David Heddon
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Following a 12 year career teaching PE, David joined the English Sports Council (now Sport England), Yorkshire Region in 1976.

After 25 years service he retired from the post of Regional Director in 2001.

David has since worked in leisure management consultancy, assisting many local authorities including facilitating the development of Leisure Trusts in Wigan and Kirklees.

He has been Chair of Kirklees Active Leisure since its inception in 2002.

David also holds a number of other voluntary positions, including Trustee and Director of the English Federation of Disability Sport Operating Company.

David Smith
Company Secretary
Director of Resources, Kirklees Council
David has responsibility for Kirklees Council’s finance, HR, communications and media, IT,  property, school catering and cleaning, libraries, town halls, customer and exchequer services, legal and governance services, performance, insurance and audit and is a member of the council’s Director’s Group.

A member of the chartered institute of public finance and accountancy, David is an advisor to the Local Government Association, and a technical adviser to Government on local government and schools funding. He is a former Director of the DW Stadium and former Director/ Company Secretary of Leigh Sports Village.”

John Briggs
Trustee
Managing Director – Alfred Briggs Sons & Co Ltd, (Textile Engineers)
John was appointed Managing Director of Alfred Briggs Sons & Co Ltd in 1969.

Between 1993 and 2000, he was a Non-Executive Director of Dewsbury Health Care NHS Trust, holding a variety of posts, including Vice-Chairman, Chair of Disciplinary Panel and Chair of Personnel Interview Panel.

John is an active member of a number of local charitable and Trust organisations.

Cllr. Amanda Stubley
Trustee
Councillor – Batley East
Amanda is the Batley East ward councillor and is a member of the Planning Sub-Committee (Heavy Woollen Area), Licensing Panel, Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Well-Being and Communities, Licensing and Safety Committee, Regulatory Panel, Area Committee - Batley, Birstall and Birkenshaw, and Town and Valley Committee - Batley, Birstall & Birkenshaw.

Melanie Brooke
Trustee
Vice Principal – Kirklees College
Melanie Brooke is currently employed as Vice Principal Corporate Services for the newly formed Kirklees College.

She is playing a lead role bringing together Huddersfield Technical College and Dewsbury College to form Kirklees College and has particular responsibility for the directors of human resources, estates and facilities, learner support and marketing and communications.

She is an HR professional as well as a member of the actor’s union Equity! Melanie is a keen tennis player and her family all enjoy an active lifestyle.

She said: “I am looking forward to contributing to the healthy living agenda across Kirklees and am sure that as a board member I will learn as much as I am able to contribute."

Bruce M. Deadman
Trustee
Retired
Bruce has a wealth of experience following 34 years in sports education, directorship and consultancy.

Starting his career as a PE teacher, Bruce quickly moved to Head of Department at Whitcliffe Mount Grammar School and then Sports Centre Manager at Whitcliffe in 1975.

Working for Kirklees Council, he was Recreation Development Officer and then Assistant Director (Indoor) in 1984.

Bruce was a Management Consultant to the Student Games in Sheffield in 1991, then lectured on Sport and Leisure at Barnsley College before retiring.

Satnam Khela
Trustee
Businessman
Originally trained as a teacher, Satnam went into business in 1981.This foray into business included the development of public houses, supermarkets, wine bars, restaurants, various property developments, nightclubs and a thriving outside catering business.

He helped establish a commercial radio station ‘Home FM’ (now Pennine FM) partnering the Huddersfield Examiner. He has served as a member on the local strategic partnership, governing council member of the University of Huddersfield, governor at Greenhead College one of the leading sixth form colleges in the country.

Satnam is an ex trustee, committee member and business adviser to The Sikh Leisure Centre, currently serving as a trustee and an ex committee member of the Sikh Temple, Prospect St and an ex member of the Huddersfield Town Centre Association. In addition he is a level three qualified hockey coach and is involved with a number of teams and age groups at both regional and national level.

Julie Muscroft
Trustee
Partner – Walker Morris Solicitors Leeds
Julie is a partner in Walker Morris’s Public Sector and Projects Team.

Before this Julie spent 12 years as a solicitor in local government, specialising on local authority projects, PFI and company and commercial issues as well as general local government law and vires.

From 1993 until 1999, Julie was a principal legal officer and team leader of the Commercial and Company Legal Team at Kirklees Council.

Dawn Stephenson
Trustee
Director Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust
Born in Huddersfield and educated at Huddersfield New College, Dawn is a Director of the Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust.

Before this Dawn has held a number of board level positions in the NHS including Chief Executive of Huddersfield Central PCT, Director of Finance & Information, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, Acting Chief Executive of Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust.

Dawn is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.

 Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the Board can be summarised as follows:

• To agree and work towards KAL's Vision of "More people, more active, more often"
• Working with the Chief Executive and the Strategic Management Team, make strategic policy and planning decisions
• Developing effective policies for KAL, that reflect current good practice
• To approve and monitor KAL's various activities and initiatives
• Ensuring adequate financial resources are available
• Providing effective strategic governance of the Trust, including proactive risk management
• Acting as strong advocates for KAL, positively promoting the work of the Trust wherever possible
• Recruiting new Trustees where necessary and ensuring that they are properly inducted into their role
• Responsibility for ensuring that KAL operates in an environment where effective health & safety management is a priority
• Selecting a Chief Executive where necessary and objectively reviewing their performance on a regular basis
• Ensuring that KAL operates as a responsible and good employer
• Understanding the relationship between the KAL Board and the staff of the Trust and their respective roles.

The KAL Board meets every two months.

A number of Board sub groups are also in place, to consider key aspects of the Trust, as follows:

• KAL Audit Committee
• KAL Health & Safety Sub Group
• KAL People First Sub Group
• KAL Strategic Development Sub Group
• Kirklees Active Leisure Trading Limited (a separate company, established as a trading subsidiary responsible for the more commercial aspects of KAL's operation)