Arabian School of Gymnastics is a registered Children’s charity in the sport of gymnastics. The club survival is down to fund raising events and generosity from individuals or businesses.
The Community Foundation and Sport MK have, for many years, supported the club in its development. Clubs sponsors “The Engineering Quest” have donated funding to help Arabian evolve into a better club year after year. The Board of Trustees are all volunteers whom offer their time freely to support the charity and to ensure its continued pathway is always the best possible route.
Our gratitude is always with the following board members who support us.
Lee Brooks – Chairman
Lee has been volunteering and helping out at Arabian since his daughter Emilee started there over 12 years ago and has many friends at the club. Lee has over 30 years’ business experience in a variety of management roles and believes his commercial awareness, ‘anything is possible’ attitude and attention to detail enable him to drive the club towards being the best gymnastics club in the region.
With the support, help and guidance of Donna and Claire, and the rest of the trustees, he strives to ensure we always do the right thing for the club, staff and gymnasts.
He always has the well being of the gymnasts and coaches firmly in the forefront of any decisions that are put to the trustees.
Graham Howton – Vice Chairman
Graham started his career in Engineering and quickly moved to sales. He progressed from engineering sales through to IT and has been in Cyber Security for the last 18 years working for companies such as Cisco Systems and McAfee.
More recently he has specialised in pioneering the European and Middle East markets for new technology USA start-ups. He has an immense amount of experience in developing companies and markets and building teams.
He has had two daughters through Arabian over the years, Alysha and Kyla who is now continuing with a career as Lead Coach.
Annie Thompson – Treasurer
Annie is a straight talker, who has been running finance teams in small and large businesses for the past 10 years, up to Finance Director level.
She now runs her own business teaching business owners how to use their numbers to make the right decisions at the right time.
She believes that getting the finances right are at the heart of developing a successful organisation and has also seen, on many occasions, what happens when that part of a business goes wrong.
She has come on board to help Arabian get that area working as well as it can, and also to help us grow as a whole, along with the other Trustees.
Jaye Thompson – Secretary
Jaye has been associated with Arabian for many years. Her daughter Lucy has represented the club in many competition both home and abroad.She was a fantastic coach teaching the younger development groups, but unfortunately due to on going back problems she had to retire from coaching. Jaye is a qualified Womens Artistic Judge and attends County & Regional competitions to represent Arabian.
As her day job is The Client Coordinator at the Hair and Beauty Department of Bletchley College, she is the ideal super organised person to take on the role of Secretary
Lindsey Charlesworth
Lindsey is the Head of Human Resources for Suzuki GB PLC and as a trustee for Arabian provides us with HR guidance and support (as well as to other small and medium size businesses in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas with her private consultancy business).
She is very experienced and has held many senior management roles, Lindsey understands the link between strategy and effective HR and works to ensure everyone appreciates their role and is pulling in the right direction.
Lindsey is a fully qualified professional with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPD) topped with a master’s degree in human resource management
Kevin Gibbs
Kevin has been associated with Arabian for many years. Both his daughters have attended Arabian and Poppy was one of the gymnasts that represented us at many competitions both home and abroad.
He is our go to DIY expert and can often be seen at the gym.
If something needs repairing or building or basically if it needs a drill, saw or hammer, the shout goes up of call Kev !
Part of the Board of Trustees for many years Kevin still donates his time to support the team at monthly meetings.
Isabel Hopper
Anthony Clark