Our organisation structure
Find out more about our teams and how you can play your part in our future
Our team
Our team is growing, as are our facilities and our ambitions. The Department of Sport and Recreation is one team, pulling together to achieve our aim of becoming one of the top 5 modern universities for sport and physical activity by 2025. Sport and Recreation focus effort in three areas; Operations, Business Development, and Sports Development.
Operations
The operational team are responsible for running our fantastic facilities. They’re the face of our services and activities with a focus on customer experience. A range of roles ensure fair usage, fun and promote physical activity. Sections include health and fitness, wetside and dryside activities ensuring the promotion of physical activity. The Health and Fitness team, operating from our brand new 175 station gym kitted out by Technogym will have all the tools to help customers reach their health and fitness goals promoting physical activity and wellness. Our fitness classes will be driven by the world-leading Les Mills programme ensuring our customers receive excellent fitness opportunities.
Our wetside provision allows customers to go for a swim, learn how to swim (with both adult and child lessons) or simply relax in the steam room and sauna. Additionally a range of aqua fitness classes will challenge users to improve their fitness in the pool, we’re not talking old school aqua aerobics we’re talking fun and innovative classes to challenge all users. Our new climbing wall is perfect for developing strength, power and skills not currently available in Portsmouth. Our ski simulator brings the mountains to Portsmouth, this virtual experience will be great for preparing customers for competition and those all important ski trips, Apres ski, unfortunately, not included.
The operations team are key to supporting and delivering world-class events in Ravelin Sports Centre and helping deliver success to Team University of Portsmouth. Naturally as part of the customer experience efficiency and cleanliness will be a key driver of this motivated team. All of this contributes to delivering life-changing experiences through sport and physical activity. We’re building a sense of belonging and pride through sport, creating a community and culture of Portsmouth for life.
Sports Development
Our Sports Development team operates a range of activities that promote excellence in all areas while providing opportunities for every student to excel. Leading our Team University of Portsmouth, a collective of sports clubs across the university from rugby, netball and football to ultimate frisbee, archery and dodgeball. Over 30 clubs are developed through our Sports Development team, from committee training, organising matches, leagues and competitions in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) leagues and cups. Success is the aim here, we’re looking to climb the BUCS league tables and provide our students with the opportunities to excel.
That’s not all we’re about though, we provide opportunities to Play, Train or Compete offering social sessions and campus sport leagues to encourage physical activity - without the training and high level commitment.
The sports development team in addition to this provide sports scholarships to high performing student athletes. A notable previous scholar, Lauren Steadman, a Paratriathlete has over 21 Gold medals, 6 Silver medals (one from the Rio 2016, Paralympics), a double World Champion, 6-time european champion as well as Strictly star and winner of Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins, need we say more. Lauren studied at Portsmouth achieving her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees while competing for Team GB and being supported through her studies and aspirations by the department.
The sports development team start from the ground up promoting grassroots sport in the community as well as developing coaches in schools. Our leadership and development programmes use our knowledge and skills to improve physical activity in the local community while training our students to develop employability skills for the future.
Business development
The business development team looks after a wide range of business functions to ensure Ravelin Sports Centre operates efficiently and sustainably. The marketing team are responsible for the promotion of all activities and services within the Department, working on a range of projects from promoting events, memberships and social activities, this exciting team will drive success within Ravelin Sports Centre. Our systems development team ensure our systems are at the forefront of success, creating innovative solutions to leisure management. With a key eye on sector leading technological advancement our facilities will ensure our systems are connected for a better user experience. Our bookings and finance team deal with corporate block bookings ensuring a good mix of profitable business and subsidy of student activity. Our busy bookings and finance team help the department balance both usage, and the books.To apply for one of our roles, please visit our vacancies page where you can find more information about each role.