New MD for the Surrey Sports Park
Monday 2 March 2009
The University of Surrey is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Harborow as Managing Director of its new Surrey Sports Park. He will have overall responsibility for the commercial development of this important new sporting facility and for building relationships with corporate partners and regional stakeholders. He took up his position on 2nd March. The £35 million Surrey Sports Park which is owned by the University is due to be completed and opened by January 2010.
Jason has worked in a variety of leadership roles with major sporting and cultural organisations. He managed the Liverpool Culture Company which supported Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year of 2008, was responsible for the management of the Rugby League World Cup, handled all commercial income generation for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games and as Managing Director of RE: Activ, part of the RE: Media group, a leading sports merchandising and licensing operator, he has worked closely with some of Europe’s largest sporting brands.
Jason will have full responsibility for the running of the new Sports Park and will work closely with the University’s Director of Sport and Corporate Services team. He will also be responsible for developing a wide range of sponsorship and corporate partnership agreements for the Surrey Sports Park designed to attract major companies and their employees in the local area and provide them with a range of opportunities and benefits.
Commenting on his appointment, Jason said, “I am extremely excited about the opportunity I have to launch the new Surrey Sports Park. It is a great time for sport in this country with the Olympics and Paralympics coming to London in just over 3 years time. The facilities being built are magnificent and will present a range of outstanding commercial opportunities as well as a chance for people of all ages and skill levels from Surrey to use the Sports Park to keep fit, play competitive sport, have fun or just socialise”.
Welcoming the appointment, Greg Melly, Director of Corporate Services at the University of Surrey said: “This is a very important appointment for the University. We are delighted to have secured such an experienced professional to the role to help us to develop the Surrey Sports Park and to help us to achieve our goal to deliver a range of top-class sporting facilities and services not just to our staff and students, but to the county, region and beyond”.
Spread across 80 acres of University land in Guildford, the Surrey Sports Park will provide the region with unrivalled facilities to underpin and develop the sporting success of the area. The new centre will be the best equipped venue in the South East boasting state-of-the-art facilities which will include a 50 metre swimming pool, three multi-purpose sports halls, eight outdoor floodlit tennis courts, two floodlit artificial grass pitches, a 100 station health and fitness suite and a 350 seat café and social area.
Not only will the Surrey Sports Park facilitate able bodied sporting excellence, it will also provide first rate facilities and access for disabled athletes and selection as an official training venue for the Paralympic Games in 2012 emphasised its top rate provision for disability sport.
Media Enquiries
Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk