Member re-appointments to the Board of Sport Northern Ireland

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has re-appointed Denise McElrea and Wendy Elliott Members to the Board of Sport NI from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2029.

Denise and Wendy have been Sport NI Board Members since 1 August 2021.

Sport NI was established in 1973 to develop sport and physical recreation in Northern Ireland, in line with the Recreation and Youth Service (NI) Order 1986 and is an Arm's-Length Body of the Department for Communities (DfC). Its main objective is the furtherance of sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport and Physical Activity – ‘Active Living' – sets out a vision of: ‘Lifelong involvement in sport and physical activity will deliver an active, healthy, resilient and inclusive society which recognises and values both participation and excellence.'
 

Notes to editors:

1. Board Member positions are unpaid and require a commitment of at least 24 days per year. All Board positions can claim reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.

2. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland's (CPA NI) Code of Practice. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, CPA NI requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Any relevant details are provided in the below biographies.

3. Biographical details:

Denise McElrea is the Head of Governance & Human Resources at NILGOSC. With over 20 years' experience in the field of governance and risk, Denise brings a wealth of experience to Sport NI. A member of The Chartered Governance Institute, with a Masters in Management and Corporate Governance as well as an Advanced Certificate in Sports Governance & Administration from The Chartered Governance Institute, Denise has worked across a number of third and public sector organisations including the Housing Executive, Age NI, Helm Housing, and most recently Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Denise has a particular interest in grassroots sport and the governance structures that support them. She was the Club Secretary for St Mary's Football Club for almost 13 years and played a key role in growing the club's participation numbers and the foundations for the creation of girl's teams and a senior men's team, with successful admission to the Amateur League. She also volunteered as a mentor for the charity Sported (NI) for 8 years. Denise has also used her skills and experience to sit on a number of Boards including the Irish FA Foundation and Ark Housing.  She does not hold any other public appointments and has not undertaken any political activity in the last five years.

Wendy Elliott - Following on from a series of appointments as Branch Manager within the Nationwide Building society, Wendy played a key role in the formation of the South Tyrone Area Partnership. She performed the role of Strategic Partnership Manager to the Board. More recently she was regional Fundraising Manager at the National Trust, where she successfully secured £20m to facilitate the delivery of many transformation projects, including the restoration of Mount Stewart mansion house and the development of world class visitor facilities at the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland's only world heritage site. Wendy has always been interested in sport and is a firm believer in the power of sport for our health, wellbeing and self-esteem. Currently a member of Bangor Golf Club, Wendy plays competitively for several teams. She also assists with junior golf coaching over the summer months. She is Treasurer for the North Down Ladie's Alliance (golf) and is an avid rugby fan and season ticket holder for Ulster Rugby. She does not hold any other public appointments and has not undertaken any political activity in the last five years.