Voting is now open for the British Judo Board Appoints: England Home Country Representative and Elected Non-Executive Director

As a member of the BJA, you have a vital role in helping to shape our future. One of the ways in which you can help to do this is by voting in Board member elections.

There are currently 2 vacancies: England Home Country Representative (voting only available to England A Clubs) and an Elected Non-Executive Director (voting open to all A Clubs).

You should have received an email from vote@ukevote.uk this week inviting you to participate in the election.

England Home Country Representative

(England only Registered A Clubs)

There are 3 candidates and you may only vote for ONE candidate.

Candidate 1: Dave Clark

“English Areas represent 66% of home country membership. Elect me and I will use my position on the Board to support our clubs, members and much-valued volunteer workforce. I will support coaches to deliver the best gradings, events and performance pathway, to increase our top seven and medal places in Europe and beyond. As Chair of Judo England, I will ensure that all funds allocated provide the best support to coaches, players, referees, and officials; helping to increase participation and attract much-needed volunteers.

To do this I would ask that you support English Judo by using your vote.”

Candidate 2: Jan Gosiewski

“I have dedicated my life to judo and it has shaped me into the person I am today. I have achieved success as an elite athlete but also off the mat in academia and business. I am passionate about our sport and the transformative impact it can have on any individual who picks up a kimono. If you would like someone competent, dedicated, experienced, relatively young and free of a political agenda to help shape the future of our association, then do vote for me.”

Candidate 3: Garth Illingworth

“Judo is more than just a sport; it is a community based on core values that extend beyond the tatami. As your representative, I will advocate and negotiate the vision, mission and goals of England Judo and Areas alongside British Judo. To ensure we have the best possible experience in the sport, where the support for our clubs and members is defined, I will work to develop more effective working partnerships.

I believe I am key to driving the new strategy forward on behalf of the members.”

Elected Non-Executive Director

There are 3 candidates and you may only vote for ONE candidate

Candidate 1: Neil Fletcher

“A professional critical friend of the BJA, I challenge, support, and provide honest feedback on all strategic initiatives. With a clear vision and lifelong passion for our sport my commitment to British Judo is huge whether in my own club dojo, other clubs or matside, and currently within the BJA Board. I want to work hard to make Judo the sport of choice. I believe we can deliver Judo as a superb recreational activity as well as an internationally renowned Olympic sport.”

Candidate 2: David Gibson

“I have been involved with Judo for over 35 years as a player, a parent, a coach (at grassroots) and an official so feel I have a good overall perspective of both judo and its governance. I believe I will bring a pragmatic approach to the board of British Judo and will always tackle every situation with an open mind, to make impartial decisions with the goal of delivering inclusivity to all; this in turn will benefit and improve the services that British Judo delivers to its Clubs, members and volunteers.”

Candidate 3: Neal Luke

“My priorities will include pushing modern marketing strategies directly from the BJA to potential newcomers for the benefit of the clubs, utilising platforms such as Twitch, Discord and TikTok and optimising BJA and club mini-sites for acquisition. Coming from a company that has onboarded 400k users in the last year for major sports teams, my career background and expertise will help drive action to achieve these goals. I will also push for area squads to assist player development. I focus on solutions and do everything I can to ensure discussion leads to measurable output which benefits us all.”

By voting in this election you can help elect the people you think have the skills, knowledge, experience and drive to help run our British Judo Association.

This election will close on Friday 8 July 2022 at Noon

For further information on how to submit your vote, please email UK Engage at bja@uk-engage.org

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