Chair

RACHEL FOWLER

Rachel Fowler, MA MSc has over 37 years of experience in the UK physical activity sector. She is Managing Director of Strategic Leisure Limited (SLL), specialist physical activity, sport and leisure consultants.

She has a wealth of knowledge and experience across the sector, with an extensive network of contacts. 

Passionate about the impact movement, physical activity and sport can have on individuals and communities, Rachel has spent her career delivering projects and studies aimed at increasing opportunities for people to be active, developing facilities and services and setting long-term strategies for provision. 

She sees working with the MSP team, Board and wider partners as a significant opportunity to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of Liverpool City Region communities through movement, physical activity and sport. 

Rachel’s active life: Out of work she enjoys going to the gym and spin classes, running and walking the Shropshire countryside with her two golden retrievers.  Rachel is also a keen gardener and also travels as much as possible.

Chief Executive Officer of MSP

JUSTINE BLOMELEY

Cameron Jones is VP R&D Unilever & Head of Port Sunlight site. He graduated with 1st class Hons & PhD from Strathclyde University and joined Unilever as a management trainee. Cameron has 25 years’ experience in business; working in R&D, Supply Chain & Marketing and various countries (UK, Japan & US) in Home and Personal Care Categories (Deodorant, Hair, Household Cleaners). Over the years, Cameron has created various high-performing teams that have delivered results; in his current role, he has sat on a board that has added over €2 Billion in turnover in the last 4 years. Cameron’s has passion for people; he invests time and personal development in his team and acknowledges that it is a team who drives successes. In the last 12 months he has seen 6 of his employees promoted to Director level from managers across Unilever. He believes employee development is key to driving business success and doing the right thing is the most important value in driving business today. Cameron is a passionate, hardworking, intelligent, highly committed and a structured thinker, and all these qualities come across in everything he does.

Cameron’s active life: “As much as I’d like to world class athlete representing my Scotland more than anything else, am afraid it isn’t going to happen so I keep active as I believe in healthy body healthy mind.”

What was Cameron’s favourite School Sports Day activity?: “Tug of War… This was the last event of the day (the top event) and was performed in front of the school.”

LCC Host, Welfare and Safety Support

JESSICA JEFFREYS

Jessica Jeffreys is the Head of Transformation for Leisure and Physical Activity at Liverpool City Council.  Jess has over ten years’ experience working in public health, leisure and organisational design services. Jess has worked both within local government and private health service roles and therefore has a great deal of knowledge and understanding of these sectors.

Jess previously worked as the Director of Communities at Brio Leisure CIC and set up the companies integrated wellbeing service for which the company won best UK Leisure provider in 2019 and was recognised by Public Health England as providing one of the top 5 smoking cessation services in the UK.

Jess has previously led transformation work for Wirral Council on its Addition and Substance misuse services as well supporting transformation of HR, Property and Children’s Services.  Jess has a desire to improve health and social inequalities across not just Liverpool but across the whole of the Liverpool City Region.

Jess’s active life: Jess enjoys walking outdoors, especially whilst listening to an audio book or music. Jess loves walking her two rescue dogs in the woods and alongside the Mersey.  Jess prefers to exercise outside; however, she is also a member of her local gym and uses the gym for classes aimed at increased strength and flexibility as Jess is keen to age well!

SIMON O'BRIEN

For almost forty years Simon has successfully combined dual media careers of acting and presenting. His acting has involved sitcoms, soaps (most notably his role in Brookside), children’s TV and theatre. His presenting work has included radio and also TV, including travel programmes, football shows, property programmes and upcycling shows, recently winning both a BAFTA and an RTS award.  Simon is also a property developer and an active campaigner for environmental issues. This (and his love of cycling) led to his leading roles in both LCC and LCRCA in reviewing green spaces and currently promoting active travel in his role as Liverpool City Region Active Travel Commissioner.

Welfare and Safety Support

JUDITH CUMMINGS

I am an exceptional and effective communicator with dynamic relationship building and interpersonal skills, now focused on changes within Social Care Policy and Trans-Culture Psychiatry linking into community engagement.

Creative arts/culture and media are also a passion of mine. I have a wealth of experience in collaborating successfully with TV, Film, radio, press and other media houses in previous roles. This has enabled me to change the perception of Mental Health/LD services and raise awareness of what models of social care provisions are available to our very diverse communities.

Physical activity and generally keeping a balanced healthy lifestyle is extremely important to me. I enjoy power walking around my local park (Sefton), swimming and low impact gym activities. I believe as one ages;  it is extremely important keeping mind, body and soul engaged and active, thus promoting good health and well-being.

IAN PARKINSON

Ian Parkinson, BA (Hons) PgDip MA has over 35 years’ experience of designing city scale development and landscape projects in the UK. He is Director of Parkinson Inc, his own Urban Design and Masterplanning consultancy which he established in 2011. 

He has a working knowledge of the City Region, having worked for a range of Design and Planning Practices, Local Authorities and Charities across Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton and the North West.

He sees working with the MSP Team, Board and Partners as a way to make positive connections between emerging investments and growth sectors, and local communities and places in the City Region – with movement, physical activity and sport as a connecting thread. 

Ian’s active life: Out of work he enjoys adventure and adrenaline sports and exploring different places to see how creating a collective of visitor destinations, particularly along estuaries and coastlines, can make positive changes to the lives of local people through access to new jobs, healthier lifestyles and connected landscapes.

OMID KHAIYAT

Omid is currently a Professor of Musculoskeletal Physiology and Health and the Dean of School of Health and Sport Sciences at Liverpool Hope University. 

Omid is a qualified medical doctor and holds honorary clinical research positions with the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Orthopaedics and Trauma) and University of Liverpool (Department of Musculoskeletal and Aging Science).

