Local Birmingham Business Woman Joins British Wheelchair Basketball Board

As the Paralympics kick off this week one leading Birmingham business woman has been appointed on to the Board of British Wheelchair Basketball.

Entrepreneur and Birmingham University lecturer Michelle Leavesley is one of the first appointments to the board from outside the sport in its 38-year-long history.

The successful Managing Director and founder of Jewellery Quarter-based company Citydesk Sport will take up her role on the board, as an Executive Committee Member, with immediate effect to support the team with marketing communication as it enters the spotlight during the Paralympic Games.

Charlie Bethel, CEO of British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB) said: “As a National Governing Body with a strong track record in both engagement and performance sport, we have enjoyed considerable growth over the past few years.

“We are now of a size where we need to grow our board and broaden our horizons to the new opportunities that await us, both during and following the Paralympic Games.

“We have appointed Michelle Leavesley to bolster our marketing expertise and mentor our communication and press team.  We are very hopeful that with Michelle’s expertise we can capitalise on new approaches to engagement and communication.”

Mrs Leavesley has said it is an ‘honour’ to be appointed to the board ahead of the Paralympic Games. She said:

“It was a great honour to be asked to join the board of British Wheelchair Basketball at such an exciting and in some respects a step changing time for the sport.

“We have already seen the power of the Olympics on the Nation and I am sure that the British Wheelchair Basketball squads have the potential to reignite the public’s passion for all things sport, for a second time this summer.

“As a newcomer to Basketball I have much to learn about the sport but I am sure that I will share a common understanding with my boardroom colleagues of the tremendous potential it has to change people’s lives.”

Michelle has had a colourful career in Sport, having worked for Nottingham City Council on Community Engagement and International Events before joining the Lawn Tennis Association where she was promoted to lead the Major Facilities Investment portfolio, implementing the first grants system for the country.   After 10 years on national governing body delivery she moved into the Commercial sector and she has been a lecturer at Birmingham Business School on the MSc Marketing Communications programme.