Skateboard England welcomes new directors on the board
Skateboard England would like to wish a warm welcome to our new elected directors; Brent Lewis, Claire Allaeumme and Jamie Burton, whom were nominated by the members in December 2019.
They will join the existing team on the board consisting of Chair (Lucy Adams), Elected Directors (Alex Jordan, Russ Holbert and Geoff Else), Independent Directors (Catherine Eastham, Clive Baldwin and Jake Jones) and CEO (James Hope-Gill).
The members of the board work a on a voluntary basis to provide guidance to the organisation and their work ensures that Skateboard England is able to operate, increase skateboard participation, while maintaining the integrity of the culture of skateboarding in England and Wales.
Skateboard England would like to thank Ricardo Magee and Paul Regan, whom stepped down from their positions on the board. Their work over the last 2 years has been amazing and greatly appreciated. Ricardo has facilitated the development of skateboard park projects around the country, using hours of his own time to guide community groups through the process. Paul, has given his time to providing assistance and guidance to multiple initiatives which Skateboard England has been involved in. Their input will be missed, and we wish them the best of luck in the future.
Brent Lewis
Brent has been a skateboarder all his life and built his entire career around supporting and inspiring young people to get on board.
Brent is a qualified teacher and a leader in alternative education and in 2009 Brent founded the multi-award-winning FAR Academy, the UK’s first and only professional skateboard design and build college, which uses innovative modern education and skateboarding to engage young people onto the positive pathway of learning whilst gaining essential qualification to build a strong future.
Brent is also founder and CEO of the FAR Skate Foundation, a charity delivering grassroots skateboard projects, community events and fundraising through its skate shop and skate clubs, fully supporting the positive impact that skateboarding has on improving physical and mental health.
Brent is a regular guest speaker and lecturer on skateboarding as an educational tool, highlighting the importance of persistence after failure, embedding the ethos of skateboarding and in turn promoting a positive impact on the social environment and wider community.
Claire Alleaume
Claire has been actively involved in skateboarding for 20 years, as a sponsored skater, consultant, event organizer, writer and editor. A dual British and French citizen, she competed extensively throughout Europe in the 00’s, and ran a communication and consulting agency specialised in skateboarding and urban sports, working for public bodies and exploring the integration of skateboarding in the city in terms of sustainable development. Today, Claire consults on a voluntary basis on skatepark and skateable-space projects and runs Two Set magazine. Alongside skateboarding, Claire is an experienced business strategist and marketer, having spent the last 10 years working for fast-growing global tech businesses in the worlds of connected car, new mobility and insurtech.
Jamie Burton
Jamie started skating socially in the late 1980s and with the nearest skatepark meaning an 80-mile roundtrip. Through work Jamie has helped developed 7 skate parks, supporting the development of local community skate groups. He has advised local authorities on skateboarding development to help shape the offer more widely. As secretary for Skate Southampton Jamie has helped develop and focus the group to ensure a bigger presence in the city, connecting with other organisations and stakeholders, advocating for the inclusion of skateboarding. He has helped organise and deliver the ‘Slamma Skate jam take over’ in the city and the takeover of the cities arts quarter, including the art gallery and mini conference with the aim of challenging traditional views of skateboarding and tackling anti skateboarding sentiment.