Meet the Mentors

Amanda is driven by a simple idea: sport works better when leadership, governance and inclusion work better. She founded FairPlay in 2013 and has since supported organisations across sport, business and the charity sector to grow, improve and lead more inclusively. Her work has included partnerships with organisations such as the International Paralympic Committee, the Premier League and the Irish Rugby Football Union.

Amanda is the author of the Sports Governance Handbook and the designer of the popular Women and Leadership Development Programme. She’s widely trusted for her practical, straight‑talking approach and has worked with organisations including The FA, Scottish Hockey and British Blind Sport. Along the way, she’s held a number of influential governance roles, including Chair of European Women and Sport and Chair of the Sports Councils’ Equality Group.

Alongside voluntary roles with England Handball, Saracens Women and England Rugby, Amanda remains deeply connected to elite sport. A former Wales international fly half, she played for a decade, competed in two Women’s Rugby World Cups and went on to coach at the highest level with Wales and England. Now a mentor to high‑performance coaches and senior leaders, Amanda was inducted into the Loughborough University Hall of Fame in 2023 — though she’s still far more interested in what’s coming next.

Louise leads Plan4Sport, an EDI and business development consultancy working across sport and beyond. She works with national governing bodies, professional clubs, The Premier League and the Home Nations’ Sports Councils, and also advises commercial organisations and the Institute of Directors.

Louise specialises in helping organisations turn EDI into something practical and embedded — aligning strategy, culture and delivery so change actually happens. With years of experience working inside governing bodies of sport, she brings a clear, no‑nonsense practitioner’s perspective.

She’s been involved with the Equality Standard for Sport since 2004 and has supported more than 250 organisations across the UK. Louise is also trusted to step in as an interim CEO when organisations need stability, strong leadership and cultural reset, and to lead independent reviews that drive real improvement.

Sanjay is Chair of Kick It Out, English football’s leading inclusion charity, and is widely recognised as a thought leader on inclusion. He’s a regular public commentator and has played a key role in shaping football’s response to online abuse, with many of his recommendations reflected in the Online Safety Act. Sanjay has also given evidence to Parliament on football governance, women’s football and physical activity.

Alongside this, Sanjay is Chair of Athletic Ventures, a joint initiative between UK Athletics, London Marathon Events and The Great Run Company, exploring new approaches to delivering major events in the UK. He’s also a member of the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board and has held board roles across tennis and basketball.

Beyond sport, Sanjay is Chair of the Satellite Applications Catapult, supporting innovation in the UK space technology sector. He previously spent many years as a Partner at EY, where he led significant inclusion work, and enjoyed a 30‑year professional career spanning law, technology and innovation.

Jane has spent many years helping organisations in sport and beyond become more inclusive, welcoming and effective. She’s been an assessor for the UK Equality Standard: Framework for Sport since 2006 and was part of the team that helped refresh the original standard into what’s now known as Moving to Inclusion.

With a background in the international NGO and charity sector, Jane brings particular experience around gender, disability and mental health. She’s also been an assessor for Investing in Volunteers since 2006, supporting organisations to make volunteering more accessible, inclusive and impactful.

Jane’s wider work spans charities, social enterprises and faith organisations, where she’s supported leaders through organisational development and mentoring. Known for her thoughtful, supportive style, she brings expertise in strategy, impact, quality systems and partnership‑building—and a genuine belief that inclusion works best when people feel supported, listened to and encouraged to learn.

Jo is an experienced Equity, Diversity and Inclusion consultant with over 15 years working alongside organisations to create meaningful, lasting change. She’s passionate about helping teams take a clear, focused approach to inclusion — one that supports both organisational goals and the wellbeing and growth of the people within them.

Jo’s career spans the Military, public and private sectors, giving her a broad, real‑world perspective and a strong belief that inclusive environments don’t just happen — they’re intentionally built. She’s especially committed to mentoring and guiding organisations through change in a way that feels practical, supportive and achievable.

Away from her consultancy work, Jo is rarely standing still. She loves sport, including football, obstacle course racing and powerlifting, and is actively involved in volunteering, public speaking and community engagement. Known for her energy, warmth and straight‑talking style, Jo brings both heart and momentum to everything she does.

Liz has spent her career working across the sport and physical activity sector, driven by a strong belief in the power of sport to change lives and open up opportunities for individuals and communities. She’s currently CEO of Active Kent and Medway and a Board Member of the Kent Community Cricket Foundation.

