Meet Active Sussex’s chief executive

In a weekly series, Active Sussex introduces its staff and trustees.

Sadie Mason, MBE is the Chief Executive at Active Sussex and has worked with the organisation since August 2005.

Here we find our more about her passion for basketball – in which she has represented Great Britain – and the skills and knowledge she brings to the team.

Why do you enjoy working for Active Sussex?

The organisational objectives and values very much fit with my own values in terms of keeping people active in a way that they enjoy and feel safe taking part in.

It’s an inclusive environment, where we genuinely feel we can make a positive difference to each individual or organisation we come into contact with.

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

Basketball – of course! I was a junior and senior international basketball player for Great Britain and England from 1977-1995.

I am the curent non-executive director on the Board of the British Basketball Federation (also known as GB Basketball) and the current non-executuve director on the Board of Basketball England.

I am also the current programme director for GB Maxibasketball – a national teams programme for male and female players aged 35+ and beyond.

It has been running since 2018, and I competed in the World Maxibasketball Championship 2019 (Finland) winning GB’s first ever medal on a global platform.

I went on to win a further medal for Great Britain at the European Maxibasketball Championship 2022 (Spain) and will be heading to my second World Championship later this year (August) in Argentina!

I still enjoy playing local league basketball with Brighton Cougars, and they are a fab and inclusive team, but most are half my age and twice my speed!

However, for me, involvement in masters basketball offers age inclusive participation in performance sport, i.e. providing the opportunity for older players to extend their playing careers at a high level, and on an international platform. #OldIsGold 

What skills and knowledge do you have to help make a difference at Active Sussex?

I have gained a mix of skills and experience since graduating from the University of Brighton.

Firstly, I understands the challenges and priorities of the education sector having qualified as a PE and science teacher and taught in North London for two years. I then became a partnership development manager at Beacon Community College.

Secondly, I have experience of working in the public sector as I was a banker in London’s West End. Hopefully this gives assurance to stakeholders that Active Sussex’s finance is in good hands!

I have good working relationships with local authority partners developed over 15 years in Sussex. 

I am a former Sport England employee and board member, so developed good working relationships with our external funders, which helps to understand national policy and how we can translate this locally in Sussex.  

I am a current associate non-executive director with NHS University Hospital Sussex, so I am able to better understand how sport and physical activity can influence or support public health policy priorities.  

On top of that I have been active in sports administration (volunteering, coaching, officiating) and participation for more than 45 years, so I understand the social capital that sport and physical activity can bring to communities.

As a non-executive director with Basketball England and GB Basketball, I understand the workings of national governing bodies of sport, and their priorities for the delivery of sport locally.

Plus, I bring experience of the challenges/barriers that women and people from diverse backgrounds can face in being physically active.

Sadie, along with the GB team, will head to Argentina on August 24 to take part in the World Maxibasketball Championship 2023.  All the teams are self-funded, so they have to fundraise to support their teammates/staff to get out there. If you would like to support the team, visit their Go Fund Me sponsorship page.