Patrons

Born in Mansfield in 1989 and educated at The Brunts School, Rebecca is Great Britain’s most successful Olympic swimmer, with four Olympic medals including two golds.

She is currently joint holder of the record as Great Britain’s most decorated female Olympian.

– 2008 Olympic Games — two gold medals
– 2012 Olympic Games — two bronze medals

Born in Mansfield in 1975. Television and radio presenter, and a former host of Blue Peter. His first job in the media was with BBC Radio Nottingham.

His career includes The Big Breakfast, Top of the Pops, Young Voters’ Question Time, Hotel Babylon and The Thick of It. More recently he presented the Big Painting Challenge alongside Una Stubbs.

Richard now lives in America and, with almost 1.5 million followers, has one of the most widely followed accounts of any British personality on social media.

Previously a teacher at Manor School in Mansfield. England U18 National Netball Coach, appointed National Senior Netball Coach in 1991, and in 1998 appointed Head of Selection for England Netball.

In 2000 she represented Europe with the International Netball Federation, with responsibility for the development of netball coaching globally.

Placed second in the BBC Sports Personality Unsung Hero award in 2010.

Mansfield’s Paralympic gold medallist, Charlotte Henshaw, accepted our invitation to become a Patron of the Armchair Club, joining a strong list of patrons who support our efforts in many different ways.

Charlotte says she was always appreciative of the continued support given to her, and looks forward to supporting as much Armchair Club activity as possible.

As a boy, Bryan Steel was uninterested in school and not especially athletic. Then he discovered a talent for cycling, which gave him both an outlet and a passion.

He joined cycling clubs and made it into the British cycling team at a time when it was not yet recognised for excellence. Bryan took part in the revolutionary change programme that catapulted the team onto the world stage. He competed at four Olympic Games, winning bronze in the team pursuit in 2000 and silver in 2004.

Bryan has worked with Sport England, the Youth Sport Trust, the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and DARE UK to design, deliver and manage mentoring schemes.

Golfer. Born in Mansfield in 1980, Oliver began his career at Coxmoor Golf Club and turned professional in 2003.

He made his Ryder Cup debut in 2008 and has nine runner-up finishes on the European Tour. In 2014 he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

Mansfield born and bred, Bill Taylor was involved in business locally for over 50 years and was a founder member of Mansfield 2020.

A keen sportsman, Bill is a lifelong Stags supporter and a founder member of Mansfield Running Club. He has run the London Marathon five times, raising money for charity. He enjoyed refereeing football and still plays golf at Coxmoor Golf Club, where he is a member.

Bill spent over 30 years as a member of the Armchair Club supporting local sportsmen and women. He is a Freeman of the City of London and remains heavily involved in planning Mansfield’s Christmas Lights each year.

John Sankey was one of the founders of the Armchair Club in 1982, when six local businessmen responded to a call for help from Mansfield Town Football Club and got together to raise funds. The club quickly broadened its approach and began raising money to support local sportsmen and women across the district.

Over £200,000 has been raised, and it has all gone to local people. To honour John’s support of the Armchair Club over 37 years, the members invited him to become a Trustee of the AC Sports Foundation Trust, a position he gratefully accepted.