NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR UK ATHLETICS ATHLETES' COMMISSION 2020 ELECTIONS

The election process for four members to join the UK Athletics Athletes’ Commission is now open, and nominations are welcomed prior to the extended deadline on Wednesday, 9^th September 2020.

For four members their term has come to an end, although they are all eligible to continue their work by standing again, however, there is also an exciting opportunity for new members to bring new ideas to the forum and continue the work the Commission have carried out so far.

To be eligible for nomination, applicants must be a current or former athlete having competed for British Athletics in the last six years. The Commission is committed to diversity and inclusion to reflect the sport, so there are requirements of composition for those members elected which are laid out in the Terms of Reference here.

Since its formation in 2017, the 12 members and four ex-officio members abide by the principle of striving to promote a positive and productive relationship between the athletes the Commission represent, and the National Governing Body.

The current Chair of the Athletes’ Commission, Hannah England, commented:

“We would welcome all athletes that can bring a broad perspective of the current athletics landscape. All members are expected to be engaged, open minded and innovative, and be prepared to work collaboratively both within the Commission and with British Athletics.

“As a group, we have been working to establish ourselves in the governance landscape of our sport. It has been great to be welcomed in by so many sectors of British Athletics and across athletics in the UK allowing us to build strong relationships and effectively present the athlete perspective at a level that can drive development and change.

“Personally, being Chair of the Athletes’ Commission has been a massive privilege. Athletics has given me so many wonderful experiences and I’m passionate about ensuring this is the same for other athletes in our sport. It’s been great to learn more about sports governance and try and effectively communicate the athlete perspective in this environment. I look forward to seeing the nominations in the coming weeks.”

Joanna Coates, CEO of UK Athletics, said:

“This is a new era of the sport and we are committed to putting athletes at the heart of what we do. I would encourage all eligible athletes to consider standing for election to the UK Athletics Athletes’ Commission and join the journey as we strive to amplify the voice of our athletes.

“This is an extremely exciting opportunity for the prospective nominees and a very important time to join the Commission, working collaboratively with Hannah and the other members.”

Full Terms of Reference for Commission membership 

Invitations to self-nominate will be circulated to athletes that have competed for GB from January 2014 onwards on Friday August 21^st 2020. You can find the form here. 

Nominations are open until Wednesday, 9th September at 5pm, and following the election procedure, the induction of new members will be in mid-October.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please email athletescommission@britishathletics.org.uk