Meet the people who decide the future of Danes Camp Leisure Centre

Paul Varnsverry

The names of the people who will determine the future of Danes Camp Leisure Centre have been revealed this week.
Among those who will sit on the board of trustess of the new Northampton Leisure Trust are West Hunsbury Councillor Paul Varnsverry and David Pope, a former assistant headmaster at Campion School in Bugbrooke.
The Trust, which will launch on April 1, is being formed to safeguard the future of Northampton Borough Council's leisure facilities, which would otherwise come under threat from cuts aimed at reducing costs across the authority. The non-profit organisation, which will benefit through business rate relief and will be exempt from VAT, will manage sports centres throughout the county, including Danes Camp in Mereway, East Hunsbury.
Lings Forum, the Mounts Baths, the Forum Cinema and the sports and play development programme will also come under the control of the board of 11 trustees, who will work with the executive management team to guide the new organisation.
Cllr Varnsverry, who is also the borough council's portfolio holder for sport and leisure, said: "It’s a vote of confidence in the new trust that such a wealth of talent has come forward to be involved in taking sports and leisure services in Northampton into a new era.
"We are delighted to have attracted such a high calibre of people to the Northampton Leisure Trust Board and I am sure that they will bring with them a great level of expertise and commitment that will see standard, which are already high, rise even higher."

The new trustees are:

Professor William PopeChair of NHS Northamptonshire, William Pope is a Visiting Professor at both the University of the West of England and the University of Gloucester and is currently a member of the Postgraduate Programme Advisory Group for the Integrated Waste Management Programme at Cranfield University.
He is chief executive officer of biotech start-up Microbial Solutions Limited, a non-executive director of the East of England Development Agency and also has his own business developing health, safety and environmental technologies and companies, advising those in the process of developing companies in these and other industrial sectors. He is a co-founder of the Centre for Health & Wellbeing Research at the University of Northampton and member of the Steering Board, and is also member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Sustainability, Health and Environment.

Vicky Robertson
Local to Northampton, Vicky is a communications and marketing professional and is the director of Write on Message Ltd. She is also a UKCC Level One Triathlon Coach and, on a voluntary basis, an assistant coach for the growing junior section at the Northants Tri Club. 

Douglas IlesDouglas is a commercial lawyer and one of four owners of Dunham Solicitors. He is a director at Northants Cricket and a member of the Executive Management Committee of the club. He is also the company secretary and legal advisor to North Northants Development Company Ltd (NNDC) and the 2011 Club Captain at Good Connections Golf Society in Kettering.

Martin SawyerMartin, who is local to Northampton, is the managing director of Brandon Survey Ltd and has many years’ experience as a surveyor. Outside of the working day, he is the vice chairman of the Northants Squash and Racket Ball Association. In 2004 and up to 2009, Martin was the chairman of Lings Squash club, setting up and giving direction to the newly formed club based at Lings Forum Leisure Centre. Hen is now the club’s secretary.

Andrew EllisAndrew is the director of Business Banking at Royal Bank of Scotland.

Chris HolmesChris is director of Northamptonshire Sport. Prior to this, he was sports development manager at NCC. He has a long background in sport and is a volunteer at his local triathlon club, organising training sessions, planning and setting up events and recruiting new athletes.

John DelahuntyJohn is the acting managing director at Minster General Housing Association. For the last two years, he has been a Trustee at Blackthorn Good Neighbours, a charitable organisation delivering community activities and Children’s Centre services.

Richard PowellRichard is a Principal for MacIntyre Hudson LLP, Northampton’s largest firm of Chartered Accountants and an ambassador for Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited.

David PopeDavid is a former assistant headteacher at Campion School, Bugbrooke. He loves his sport and is the founder member and now President of Bugbrooke RFC. David is the Life vice-president of England Schools Athletic Association and has organised many regional and national competitions. He has been a coach at the Rugby and Northampton Athletic Club for more than ten years and currently coaches six athletes ranked in the top 30 in the UK. For the last 20 years, David has served on the committee of the Northants Athletic Association. Since June 2010, he has been a Committee Member of the East Midland Rugby Football Association.

Ian Redfern will serve on the Board as interim managing director, while Cllr Varnsverry and Cllr David Palethorpe will represent Northampton Borough Council.