The Sports & Recreation Trusts Association (Sporta) has appointed Brian Leonard, a former lead policy director for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), as its chief executive.

As part of his role, Leonard will present and pursue a strategic view of Sporta's opportunities as he heads up the organisation's day to day operations and negotiations with Government departments and other stakeholders.

He spent 10 years as a senior civil servant at the DCMS and was lead policy director across a number of areas, including tourism and leisure industries, libraries and communities.

During recent years he led policy on, among others, the Licensing Act, film tax negotiations with the EU and the Millennium programme, as well as coordinating the local, regional and European aspects of culture, media and sport policies, and heading up the competition for the European Capital of Culture.

He said: "I will use my role to help gather, employ and disseminate the group's expertise of leadership, as well as drawing upon my background in government policy to ensure Sporta's views and opinions are heard."