Welsh Netball has announced that former England international and global netball pioneer, Hellen Manufor, has been appointed to the Board of Welsh Netball as the first-ever Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Director.
Manufor, whose most recent role in netball has been as International Brand Manager for Gilbert Netball, brings with her a wealth of experience, knowledge, and insight from the world of netball.
A Commonwealth Games medallist as a player, Manufor has worked at every level in sport, including as a coordinator for Team Nigeria at the 2012 Olympic Games. She has also played an instrumental role in the re-introduction of netball to Nigeria over the last 20 years.
In addition to her work in sport, Manufor has been involved with a range of charity work. This includes UNICEF’s work in Nigeria and Standard Chartered’s GOAL education programme which has helped to tackle inequality and poverty amongst girls aged 12-18 in countries across the world.
On joining the Welsh Netball Board, Manufor said: “I have always wanted to impact the world through sport, whether as a role model, an educator, or through contributing guidance to help others get opportunities.
“I have seen first-hand the global power of netball and how it can raise and transform communities, as well as individuals. Netball has the amazing ability to unite us by providing a language that everyone can understand, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, age, ability, size, gender, or religion.
“I look forward to working with the Board to ensure that equitable policies and practices are fully integrated into the organisation.
Sarah Jones, Welsh Netball CEO was thrilled to have Manufor join the Board of the National Governing Body. She said: “We are very pleased to have Hellen join our Board of Directors. Her knowledge and experience in netball are unrivaled and she will bring a huge level of expertise and dynamism to the sport in Wales. We interviewed a number of high-caliber candidates for this role, but Hellen’s impact on our global game made her the ideal candidate.
“Hellen is well known and much loved across the netball and sporting world, and she is passionate about helping to guide Welsh Netball along with its equality, diversity, and inclusion journey. We can’t wait for Hellen to get stuck in and to help our sport thrive in the post-COVID world.”
Congratulations to Hellen!
