METRO Blind Sport, the London based charity, which creates fun, accessible sport and physical activity opportunities for blind and partially sighted people, has just appointed Tracie Tappenden as its new CEO.
Tracie was formerly CEO of VICTA, a charity that supports children and young adults with visual impairment and their families, before joining New College Worcester.
Tracie said:
“I am very excited to join Metro as CEO. It is a charity that makes a positive difference, creating opportunities for people to get involved.
“Metro has a brilliant team of active volunteers who support our events. I want to build upon that to generate greater engagement in both participants and volunteers.
“I want to increase membership, particularly among young people. I will also be looking to expand what we offer to include social activities to complement the fantastic breadth of sports that we already have.”
Andrew Law, Chairman of Metro, said:
“Tracie joins us at an exciting time as we celebrate our 50th year in 2023. Undoubtedly, there are more events and activities now available for blind and partially sighted people to get involved in, but barriers do still exist for people to get active.
“Tracie will be central to our work in creating opportunities and breaking down the barriers to sports and social participation.”
Tracie has been involved in the sight loss sector for more than thirty years – initially for support for her child who was born blind. She added:
“I’ve experienced the sight loss sector from both sides – as a parent of a visually impaired child and from working in the sector.
“I am passionate about supporting people to reach their full potential. One of my roles at VICTA was to work with young adults, mentoring them and providing training, which enabled them to grow in so many ways. To see them become confident young adults, able to take on the world of work, socialising and family life was the best reward.”
Tracie takes over the reins of the charity from Martin Symcox. She said:
“Martin has done a great job of increasing the activities available to blind and partially sighted people to take part in sports. He will be a tough act to follow.”
Married for 35 years, Tracie has four grown-up children, and three grandchildren and enjoys making ceramics in her spare time.
