The UK has a vibrant and diverse sports sector, encompassing professional clubs, grassroots organisations, and national governing bodies. These organisations are responsible for promoting participation, overseeing competitions, and ensuring the effective governance of their respective sports.
Key issues facing UK sports organisations include:
- Financial pressures and sustainability: Maintaining financial sustainability while supporting participation is a major challenge for leaders.
- Governance and integrity: Recent scandals in various sports have underscored the importance of good governance and ethical leadership. Sports organisations must address issues such as safeguarding, anti-doping, and diversity, ensuring compliance with the Sports Governance Code.
- Digital transformation: The need for digital transformation is growing, with organisations required to adapt to new technologies for fan engagement, operations, and performance analysis. Digital strategies are essential for future growth and sustainability.
Other issues GGI can help with include: commercial pressures and sponsorship, public engagement and grassroots development, inclusion and diversity in participation, athlete welfare and mental health, and safeguarding and protection for young athletes.
GGI offers a range of vital support to help sports organisations cope with the growing pressures they face:
- Governance reviews: Sports organisations are under increasing scrutiny to demonstrate strong governance, particularly those receiving public funding. Independent governance reviews help organisations ensure that their leadership structures are effective, transparent, and compliant with the Code for Sports Governance. We will assess board performance, risk management processes, and accountability mechanisms, providing actionable recommendations to strengthen governance.
- Strategic change support: The sports sector faces many challenges, including financial sustainability, the need for digital transformation, and evolving fan expectations. GGI can help to develop strategic plans that address these challenges, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth. Our consultants help to navigate regulatory changes, improve revenue streams, and enhance stakeholder engagement.
- Leadership development: Effective leadership is critical for sports organisations. GGI offers leadership development programmes designed to equip senior executives and board members with the skills to drive innovation, manage risk, and lead organisational change.
I am extremely proud of the changes we’ve made to our governance processes. We knew we needed to update our approach and reshape the board to embrace different backgrounds and viewpoints – both from inside and outside the game – to help us make good decisions. What we were less clear on was exactly what needed to change and how to change it.
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