Chair of Water Polo Leadership Group

Swim England is striving to create a happier, healthier and more successful nation through swimming and aquatic activity. We strive to inspire everyone to enjoy the water in the way that suits them. As the recognised national governing body for swimming, artistic swimming, diving and water polo in England, we help people learn how to swim, enjoy the water safely, and compete in all our sports.

Swim England is an incorporated company with charitable status. Our subsidiary businesses are wholly owned companies which are commercial – profits are passed up to Swim England for investment into our charitable aims.

Volunteers form the backbone and heart of our Swim England family. They support our clubs, events and programmes across the country and they help ensure our aquatic sports grow and thrive. Our volunteers are our biggest asset and their contribution is invaluable. To find out more about volunteering for Swim England, please visit our volunteering page.

Are you passionate about Water Polo in England and want to contribute to the future development of it?

• Do you have knowledge and experience of all aspects of the club pathway from entry level and the British Water Polo League?
• Do you have broad experience of an aquatics club environment?

We are currently recruiting for a Swim England member to become Chair of the Swim England Water Polo Leadership Group on a voluntary basis.

It’s an exciting time to join the group following the success of its current sport specific strategy.  In addition, Swim England’s new 10-year strategy is about to be launched, which will focus on ensuring our aquatics environments promote an open and welcoming culture, with participant welfare at their heart.

As part of the Swim England governance structure, the Water Polo Leadership group reports directly into the Swim England Sports Operations Committee.  It has a sport specific brief including strategic input to the aquatic pathway, providing leadership on technical aspects of the sport and ensuring that the education is in place to support the delivery of the sport.

The Water Polo Leadership Group will be instrumental in supporting the development of the sport and to achieve our ambitious strategic aims. The Group will utilise its collective experience working with the professional team to ensure we successfully tackle inequalities and ensure the culture of our sports is safe and welcoming for everyone.

The Group is comprised of the following leads – Technical Officials, Competitions and Volunteering who are accompanied by the Water Polo Programme Manager and the Head of Development.

What is the commitment?

The Water Polo Leadership Group meets between 4-6 times per year virtually (through zoom), with papers circulated a week prior to the meeting. In recognition of the volunteer status of its members, the group meets in the evening.  

It is expected that Group members attend every meeting where possible, and have had the time to read through papers to support constructive discussion during meetings.

We estimate the total commitment to be approximately 6 hours per month.

Appointments to the Group are usually on a four year term, with the potential for a second four year term if all parties are in agreement.

What can you expect?

Passion and enthusiasm in abundance, diversity of thought and genuine desire to evolve aquatic sports into the future.

To find out more about the voluntary role, download the Terms of Reference for the Group and the person specification from the ‘Job Description’ button.

As this is an unpaid voluntary role, it is unremunerated, yet agreed reasonable expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with Swim England’s expenses policy.

What we’d need from you is:

• To be a current Club Train, Club Compete or Club Support member of Swim England.
• To possess knowledge/experience of elements of Water Polo in areas of club and sport development.
• To be currently active within a club, county or region.
• To bring an open mind, willingness to listen and consider the views and needs of others, whilst constructively challenging the status quo.
• To be able to commit to attending meetings and being an active member of the group.

With inclusion and participant welfare at the heart of this committee, we would welcome applications from candidates that are able to bring their lived experience from underrepresented communities in aquatics, in particular, people from the Black and Asian communities and disabled people.

Previous experience / knowledge of operating in a voluntary capacity at a strategic level would also be advantageous.

If you feel you have the suitable skills and attributes for this position, then we would like to hear from you. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact George Wood, via [email protected].