Meet the new face of Jersey Sport

Friday 05 May 2017

An independent body to help foster sport within the local community will help bridge the divide between wealth and access to fitness, its new CEO has said, as she steps into the brand new role this week.

Catriona McAllister, who has had over 20 years of experience in sport development, moved to the Island this week, where she will oversee the functioning of Jersey Sport – a new body aiming to take responsibility for sport away from the government – from her new Fort Regent office, as well as in the field.

Selected from a pool of 119 applicants, Mrs McAllister told Express that she was “excited” about Jersey Sport’s “integrated approach”, which will it's hoped will see close collaboration between the arenas of health, education, planning and with elite teams on Island-wide fitness-promoting initiatives.

While it’s still “early days” with Mrs McAllister having started this week, she said that one of the “immediately obvious” gaps to plug is the “disparity” between income levels and vital activity needed to drive away health risks such as obesity, whilst also providing enjoyment.

“There’s a correlation in terms of disposable income and ease of access, whereas in some of the lower social income groups, it’s harder to make sport and physical activity a priority. How can we make sure that any barriers to that are taken away and to ensure that opportunities are equitable across the board?” she said.

Closing that gap will mean getting islanders excited about Jersey’s pre-existing hidden exercise gems, whether that means encouraging them to make the most of Jersey’s “already impressive stock of facilities” or showcasing the top free spots.

“Jersey lends itself very well to activity because of its climate, the paths, the cycle routes, so it’s really about selling the benefits and helping people understand why activity is good."

“Sport contributes to a wide range of strategic objectives in terms of social inclusion, confidence, employability, volunteering, and health obviously is the big one. We need to keep telling that story. Investment in sport really is a ‘spend to save’.”

She’d like to see local companies buy into that philosophy, and is willing to work with Planning and developers to “integrate easy activity into the planning of buildings” by promoting the inclusion of shower and changing facilities to make life easier for “active commuters” – those who shun the traffic for a walk, jog or cycle home.

Above all, she’s hoping to “demystify” what it means to be ‘active’, and remind schoolchildren – and adults – through work alongside Education that involvement in sport isn’t just about performance, but keeping healthy. She therefore wants to see non-traditional sport – cheerleading, ultimate Frisbee, and dance, for example – championed just as passionately as the mainstays.

"Anyone should be able to come in at any level and feel that there is a place for them. It’s not just about the kids who are showing an aptitude, it’s not just about people who want to play recreationally, there should be something for everyone."

But, despite the grand plans, Jersey Sport isn’t up and running just yet. It’s waiting for the thumbs up by the States of Jersey, who will debate the proposition this month.

Accompanied by a robust CV, however, Mrs McAllister is confident they can convince the States of the value of this new approach and hopefully inspire other countries following Jersey’s sporting progress.

Chairman of the Jersey Sport Shadow Board Phil Austin praised the new recruit: “Catriona was the unanimous choice. She has extensive experience in the strategic and operational management of sport development and has been involved in leading sports programmes in Scotland for over 20 years.  Her most recent role has been as CEO of Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, where she developed the original concept and delivered a world-class facility that is used by elite international athletes, students and a wide section of the community.”