Liz brings a wealth of experience from leadership, consultancy and national roles, including time with Women in Sport and several national governing bodies. For close to 20 years, she’s also worked as an equality, diversity and inclusion consultant, supporting a wide range of organisations across the sector to become more inclusive, effective and impactful.

Known for her down‑to‑earth style and genuine enthusiasm for sport’s wider role in society, Liz combines strategic leadership with a people‑first mindset — always focused on making physical activity more accessible, meaningful and inclusive for all.

Natasha brings a unique mix of expertise to her work, combining her background as a fully qualified and registered healthcare professional in elite and professional sport with her experience as a personal performance, corporate and executive coach.

She’s a passionate advocate for equality, equity, diversity and inclusion, known for her inclusive leadership style and her ability to manage programmes that lead to real cultural change. Natasha isn’t afraid to question long‑held assumptions, and she brings both warmth and confidence to conversations about inclusion, wellbeing and performance.

With a big‑picture mindset and a strong set of values, Natasha is motivated by making a genuine difference — supporting individuals and organisations to thrive, feel included and perform at their best. She’s widely seen as a positive change‑maker who brings energy, insight and purpose to everything she does.

Trevor has spent many years working as an advocate across the sporting system, guided by a simple but powerful belief: sport and physical activity should be for everybody, all of the time, without exception. He’s deeply passionate about physical literacy for life and the role it plays in helping people feel confident, capable and included.

His work spans community, national and international settings, partnering with a range of strategic organisations to help shape more inclusive approaches to sport and activity. Alongside his advocacy, Trevor is known for the empathy and care he brings to his work, creating spaces where people feel heard, supported and encouraged.

A skilled facilitator and mentor, Trevor brings people together, helps ideas take shape and supports others to turn inclusive values into everyday practice. His approach is thoughtful, optimistic and rooted in a genuine commitment to making sport and physical activity welcoming for everyone.

Dave Hardman is EDI Strategy Manager at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), where he leads work to make tennis and padel more inclusive, accessible and relevant to the communities they serve. His focus is on tackling systemic inequalities and helping inclusion become part of day‑to‑day practice, not an added extra.

Dave’s background spans community sport, disability inclusion and national programme leadership, and he’s played a key role in shaping initiatives that open sport up to people who’ve often been excluded. He’s particularly passionate about creating spaces where people genuinely feel they belong.

Alongside his role at the LTA, Dave works with a range of organisations as a non‑executive director, EDI board champion and advisor, supporting leaders to turn strategy into action. He’s also a mentor on the Moving to Inclusion programme, known for his practical, insight‑led approach.

Dave is a Board Member of Living Sport, the Active Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and an EDI advisor to Crystal Palace Football Club.

Julie Robbins (she/her) has spent over 27 years working to advance equality, diversity and inclusion across public services, community development and the national sport sector. She’s currently Head of Inclusion & Diversity at the Youth Sport Trust, where she helps turn inclusive values into practical action, tackling inequality and improving outcomes for children and young people.

Julie is known for her calm, people‑focused approach, bringing together strategic thinking, integrity and genuine care. She’s passionate about building inclusive cultures, supporting leaders to lead well, and helping organisations make change that really sticks.

Alongside her role, Julie is Vice Chair of Paddle UK’s Inclusion Advisory Group, mentors leaders through national programmes, and speaks regularly at sector events. She’s widely respected for her values‑led leadership and commitment to equity and social justice.

Jo is an experienced leader, facilitator and strategic advisor with a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion across sport, physical activity and community settings. She currently works as Head of Growth at British Rowing, where she leads work to grow participation and embed inclusion, equity and diversity across all levels of the sport.

Over the past ten years, Jo has worked closely with national governing bodies, Sport Councils, charities, community organisations, clubs and education partners to help create environments where more people feel they belong. She led the development of the Moving to Inclusion framework and has worked alongside all UK Sports Councils to support its rollout, strengthening inclusive leadership, culture and practice across the sector.

Alongside her strategic work, Jo is a skilled facilitator and mentor, known for creating spaces where people can have honest conversations, learn together and turn ideas into action. She’s valued for her ability to build strong relationships, bring partners together and help organisations navigate complexity with confidence and clarity.

Chris Gibbons is Director of Inside Inclusion, an inclusion and anti-discrimination consultancy. Chris has over 15 years’ experience working in the fields of diversity, equity and inclusion. While his clients represent a range of sectors in the UK and globally, much of his experience comes from the sport industry and, in particular, grassroots and professional football.