Preparations for Birmingham’s largest ever sport and cultural event are gathering pace following the first meeting of the newly-appointed Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Board.

John Crabtree, Chair of the Organising Committee, welcomed the new board members, who will together oversee the planning and staging of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, to be held across Birmingham and the West Midlands from 27 July to 7 August 2022.

Commonwealth Games England Chair, Ian Metcalfe, and Senior Independent Director, Simon Ball, are representing the Host Association on the Organising Committee Board.

The board comprises sports, civic and business experts and leaders representing Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority, the UK Government, Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games England.

Ian Metcalfe said: 

"I’m delighted to be joining the Board of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee at such an exciting time, with a home Games now less than four years away. I’m looking forward to being part of the organisation of these Games, not only as Chairman of Commonwealth Games England, the Host Association, but also as a member of the Board of the Organising Committee, under the capable and inspiring leadership of John Crabtree. I’m sure that as a Board we can help to shape the Games into one of the best ever and to capitalise on this unique opportunity for my home city of Birmingham, the West Midlands, and the UK as a whole.”

Simon Ball said: 

“To be so closely involved in the Birmingham 2022 Games is an exciting opportunity and I very much look forward to being a part of the team. Myself and everyone else at Commonwealth Games England are thrilled about hosting a home Games in 2022 and I’m committed to doing all I can to make the Games a success for ourselves and the broader Commonwealth stakeholder community.”

John Crabtree, Chair of the Birmingham Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, said: 

“Birmingham 2022 will be a defining moment for us all. I am thrilled to be leading a board who will be passionately committed to delivering an outstanding event to inspire the Commonwealth, and an inclusive, ambitious event to benefit and galvanise everyone across the city and region. The board brings a wealth of sporting, civic and business experience and local knowledge, making sure we make the most of this wonderful opportunity for Birmingham, the West Midlands and the whole of the UK.”

The board also includes two Non-Executive Directors appointed by Jeremy Wright, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Jonathan Browning, Chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and Zara Hyde Peters OBE, former Commonwealth Games athlete, have been appointed for four years and eight months.

Members of the board will serve until 30 June 2023 following the delivery of the Games.

At the first meeting on Thursday 6 September, the board established governance procedures, discussed the vision and mission of the Games and received a detailed briefing on progress. Work to date has focused on strategic planning, venue planning, budget forecasting, early transport modelling and the start of a procurement programme which – in keeping with previous Games - will see valuable contracts and opportunities extended to local, regional and national companies.

The board meeting is the latest in a series of early milestones delivered by the Games Partners since Birmingham was awarded the Commonwealth Games in December 2017. Recruitment for a permanent Chief Executive is underway; and the first wave of job opportunities at the Organising Committee have been published on birmingham2022.com

Members of the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee Board are:

  • John Crabtree (Chairman)
  • Ian Ward (Leader of Birmingham City Council) - Birmingham City Council
  • Tim Pile (Chair of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership) – Birmingham City Council
  • Ian Metcalfe (Chair of Commonwealth Games England) - Commonwealth Games England
  • Simon Ball (Senior Independent Director, Commonwealth Games England) - Commonwealth Games England
  • Louise Martin (President of Commonwealth Games Federation) - Commonwealth Games Federation
  • David Grevemberg (CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation) - Commonwealth Games Federation
  • Helen Judge (Director General, DCMS) - Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
  • Dame Julie Moore (formerly CEO, University Hospitals Birmingham) - Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
  • Jonathan Browning (Chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership) - Non-Executive Director
  • Zara Hyde Peters OBE (Director of Integration and Transformation at North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group and former Commonwealth Games triathlete) - Non-Executive Director.

Further appointments to the board will follow.