British Cycling reveals wide-ranging reform plans
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 11/06/17 11:20pm
British Cycling has announced wide-ranging plans to reform its governance structure.
The governing body says the restructure is designed to change the culture and behaviour across the organisation.
Most of the directors accused of covering up a report into claims of bullying within the GB team will be replaced in changes set to be voted on at an extraordinary general meeting on July 22.
The reforms are also required as, from November, any organisation which wants public money from Sport England or UK Sport must comply with the new Code for Sports Governance, which is intended to raise leadership standards across sport.
British Cycling chairman Jonathan Browning, appointed in February, has spearheaded the reforms, one of which will see him have to reapply if he wants to continue in the role as he must go through an open recruitment process.
The other major changes are the introduction of a limit on the terms directors can serve, seats for elected representatives from Scotland and Wales and the adopting of a target of a minimum of 30 per cent of each gender on the board.
Browning said: "Implementation of the Code for Sports Governance heralds a new era of professionalisation for national governing bodies.
"Sport has grown massively over the past 20 years, with many sports organisations now responsible for significant turnovers which have been entrusted to them by both public and private funders.
"It is therefore only right that we demonstrate the effective stewardship of these funds, delivering value for money and accountability."
The sweeping structural changes mean at least two thirds of those who oversaw the handling of last year's bullying row, not to mention the UK Anti-Doping investigation into claims of wrongdoing within the sport, will have left British Cycling.
The overhaul could be even more dramatic if an independent review's final report into allegations of bullying and discrimination, which follows claims made by former Olympian Jess Varnish and is expected on Wednesday, adds to the sport's recent headaches.