Omid has been broadly engaged in healthy ageing research with a particular focus on how muscle health, physical function, and quality of life could be positively impacted by engagement in physical activity. This has led to active and productive involvement in multiple collaborative projects underpinned by community engagement. 

Omid is passionate about making a difference to the health and wellbeing of people in Liverpool City Region through increased physical activity and engagement in sports and is looking forward to sharing his academic knowledge, strategic planning experience, and networks with the MSP team, Board and wider stakeholders. 

He is the founder and chair of international Shoulder Rehabilitation Conference (held biannually at Liverpool Hope University) for which he recently received Certificate of Recognition from Lord Mayor of Liverpool for its contribution to the Liverpool City region.  

Sport has always been a significant part of Omid’s life. He has played several sports including a national level sporting career in table tennis. Along with his busy academic life, Omid ensures he remains physically active through walking, swimming, and gym sessions.

SUE FORSTER

Sue Forster, BSc, MHSc is a retired Consultant in Public Health. Sue has worked in public health for over 30 years and was Director of Public Health in St Helens for 4 years. Sue has worked both within local government and the health service in her roles and therefore has a great deal of knowledge and understanding of these sectors.
Sue is passionate about improving health and wellbeing for communities and individuals alike. She also has a desire to improve health and social inequalities. She sees physical activity as a positive way of improving both physical and mental wellbeing. During her career Sue was particularly passionate about activity to improve mental wellbeing in particular.
Sue sees how supporting the work of MSP team, Board and wider partners can support those aims of improving health and wellbeing especially for those individuals and communities that do not have the same opportunities. This contributes to her personal desire to improve health and social inequalities.
Sue’s active life: In Sue’s retirement she is enjoying more time to enjoy the outdoors. Sue loves walking especially the hills of the Lake District, Yorkshire Dale, the Peak District and North Wales. She also enjoys running and recently completed the Great North Run, ½ marathon. Whilst some injuries and the natural aging process have tailored some of her running, Sue is continuing to go to the gym and build her muscle strength, which she believes is so important for healthy aging.

Senior Independent Board Member

DARREN SIMPKIN

Darren has been Managing Director of Volair Leisure Limited since early 2023, which operates all five of Knowsley Councils leisure services across the borough via an independent company. He is well versed in the provision of public leisure, sports and health & wellbeing services. As part of this role, he closely works with Knowsley Council to support the wider aims to improve health and is a member of its Health & Wellbeing Board.  

In addition to leading a major leisure provision Darren has had a varied commercial career leading businesses primarily in hospitality. This included developing and operating well known branded/unbranded multi-site businesses across the UK. He has also held senior hospitality roles in strategic investment, risk and major project management.  

He sees working with the MSP team, Board and partners as the ideal strong complimentary fit with his day job in advancing physical activity participation across communities to aid health improvement. 

Darren’s active life: Out of work he enjoys going to the gym, golf (beginner), cycling and walking along the many outdoor assets of the Wirral with his dog.

Welfare and Safety Lead

ANDREA FARRELL

Andrea Farrell, MA FCIPD, has 30 years’ experience in corporate HR and people management, working with senior leadership teams in a variety of sectors worldwide and is now Managing Director of her own HR/People consultancy business, Aspire 2 Inspire People Ltd, which has a particular focus on providing support to non-profit organisations.  Andrea is an experienced Executive and Professional Coach and accredited Workplace Mediator and is passionate about helping organisations develop new strategies and behaviours that enhance performance.

Andrea is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and experience to evolve the MSP People Plan and help the organisation achieve its operating goals.

Andrea’s active life: “I enjoy going to keep fit classes when I can, but my main form of exercise is walking my two rescue dogs, Scooby and Gizmo.”

Who is Andrea’s sport or physical activity hero? The England Lionesses.  I would have loved to play football when I was younger, but girls weren’t encouraged to do this when I was at school.  I played with my brothers and their friends though and did give them a run for their money!  Times have changed for the better and it is so refreshing to see opportunities opening and barriers coming down.

EDI Lead

CATHERINE EDMUNDS

Catherine joins the board combining her two passions of physical activity and making it accessible for everyone.

Some of her accolades include project managing a series of autism friendly netball sessions as part of a local netball league initiative, and working on a Sport England project to encourage more disabled people to participate in physical activity’ this involved creating disabled role models on the gym floor in order to break down societal behaviours and attitudes.  Catherine has also worked nationwide with professional sport clubs, to enhance their ability to provide a more inclusive environment for their staff and match day experience for fans.

Catherine’s active life: Catherine has always been a keen athlete and has represented both Merseyside and England in Cross Country running. Although her knees and time no longer allow her to pound the pavements, she does keep healthy through weight training and HIIT sessions, usually incorporating her children into the fun.

MATTHEW WHITE

Matthew is currently an Executive Headteacher of Much Woolton (Liverpool) and St Marie’s (Knowsley) Catholic Primary Schools. This is his second term as an Executive Headteacher, having previously worked for St Ambrose Catholic Primary Academy. He am currently Chair of the Liverpool District Catholic Schools Association and Food For Thought Liverpool and have extensive experience working across the primary education sector within Liverpool.

Matthew’s active life: “I am passionate about physical and mental health and practise what I preach through a love of many sports and activities including rugby, cycling, golf, football, and outdoor/adventurous sports. As a Headteacher, sport is a key driver in my schools to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of our pupils, as well as opening sporting opportunities to all.”

RACHEL FOWLER

Senior Independent Board Member

DARREN SIMPKIN

JUSTINE BLOMELEY

JESSICA JEFFREYS

JUSTINE BLOMELEY

SUE FORSTER