clubs and volunteers into communities with the greatest need.
The Board plays a critical role in helping to shape sport in the region, influencing decision makers and highlighting the important part sport plays in improving health and education, regenerating communities and reducing crime.
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Welcoming Mr Mirza's appointment, Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport, said:
"Mr Mirza's entrepreneurial spirit and visionary character will help drive forward the strong sporting tradition and success that the West Midlands has already experienced. I believe he will make a truly valuable and innovative contribution to Sport England as it works with the Government to get more people in the West Midlands involved in sport."
Lord Carter of Coles, Chairman of Sport England, said:
"Mr Mirza is a valuable appointment to the West Midlands Regional Sports Board, now well established and embracing its role in getting the region active; improving access for local communities and rising talent to quality clubs and coaches.
"As a high profile member of the business community, he will no doubt help strengthen the Board's expertise and enhance the role it will play in ensuring a lasting legacy for all sectors of the community leading up to and beyond the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games."
Mr Mirza said:
"I am delighted to be appointed to be the position of Chair of Sport England West Midlands Regional Sports Board. This is indeed a real challenge but one which I will take on with enthusiasm and determination to make a positive difference. My everlasting passion for sport will ensure I also enjoy this role!"
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Mr Mirza has been an active competitor in a number of sports including representing Staffordshire in Badminton for over 11 years winning many county and national titles. He has represented clubs in high-level league cricket in Staffordshire and Lancashire and he is a club standard squash player.
Notes to editors
1. Mr Mirza's professional background is in senior pharmaceutical management and he has set up his own training and marketing consultancy. He is an active member of the local business community and is the founder and vice chair of MBA-Staffordshire (Minority Business Association) providing support for local ethnic minority businesses. He is also a board member of Stoke-on-Trent Local Strategic Partnership dealing with Government spending on local strategic issues; Vice Chair of Audit Committee and a Governor at the local sixth form college. Mr Mirza previously has run a voluntary youth organisation for young disadvantaged people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds to encourage greater participation in sports. Also, focusing on under achievement in education among BME young people, he set up and successfully ran an innovative project to inspire & encourage greater achievement in life, through mentoring & skills development. He has extensive links with diverse organisations from healthcare and business to community and public sector.
2. Sport England promotes and invests in Community Sport with the aim of encouraging people of all ages to start, stay and succeed at entry level.
3. Sport England has nine Regional Sports Boards (RSBs), each made up of experts from areas such as business, local government, sport, health and education.
4. The Regional Sports Boards were established to deliver on a strategy for the development of sport in each region and to achieve greater local decision-making over the allocation of funding, including the distribution of the Lottery Sports Fund within the regions.
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5. The West Midlands Regional Sports Board covers the West Midlands conurbation and the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
6. The Board works closely in conjunction with Sport England and the Chair can expect to be appointed in due course to the main Sport England Council along with the other regional Chairs on a rotational basis.
7. Since 1994, Sport England has invested more than £2.2bn of Lottery funds into sport across England and around £550 million from the Exchequer.
8. Mr Mirza's appointment is for 3 years and will begin in May 2006. Remuneration for the post is £10,720 plus reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.
9. Current Membership of the West Midlands Regional Sports Board is: Rick Bailey, Karen Bradford, Philip Calcutt, Rev. David Collyer, Trudi Elliott, Nick Gillingham MBE, Professor David Green, Rachel Pavlou, Dr Rashmi Shukla
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