Jennifer Thomas has joined the England Netball Board ©England Netball

England Netball has appointed Jennifer Thomas as a non-executive director on its Board, offering support in the areas of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Thomas was appointed following what was described as a "thorough recruitment process" conducted alongside Sport England.

A former 400 metres hurdler for England, Thomas recently co-founded Optimising Performance Utilising Science, which looks to develop the athletic abilities and personal brands of young people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Thhomas is also working with pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline to support inclusion and diversity, and was previously Direct Line Group's director of international communications, experience and sustainability.

"We are very pleased to welcome Jennifer to the England Netball Board, she has a strong sporting background and is committed to equality and diversity within sport," said Colin Povey, chair of the England Netball Board.

"Several months ago, we held a number of 'Here to Listen Forums' which were joined by over 200 members of the netball family to discuss racism, and the behaviours players had experienced when playing netball, and more recently we held forums to hear from LGBT+ members. 

"We look forward to Jennifer helping us to continue these conversations, looking at the different experiences of those who participate in our sport and ensuring equality and diversity is at the forefront of everything we do as we develop our future strategies.

"I’m really looking forward to working with Jennifer going forward and would like to wish her all the best of luck in this new position."

England's netball team - reigning Commonwealth Games champions - are currently ranked third in the world ©Getty Images
England's netball team - reigning Commonwealth Games champions - are currently ranked third in the world ©Getty Images

Thomas expressed her passion for the sport and pledged to help make netball in England more inclusive.

"I’ve always loved netball, and I believe it can be accessible to so many people from any demographic background, ensuring it is as inclusive and open to all," said Thomas.

"I want to help represent the voices of those who may feel they are not always heard in the community and help England Netball to expand its reach even further into these communities.

"England Netball has the opportunity to make a real difference to players lives. 

"The netball community has already shared its thoughts and experiences so it’s important we listen, identify the gaps and challenges and have a tangible plan to evolve and improve. 

"Working with, and alongside, our communities will enable us to do this and I will use my experience and expertise to support along the way."