England Athletics CEO Chris Jones appointed to Board of Sport and Recreation Alliance

England Athletics CEO Chris Jones was last week appointed to the Board of Sport and Recreation Alliance at its 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at St James's Palace.

The Sport and Recreation Alliance celebrated its 90th anniversary at St James’s Palace, where members also gathered for the organisation’s 2025 AGM, chaired by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Since 1935, the Alliance (formerly known as the Central Council of Physical Recreation) has protected and promoted the interests of the grassroots sport and recreation sector and membership to government, policy makers and the media. They strongly believe in the transformational power of sport and recreation to positively shape lives and help drive societal and economic growth.

Two new Board members were confirmed at the event - Chris Jones, as well as Chief Executive of ABC Walls, Kath Hipwell.

An Alliance statement said:

"We are delighted to welcome both Kath and Chris to the Board, and look forward to working with them as we look to achieve the goals outlined in our new five-year strategy, A United Voice for Sport and Recreation."

On being appointed to the Board, Chris Jones said:

“Being asked to join the Board of the Sport and Recreation Alliance is a huge privilege and one that I am looking forward to.

"As a member of the NGB Coalition, I look forward to collaborating in this role, given the important remit that the Alliance play, as an industry member body, in campaigning and lobbying for sport and recreation across government and by working to proactively influence policy makers and decisions that affect grassroots sport across England.

"Many of these matters will directly and indirectly affect athletics and running as a sport, particularly around access to playing fields and spaces for sport and to enhance the role that our sport plays in contributing to a healthier nation."