Welcome to the Cheshire West and Chester Leisure Community Interest Company – otherwise known as Brio Leisure

What is a Community Interest Company?

A Community Interest Company or CIC is a limited company with special additional features.

A CIC is a social enterprise which is managed to benefit the community. The company’s assets and profits are dedicated solely to its community purpose, rather than any form of private advantage.

The Cheshire West and Chester Leisure CIC is governed by a board of directors.

To see our Business Plan for 2012 - 2015, click here

Bob has been a member of Cheshire West and Chester Council since the inception in April 2009 and prior to this he served on the Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council.

Since May 2009 Bob has served as the Chair of the Policy Development Board for Culture and Recreation and in more recent times as the Assistant Executive Member for Culture and Recreation. During this time he was closely associated with the transition of the three district councils to Cheshire West and Chester Council, as well as the recent formation of the new Community Interest Company.

Before his time as a Councillor, Bob served in the Royal Air Force for 30 years, followed by a return to civilian work in property and facility management. Bob is also a Director of the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum Trust.

Paul is a councillor for Sutton Ward on CWaC where he serves on the Audit & Governance Committee as well as various scrutiny panels.

Previously Paul spent 10 years on Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council, chairing the local joint highways panel and serving on the Environmental Health and the Leisure Committees.

He works as a maintenance engineer at Vauxhall Motors where he has been a trade union and a health and safety representative. His hobbies include reading, walking, gardening and watching Liverpool Football Club.

Sarah is the Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Chester. Her faculty has a proactive approach to community engagement, particularly in the area of encouraging sustained participation in sport from primary school to adulthood.

Sarah came to Chester in 1998 from Lancaster University. Following her PhD from Nottingham University, Sarah worked overseas in the USA and Australia.

Sarah has excellent experience having served as a trustee on the boards of three charitable foundations. She also has a personal interest in sport having taken part in a half marathon and playing for the Chester Croquet team.

Helen Williamson has a background in Corporate Responsibility and Social Regeneration gained over 18 years in East London and since 1998 in the North West. Helen established the Newham Board of the East London Business Alliance in 1989 developing volunteer schemes with companies and community projects and establishing business representative's involvement with regeneration schemes. Previous board experience includes Richard House, London's first Hospice for children and the London Regional Advisory Panel for the National Lottery Charities Board.

Helen was Deputy Coordinator for the Little Hulton and Farnworth SRB (Single Regeneration Budget) and has SRB and Neighbourhood Renewal consultancy work experience from the Wirral and Skelmersdale.

Helen continued CR project work in the North West with Business in the Community, working on their Seeing is Believing Programme, the senior business leader's Alumni and working with company volunteer schemes, including M & S Money and HBOS.

Helen and her family live in Northwich and she also teaches music.

Anthony has extensive experience of strategic management, with particular expertise in marketing. He worked for twenty years in a variety of role, firstly in sales and then in marketing, becoming Communications Manager for the largest division of a major public limited company. Since 2000 he has been lecturing in marketing and strategic management up to MBA level at a variety of academic institutions in the UK and abroad. He also undertakes training and consultancy and has co-written two marketing textbooks.

Anthony is a strong advocate of sporting activities, enjoying badminton, swimming and cycling. He is also a keen walker and has written the popular ‘Wirral Walks’.

Peter has a background in finance, having worked in a variety of roles throughout the sector. He worked with the National Westminster Bank for 30 years before finishing as a Senior Executive to move onto other ventures including a Company Doctor role in which he was able to advise companies in financial difficulty.

He is an associate and former examiner for the Chartered Institute of Bankers, and will be able to bring his financial experience to our board. Peter will also bring his background and knowledge of law and legal advice, and his experience of working with CIC's, making him a valuable member of the board.

In his free time, Peter enjoys playing golf, tennis and cycling as well as charity bike rides.

Anne possesses a unique understanding of public, private and voluntary sectors, and is commercially and politically astute with over 18 years public sector experience at a local, regional and nation level.

Within the first year of launching her own business Anne was awarded Social Enterprise of the Year for her work in sustaining vibrant community assets independent of the state.  She is qualified as a Master Management Practitioner in Enterprise with a talent for designing, developing and delivering transformational change and improvement, and will make a great addition to the board.

Tony is a valued member of the Brio Leisure Team; working as a Lifeguard and Swim Teacher at Moss Farm Leisure Complex and also as a Casual Lifeguard and Swim Teacher at Northgate Arena. After recently qualifying as a Lifeguard Assessor, Tony now also delivers monthly training sessions for other lifeguards across our various swimming pools.

First qualifying as a Lifeguard in 1997, Tony has worked in various areas of the leisure industry including as a Lifeguard for Haven Holidays and as Holiday Representative on the island of Rhodes. Since then he has progressed his career, gaining further leisure related qualifications and working as a duty manager across various leisure sites in the North West and Wales, before finally joining the Brio Leisure Team.

Tony has a personal interest in various sports but particularly football and rugby. He also enjoys going to see live music and comedy in his spare time.