{"id":398212,"date":"2019-10-15T02:05:14","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T09:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=398212"},"modified":"2019-10-15T06:16:48","modified_gmt":"2019-10-15T13:16:48","slug":"swim-englands-water-polo-chair-resigns-over-governance-failings-poor-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swim-englands-water-polo-chair-resigns-over-governance-failings-poor-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Swim England’s Water Polo Chair Resigns Over ‘Governance Failings & Poor Management’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swim England ‘Governance Failings’ Prompt Resignations<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ian Elliot<\/strong> has resigned from Swim England’s volunteer Water Polo Management Group<\/strong> in protest over \u201clack of leadership, vision and governance… poor management, delivery and a lack of transparency\u201d at the association.<\/p>\n

Eliot’s view echoes many of the criticisms made by Masters in their own dispute with Swim England, which boiled to the surface again of late when three misconduct findings were served on a former Board Chair of Swim England<\/a>. Argument did not end there, as the three women who had complained about the behaviour of Chris Bostock<\/strong> were unhappy with the way he had apologised to two of them, while the third woman has yet to receive an apology weeks after verdict was handed down.<\/p>\n

Criticism of Swim England over its governance and attitude to its stakeholders, now comes from Water Polo chair Elliot, whose resignation follows earlier resignations by all the other committee members. Swim England President, Ian Mckenzie<\/strong>, has had to step in as interim Chair of the Water Polo Management Group.<\/p>\n

In an open letter to Swim England CEO Jane Nickerson<\/strong> giving reasons for his resignation, Elliott cites \u201clack of leadership, vision and governance within Swim England\u201d coupled with \u201cpoor management, delivery and a lack of transparency\u201d.<\/p>\n

In Elliot\u2019s opinion, Swim England has \u201cdenied the Group the opportunity of delivering a meaningful future for the sport\u201d, disregarding its views \u201cdirectly contrary to the recommendation of the Tunnicliffe Report<\/strong>\u201d. The latter was a review of the sport, which led to the Management Group being set up and which Elliot believed Swim England had accepted.<\/p>\n

The resignation coincides with Swim England’s appointment of consultant David Meli<\/strong>\u00a0“to help grow and develop \u2018a great future\u2019 for water polo over the next 12 months” (see statement in full below).<\/p>\n

Elliot\u2019s resignation comes just two weeks after the resignation of the Group\u2019s only other two remaining members, Sarah Dunsbee<\/strong> and Eamonn O\u2019Rourke<\/strong> and of Tim Dunsbee<\/strong>, the England and senior men\u2019s coach.<\/p>\n

Dunsbee stated that the role had \u201cjust become unpleasant and unsatisfying\u201d<\/a> and that in her view the Group \u201cwas undermined by the office staff who make final decisions\u201d, making continuation of her volunteer role untenable.<\/p>\n

Chris Dean<\/strong>, another former member of the Group, who resigned back in 2016 over similar concerns, told Swimming World<\/em> that he believes that the organisation has now lost the consent of the water polo community to act as the sport\u2019s governing body.<\/p>\n