Charlie Beauchamp Access Sport Founder Expand Sports marketer Charlie Beauchamp founded Access Sport in 2004 with the help of former England Rugby Captain Phil de Glanville and full-back Jon Callard. Their goal was to encourage grass-roots youth participation in sport through the existing network of clubs, in partnership with major corporations wanting to align their brands with (and invest in) community sport. The focus was to help the army of volunteers to grow participation through selecting clubs that had the ambition and ability to grow.
Grace Clancey Honorary Patron Expand Grace has 20 years’ experience working in the sport and leisure sector in a variety of different roles. After several enjoyable years working at Sport England, in 2001 Grace co-founded leading leisure consultancy business, Continuum Sport and Leisure Ltd – where Grace currently acts as the Company Director. Grace specialises in working with clients on insight gathering, strategy and policy development, grant funding and facilities planning. She has notable experience of working with National Governing Bodies of sport, clubs, the education sector, local authorities, charities, and the private sector. Grace was a Trustee of Access Sport from 2012 - 2020 and is also a Trustee of Goalball UK. Grace Clancey, Linkedin
Greg Searle MBE Honorary Patron Expand Winning gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and Bronze in London 2012, Greg is a globally recognised British Olympic rower. He also holds one World Championship gold, three silver and three bronze. In addition to Greg’s sporting accolades, he is the author of ‘If Not Now, When?’ and regularly takes the stage as an inspirational speaker. His involvement with charities extends far beyond sport, as he delves into areas such as medical research to help prevent illness in children. Greg is Access Sport’s head Ambassador and was made an Honorary Patron in 2018 due to his support and commitment to changing the lives of disadvantaged young people through sport. He has been working directly with team members on development and fundraising.Furthermore, Greg regularly leads our annual dinner events. "I support Access Sport because it sits close to my personal values. I was fortunate to have access to great sports facilities as a kid. My parents were great role models for me and I met many great people through sport. I now try to give my own kids the same opportunities but I know many young people aren’t so lucky. By supporting Access Sport I hope I can do something to help." Greg Searle, Linkedin
John Baker Honorary Patron Expand John is a retired lawyer and one of Access Sport Bristol’s longest-standing Board members. He has supported the charity for many years, offering invaluable legal insight and strategic guidance as Access Sport has expanded its work across the city. John's long-standing commitment to social impact and his deep connection to Bristol have made him a key figure in the charity’s local development. Passionate about creating equal opportunities for all young people, he continues to champion Access Sport’s mission to make sport more inclusive and accessible to those who need it most.John Baker, Linkedin
John Clark Honorary Patron Expand John Clark is a leading executive within the global video games industry. Currently Vice President of Partnerships at Chinese technology and entertainment company Tencent, John was previously Executive Vice President of Publishing at SEGA Europe. John advises Access Sport on its partnerships with the video games sector and is a member of the Income Generation Committee.
John Sarsby Honorary Patron Expand John is a retired Chartered Accountant having worked with the Charity since it's inception and became a Trustee in 2009. John is the Trustee Treasurer and is responsible for overseeing the Charity's finances. John was made a patron in 2020.
Keith Wishart Honorary Patron Expand Keith is currently a consultant for Lane4 having previously been International Managing Director for Thomas International. He plays a key role on the Access Sport Dinner Committee as well as being on the Income Generation team. Keith Wishart, Linkedin
Matthew Dawson Honorary Patron Expand Matthew is an IT Director and a father of two young children. In his spare time he is an endurance athlete and has supported Access Sport since 2013 when he first raised money completing his English Channel solo swim. Matthew truly believes that sport can change lives and that it should be a basic right for everyone from all backgrounds. The work Access Sport does to provide the opportunity to get disadvantaged children active and involved in sport, as well as working with local communities to build sustainable clubs is exactly what is needed to help combat many of the social problems of today. In July 2017 Matt was invited to be an Honorary Patron of Access Sport to recognise and celebrate his incredible support. Matthew Dawson, LinkedIn
Tim Jones Honorary Patron Expand Tim is a former managing partner of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, also working as HRH Prince Charles’ Ambassador for ‘Responsible Business in London’, between 2010 – 2012. Tim was also the former legal adviser to London 2012 and General Counsel to England 2015 for the Rugby World Cup. Tim works as a Trustee for a selection of charities, aiming to improve opportunities and increase safety across London - in our case this is through sport. Tim served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Access Sport from 2016 until 2020, overseeing significant growth and enhancements to the charity’s governance; having completed his trustee term in Spring 2020 he continues to support the charity as an Honorary Patron. Tim Jones, Linkedin