“WST is an indefatigable powerhouse who have invaded every area of women’s sport, in a good way, to make it more functional, better funded, more visible. Their energy and will power is astonishing. They have made a difference.”
Sue Mott, Sports Journalist
Charity Number 1153429
Our people
CEO & Co-founder
Athlete Lead
Board Chair
Board Treasurer
Charity Number 1153429
The Women’s Sport Trust was founded by Tammy Parlour MBE and Jo Bostock MBE in October 2012 following the London Olympics and Paralympics. We are a leading UK charity focused on using the power of sport to accelerate gender equality and stimulate social change.
The charity is run by a small operational team and a committed board of trustees. Our staff structure follows an on-demand model, meaning all our work is strictly freelance/contract enabling us to use our resources in a streamlined and economical way. This structure also enables us to adapt and evolve as the industry itself does.
We are an independent voice working with the industry to make lasting change. We talk to the people and organisations who have the power to reshape the sporting landscape. We are influencers who stimulate real change for women’s sport. Everyone who works with us is passionate about women’s sport and keen to support Women’s Sport Trust in realising its full impact as an entrepreneurial, collaborative, and action-focused charity.
Click on the individual tabs to read more about our people.
CEO & Co-founder
Tammy Parlour MBE co-founded Women’s Sport Trust in 2012 and leads the organisation as CEO.
Tammy’s role involves working with leaders from across sport, media and business to understand how to practically raise visibility, increase impact and create a stronger women’s sport ecosystem. She was awarded an MBE in the New Year 2019 Honours List for services to gender equality in sport.
Tammy is a Master in the Korean martial art of Hapkido, having practiced for over 40 years. She set up her own Hapkido and meditation school in the early 90’s and still coaches regularly. Tammy holds an MSc in Strength & Conditioning, and post-graduate study into Applied Sport Psychology.
With an interest in women’s football, she also volunteers as a Board Director for her local team – AFC Wimbledon Women FC – and sits on The FA Women’s National League Board as a Club Representative. @Tammy_Parlour.
NB. The CEO remains on the Board of Trustees as ex-officio.
Zarah Al-Kudcy has experience in communications, marketing and commercial partnerships within the sports industry; working for Rugby World Cup 2015 and Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 Organising Committees as well as Athletics Australia, Sky Sports and Fast Track. Previously Head of Commercial Partnership Development at Formula 1, she was appointed Chelsea FC Women’s Commercial Director in 2023.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : Dec 2019
Athlete Lead
Claire was a member of the Great Britain women’s foil fencing team and part of the World Class Performance Programme. She has represented Great Britain in European and World Championships since the age of 14. As captain of England Claire won individual Bronze and Team Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Fencing Games. Whilst studying for her modern languages degree at Durham University she was British Universities Champion.
Claire was the Senior Athlete Manager at the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and supported over 400 elite athletes to transition successfully in their lives beyond sport. She is a qualified performance life coach and commentates for Eurosport as their fencing expert. Claire runs her own consultancy, Perform Be Happy.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : June 2019
Sue Day joined Women’s Sport Trust in 2013. She is a former England and Wasps rugby player and represented England from 1997 to 2009, captaining both the 15s and the 7s sides. In 2013, Sue was appointed Club president of Wasps FC and became the first female President at the Club in its 146-year history. Throughout her England career she worked part-time for KPMG and then later became a (full-time) Partner and Head of People in KPMG’s Deal Advisory business.
Sue has provided extraordinary commitment to rugby & women’s sport over a sustained period. She is an expert in her field having served multiple facets of the sport from elite athlete representing her country to coach, commentator and now works as Chief Operations Officer & Chief Financial Officer of England Rugby.
Sue was awarded an MBE for services to gender equality in sport in 2020.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : May 2013
Chris has almost 20 years of experience in the sports industry working for the Premier League, International Cricket Council, BBC Sport and Nielsen Sports, before launching his own digital sports business in 2018 – C J Hurst Consultancy – which provides strategic advice to companies across the sports industry.
As BBC Sport’s first dedicated social media editor, he developed and delivered a strategy focused on growing BBC’s social media reach and engaging younger audiences. In his role as Digital Development Editor for BBC Sport’s award-winning interactive services, Chris oversaw the editorial development plans for the Rio Olympics that was used by 102 million unique browsers across the globe. Chris also sits on the board of the Rugby Football League.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : Nov 2017
Suzy works with senior leaders across the public, private, education and third sectors to solve some of the most complex social issues of our time. She is a specialist in inclusion and diversity and is widely recognised for her pragmatic and thoughtful approach to what is often emotive and messy.
In addition to her role as Managing Director at The Red Plate, Suzy also holds a variety of board-level roles. She is a trustee at the Women’s Sport Trust and a member of the advisory board at Foundervine and the creative agency Improper. Suzy was also a Non-Executive Director in the UK government for 7 years.
Mind the Inclusion Gap, her first book, summarises decades of learning about inclusion, and is part of her personal mission to create a more equitable and fairer society by helping others gain the confidence and knowledge they need to take impactful action.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : July 2013
Board Chair
Rebecca became a Trustee in September 2023 and as Board Chair is responsible for directing the governance of the Board.
Rebecca is currently CEO of Close Brothers’ Retail division, prior to that she was CEO of Close Brothers Motor Finance, and sat on the board of Close Brothers Channel Island’s business. She has held senior roles in Barclays as Chief Operating Officer for Barclays Business and MD of Product for Business and Corporate lending and led the Asset Finance Division. She chaired UK Finance’s Corporate Committee for two years and is the first woman to chair the Finance & Leasing Association. She has also held advisory roles with the Government’s Scale Up Taskforce and the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Committee.
