Sport England has announced that Tim Hollingsworth will stand down as CEO at the end of July, after six years at the helm.

Hollingsworth has been in sports leadership roles for 20 years, including seven years as CEO of the British Paralympic Association before taking up the Sport England role. He says he is going to take a break and recharge, before finding other ways to serve the sector. In a statement he paid tribute to the friends, colleagues, sporting partners, organisations and five Sports Ministers he was worked with as part of the job.

“Being chief executive of Sport England has been an enormous privilege and the past six years have been among the most fulfilling of my professional life,” he says. “It is one of the very best jobs in sport. I have never lost the sense of purpose that the job instils, nor the desire to make a difference – particularly to those in our community who need it most.

“I will remain forever grateful for the opportunity and proud of what we have achieved; our response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the publication of our Uniting the Movement strategy and our radically different ways of investing through system and place partners are three particular high points."

Sport England chair, Chris Boardman, says Hollingsworth showed transformative vision and has energised a disengaged sector: “Tim worked tirelessly to engage partners nationwide and empower local communities, giving them the autonomy to create partnerships and develop approaches that harnessed their unique knowledge and passion.

“Through Uniting the Movement, Tim introduced an innovative approach to tackling inactivity and promoting physical activity, with a strong emphasis on supporting the communities that needed it most. His bold vision is what inspired me to pursue the chair position.”

Prior to his departure, Hollingsworth will finalise key strategic priorities for Sport England, including negotiations with the government as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review and continued delivery of Uniting the Movement, Sport England’s 10-year strategy for the sport and physical activity sector.

The search for his successor is being led by Helen Soulsby and David James at Elevate Talent.