The Board

Marie-Claire Gane Resigns as Non-Executive Director and Safeguarding Lead at SportCheer England

SportCheer England is sad to announce that Marie-Claire Gane has resigned from her post as Non-Executive Director and Safeguarding Lead with immediate effect.

In her statement to the Board, Marie-Claire explained that due to increasing professional work commitments, she feels unable to give the role the time in needs and deserves.

Marie-Claire Gane has been the Safeguarding Lead at SportCheer England for the last 5 years, and in that time, she has taken on, not only the role she originally came into post to fulfil (providing consultation on policy development and processes for Safeguarding to the Board) but also took on the duties of a case manager; receiving, managing and working with authorities on safeguarding concerns. This was done in a voluntary capacity when it became apparent early on in the organisation’s development that the role was necessary and required urgent attention. It was only ever meant to be a temporary measure until the financial resources for a Designated Safeguarding Lead could be found. Continuing to do the role for five years as a volunteer, while maintaining a professional career as a barrister outside of the sport, has been a huge juggling act, and we are incredibly indebted and thank Marie-Claire for her years of service and dedication to the sport. In addition to the day-to-day duties of a Safeguarding Lead and DSL, Marie-Claire has also represented the Board and our country’s interests over this period at the annual International Cheer Union (ICU) General Assembly and Continental Meetings representing English athletes, coaches and gym owners.  

The Board of Directors are currently reviewing the skills matrix developed for SportCheer England by policy consultants The Value Circle and in due time will be advertising for a new Director to fill relevant gaps in the Board’s expertise. In the interim period, Tina Cronje has stepped in to serve as the Designated Safeguarding Lead until a suitable replacement can be found, to ensure the continuity of current safeguarding investigations. Tina is a qualified Social Worker with over 20 years of experience in managing safeguarding cases for a number of local authorities across the UK.