Following an extensive recruitment campaign, Boccia UK have announced two new Independent Directors who will join the Board, taking the total number of Board members to nine.

Explaining the decision to increase the size of the Board, Boccia UK Chair David Richmond CBE said: “Although we are a small sport, we have big ambitions. We recently developed a new Vision and Mission as part of a review of our strategic plan and having also undertaken an assessment of the current board’s skillset, we decided to bolster the board by adding two new positions.

One position is for a Governance expert to ensure that we continue to uphold the highest standards across everything that we do, the other is for an expert on the World Class Performance system. We had many highly qualified candidates apply and after a robust recruitment process, I’m delighted with the two chosen candidates. They bring a wealth of experience from the high-performance sport and charity sectors that will be invaluable in helping us drive Boccia UK onto the next level.

Nik Diaper, Head of Para-sport at Loughborough University, has been appointed to the position requiring World Class Programme expertise. Nik has over 18 years of experience working in elite Paralympic sport, during which time he has attended six Paralympic Games as part of ParalympicsGB. Prior to joining Loughborough University, Nik worked for the British Paralympic Association as Head of Performance, and for the Tokyo Paralympic Games he will again be part of the British team in the role of Deputy Chef de Mission for the BPA.

Nik said: “I’m delighted to take on this role as Boccia is such an important part of the Paralympic movement. I look forward to offering my specific experience, knowledge and skills to help drive Boccia UK forwards and to ensure continued success on the international stage.”

Steve Maiden, Executive Director of Governance, Risk and Assurance at Action on Hearing Loss has been appointed to the position requiring Governance expertise. His previous roles include being Head of Governance at Scope where he was closely involved in the charity's development of a transformational new strategy.

Speaking of his appointment, Steve said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Independent Director at Boccia UK. As a keen sportsman with a background in disability charities, I look forward to bringing my experience to the Board and supporting the ongoing focus on good governance at the organisation. I'm particularly excited about meeting some of the athletes and seeing Boccia up close when circumstances allow."

The two new Board members will take up their positions immediately and will join the first Boccia UK Board meeting at the start of October.