Joined WST Board of Trustees: Sept 2023
Since retiring in 2015, Ugo Monye has gone on to become one of the most respected voices in world rugby. The one-club-man began his career at Harlequins in 2002, going on to make 237 appearances for the club, scoring 87 tries and winning a Premiership Title in the process.
His club performances soon earned him International recognition, making his England debut in 2008, and after featuring heavily in England’s 2009 Six Nations squad, he was awarded a place on the 2009 British and Irish Lions
Tour of South Africa, on which he scored a crucial length of the field try in the final Test, which has gone on to become an iconic image in Lions history. Retiring in 2015, ITV and BT Sport were quick to take him up on his informed and charismatic on screen offering, where he has gone on to work on their Rugby World Cup and Gallagher Premiership coverage for the past 5 seasons.
Launching his Podcast with the BBC in 2017, and a columnist in the Guardian, Ugo is one of the most sought after voices in the rugby media landscape. 2021 has been a breakthrough year for Ugo, being named as a new Team Captain on the BBC’s Question of Sport, and as a contestant in 2021’s Strictly Come Dancing.
In recent times, Ugo has stepped up to tackle issues such as diversity in rugby, the BLM movement in the UK and the funding and growth of the women’s game.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : July 2021
Board Treasurer
Ben became a Trustee in 2020 and as Board Treasurer oversees our financial affairs ensuring we operate within legal, constitutional and accepted accounting practice.
Award-winning business leader working at the cross-section of technology, sport and entertainment. Ben began his career in the film business (Cold Mountain, 28 Days Later, Hannibal, Entrapment) and then moved into digital media (BBC, The Times) – with a passion for powerful storytelling the common thread which runs throughout. In 2015, He co-founded the award-winning immersive tech company, Laduma and, in his role as CEO, led a fantastic team of industry pioneers and rising stars as they raised angel investment and worked with clients such as Microsoft, Samsung, the NFL, NBA, Universal, Marriott and Unilever. In 2019, he was offered the opportunity to become president of the group which Laduma belongs to and now oversees eight businesses on four continents. He’s a well travelled keynote speaker having been invited to speak at the likes of WebSummit, World Travel Market, ITB, Digital Hollywood, ProMax, Leaders and Soccerex among others.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : Sept 2020
More than 25 years of agency integrated marketing experience with a focus on creating cultural ideas with a strong customer call to action. Developed innovative and large-scale activations, events and partnerships for leading global brands including Adidas, Samsung and Heineken.
Most recently part of the global senior leadership team within brand communications and marketing at Rivian. Working for a new brand allowed us to start with a blank page and my team built strategies for partnership identification and activation, customer events and consumer/influencer PR.
Previous experience included eight years as Managing Director of award-winning sports & entertainment agency Iris Culture.
Passionate about the power of sport for good I sit on the board of both the Women’s Sport Trust and Liverpool FC Foundation charities.
In my spare time you will also find me teaching drama to under 12’s.
Joined WST Board of Trustees : Nov 2017
Nicola McKelvey, PR Lead (part-time)
Nicola has been a freelancer for half her career, having spent time at a range of PR agencies such as Freuds and Performance PR and in-house at eBay and Visa.
Alexis Bull, Accounts (part-time)
Alexis provides bookkeeping and reporting services to WST through her company, Able Accountancy Services Ltd.
Leon Bennett, Research Manager (part-time)
Leon has 20 years of experience in broadcasting strategy, research, and innovation, leading teams at Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, and Sky1. He also spent three years managing projects for Sky Labs (Sky’s corporate innovation team). Aside from his work with The Women’s Sprot Trust, he runs his own consultancy, Ripple Innovation Ltd.
Organisations in receipt of public funds must make their accounts and governance documents easily accessible on their website.
Governance Documents
Please see below for our independently examined financial statements for the last 7 years:
- Memorandum of Association 2023
- Special Resolution – 31st May 2023
Other links
Official Address and Registration Numbers
- Women’s Sport Trust, 75 Ravensbury Road, London SW18 4RX
- Companies House Reg Number 8521118
- Charity Number 1153429
- VAT Number 244 4669 88
We are grateful to everyone who has been part of our Board of Trustees since we were founded in 2012 – each has helped to shape Women’s Sport Trust into what it is today.
Previous Trustees
- Jo Bostock MBE, Co-founder
- Amanda Hudson
- Denise Yeats
- Donna Fraser OBE
- Emily Cushion
- Helen Newbery
- Jamie Brookes
- Jeanette Kwakye MBE
- Kate Dale
- Kate Dobinson
- Kate Hannon
- Liz Grant OBE
- Lynsey Hooper
- Michael Inpong
- Niccola Hutchinson-Pascal
- Nicola Waterworth
- Rosalind Kirkland
- Sarah Odell
- Sasha Hoskins
- Sue Anstiss MBE
- Suzanne King
- Tim Cozze-Young
We’re also grateful to those who worked with us in non-Trustee roles and gave extensively to WST Projects, in our early years:
- Danielle Sellwood – Be-A-Game-Changer Awards
- Sue Mott – The Mixed Zone women’s sport digital magazine
- Anna Kessel MBE – The Blue Plaque Rebellion
