Tim Hollingsworth To Stand Down As CEO Of Sport England This Summer

Tim Hollingsworth OBE is stepping down as Chief Executive of Sport England at the end of July 2025. He leaves with the full support of Chair Chris Boardman CBE and the Sport England Board.

Until July, he will finalise key strategic priorities for Sport England, including negotiations with the Government as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process and continued delivery of ‘Uniting the Movement’, Sport England’s revolutionary 10-year strategy for the sport and physical activity sector.

Tim joined the organisation in November 2018, after seven years as the Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association and has led it throughout times of significant challenge and change – including a global pandemic.

He said: “Being Chief Executive of Sport England has been an enormous privilege and the past six years have been among the most fulfilling of my professional life. “It is one of the very best jobs in sport. From the hundreds of partners and sports organisations and five Sports Ministers I have worked with, through to the fantastic colleagues and friends who have been with me every step of the way, I have never lost the sense of purpose that the job instils, nor the desire to make a difference - particularly to those in our community who need it most.

“I will remain forever grateful for the opportunity and proud of what we have achieved; our response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the publication of our Uniting the Movement strategy and our radically different ways of investing through system and place partners are three particular high points.

“But after twenty years in sports leadership roles and the past 14 as a CEO, it is time for me to step down, take a break to recharge and then seek other ways to continue to contribute to a sector - and against a purpose - I love.

“There is still much to be done to deliver the change we want to see and make sport and physical activity part of everyone’s lives. I look forward to focusing all my efforts on this in the coming six months as well as helping my Chair Chris Boardman - who could not have been more supportive of my decision - in his search for my successor.”

Chair of Sport England Chris Boardman said:

“When Tim became CEO, he took on the challenge of a disengaged sector and a traditional, transactional system that wasn’t driving meaningful change. He worked tirelessly to engage partners nationwide and empower local communities, giving them the autonomy to create partnerships and develop approaches that harnessed their unique knowledge and passion.

“Through Uniting the Movement, Tim introduced an innovative approach to tackling inactivity and promoting physical activity, with a strong emphasis on supporting the communities that needed it most. His bold vision is what inspired me to pursue the Chair position.

“As Tim departs, I extend my deepest gratitude for his leadership. He has positioned Sport England to collaborate with a broader range of partners, all united in a shared commitment to a path that will bring about lasting change. We will now carry the torch forward, continuing to build on and deliver Tim’s transformative vision.”

Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock added:

"Thank you to Tim for his work leading Sport England over the past seven years. He took the organisation through unprecedented times with the impact of COVID-19 on sports across the country, supporting the sector with care throughout. Tim can be rightly proud of the ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy he leaves with Sport England and has our best wishes for the future."

The search for Tim’s successor is being led by Helen Soulsby and David James at Elevate Talent.