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Board Overview

  1. Active Kent & Medway has a board of 12 members who govern the organisation, which includes ensuring that we meet all requirements of Tier 3 of the UK Code of Sports Governance (the “Governance Code”). None of the board members, other than the Partnership Manager who is an ex-officio member, are remunerated for their role.
  2. The Active Kent & Medway Board met once virtually and three times in person last year with an additional Board/SMT awayday in September 2022. In addition, the Board has 2 Committees. The Audit & Governance Committee and the Nominations Committee each with its own set of terms of reference.
  3. The Finance Audit and Governance Committee met twice and the Nominations Committee three times during the 2022/23 financial year.
  4. The Board saw some changes in 2022/23 with a new Chair being appointed and three board members standing down. This included our previous Chair at the end of this second term of office. We recruited three new independent board members. More details, including the names and short biographies of all board members can be found on our website www.activekent.org
  5. Board members are formally asked to declare any conflict/potential conflict of interests upon assuming their board role and are required to declare any potential conflict at every board meeting. There are currently no significant conflicts identified.
  6. The Board provides robust governance, finance and risk management and strategic oversight. The Board delegates the management and day to day running of Active Kent & Medway to the Partnership Director and the staff team.
  7. During 2022-23, the Board has supported the co-production of the new Kent and Medway Sport and Physical Activity strategy – Move Together. It has also overseen the successful application for additional Sport England Together Fund Investment and the award of Opening Schools Facility Funding from the Department for Education.
  8. Active Kent & Medway’s vision for the 2022-23 (and beyond) is “More People, More Active, More Often” with the focus being on tackling the inequalities intrinsically linked to inactivity.

Governance

  1. We monitor and maintain our compliance to the Governance Code at Tier 3 (highest) level.
  2. We are currently working through the requirements of the refreshed Code and have developed a Governance Action Plan to support this work.
  3. The Active Kent & Medway website contains links to our governance documents including our Governance Framework, annual accounts and key policies.
  4. Active Kent & Medway is hosted by Kent County Council (KCC) with delegated authority to the Active Kent and Medway board. This has been agreed by both parties through a hosting agreement which was re-negotiated in March 2023. This arrangement runs until 2027. The host, Kent County Council, retains overall legal responsibility for Active Kent and Medway but delegates power to the Board, with Active Kent & Medway using KCC’s internal controls, HR, IT, audit and finance systems.
  5. The Audit and Governance Committee reviews the organisation’s risk policy annually and its risk register at meetings. Any concerns are reported to and discussed subsequently by the Board.
  6. The Audit and Governance Committee is also responsible for our Reserves, Risk Management, Conflicts of Interest and Safeguarding policies.
  7. Accounts are reviewed at both the Audit and Governance Committee and full Board. The annual accounts are published on our website.
  8. Following the changes to the Code, worked has commenced on a revised Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and a People Plan. The Board are engaged with this.
  9. The Board Skills Matrix has been updated. It is understood that the Board should have the appropriate balance of skills, experience, independence, and knowledge as well as the support required to enable it to discharge its duties and responsibilities effectively.
  10. There are only two positions on the Board that are not independent. These are reserved for the Partnership Director, who sits on the Board in an “ex officio” capacity and a representative of our Host Agency – KCC.
  11. The remaining Board appointments are recruited through openly advertised opportunities. When roles are available, a recruitment pack is available on our website and application is by CV.
  12. The Nominations Committee leads on Board recruitment. Its membership consists of the Chair, the Senior Independent Member and at least one other independent Board Member. The Partnership Director also attends meetings. Recommendations from this committee for appointments are then made to the Board for discussion and approval.
  13. We track both attendance at meetings and also length of service, with Board members being asked to retire or stand for re-appointment as they complete each term of 4-years of service (maximum 2-terms or 8 years). In exceptional circumstances this may be extended by a maximum of 12 months.
  14. The Board commitment to diversity is laid out in our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan which is monitored by the Board and published on our website.
  15. In 2022-23 financial year, we had a 50:50 42% male / female split within the board. We also had 16% representation from ethnically diverse communities and 8% with a Disability/ Long Term Health Condition.
  16. The Board conducts an annual self-evaluation of effectiveness, the results of which are reported back to the full Board so any required action can be instigated. In addition, the Chair conducts individual appraisals of each Board Member, with the Senior Independent Board Member appraising the Chair.
  17. Where Board evaluation highlights any requirement for skills development, this is addressed. In 2022-23 this included board members participating in safeguarding training and we continue to promote attendance at Active Partnership Network and Sport and Recreation Alliance training events.
  18. If ever there was a concern about an individual board member (in terms of behaviour, attendance etc.) this would be dealt with by the Chair and Partnership Director and, if it involved the Chair, by the Senior Independent Board Member.

All governance documentation referred to within this document can be found on our website www.activekent.org