News

22/07/2025 00:00, In Blog / Club Notice Board /

Welsh Athletics are delighted to share they have appointed a new Head of Development, Chris Anthony, who is due to commence the role in September.

Chris will be responsible for developing the sport of Athletics within Club and formal settings. The focus of his role will be to create a series of programmes and activities to support the growth of the sport across Wales. Success will be measured by growth in membership and improved retention, whilst also measuring the engagement through our annual membership survey.

He joins us from the University of Birmingham, where he has been the Head of Sport Development since 2021, and has developed sports clubs and volunteering opportunities by working in partnership with multiple national governing bodies, professional clubs, and franchises.

In his spare time, Chris enjoys taking part in long distance races whilst also being a regular participant and volunteer at parkrun.

On hearing the news, Chris shared:

I'm thrilled to be joining Welsh Athletics in September, in a sport with such a rich history and I can't wait to work with our wonderful athletics community to ensure an equally exciting future.

James Williams, CEO of Welsh Athletics, added:

I am delighted to welcome Chris to Welsh Athletics. It’s a big moment for the organisation, and the first permanent Head of Development that the organisation has appointed in close to 15 years.

 

Throughout the recruitment process, it was clear that Chris had a clear vision for how he wished to develop the department and to work with our clubs and volunteers to create the right environment and culture to foster growth and innovation through the sport.

 

His experience of working within a major organisation in Birmingham University and his ability to work with multiple stakeholders will be a great asset to Welsh Athletics as we embark on an exciting period for the sport.

We look forward to welcoming Chris to Welsh Athletics this September.