UK Deaf Sport is delighted to announce the appointment of Fil Kamps and Rebecca Foster MBE to the Board of Directors.

Nick Brookes, Chair of the Board, said: “I am delighted that Fil and Rebecca will be joining the Board. Both bring many years of experience from participating in and coaching deaf sport. I look forward to their contribution to Board discussions and to working with them in delivering UK Deaf Sport’s vision”.

Fil Kamps said: “I’m thrilled to join the board of UK Deaf Sport. Sport has been such a large part of my life since I was a young lad, and after retiring from football having represented the England and Great Britain deaf national teams, I’m keen to continue to have a meaningful positive impact on deaf sports from grassroots to the elite level.”

Fil is an experienced Continuous Improvement and Technology manager with a demonstrated history of achievement in the public sector & charity sector at a board level. He brings expertise in project & programme management, digital transformation, financial and risk management. Fil is deaf and has represented Great Britain and England Deaf men’s football teams at the Deaflympics and World Cup. Fil is the Continuous Improvement Lead at Kent County Council, Chair of the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, Ambassador for the Mintridge Foundation and the Kent Disability Football League.

Rebecca said “I am looking forward to working at a strategic level with UKDS to raise deaf awareness in hearing communities and supporting hard of hearing people having access to physical activity in all our communities”.

Rebecca is a Principal Lecturer and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).  She has worked as a Physical Education teacher, Head of Department, Deputy Head of Pastoral Care, and a Partnership Development Manager in Yorkshire. She currently teaches on the PE and Coaching undergraduate degree and is Course Leader for MSc Disability Inclusion in Sport and Physical Activity at the University of Worcester.

Her own research interests are on disability, specifically deaf sport (athletics).  This interest arose from competing as an International heptathlete and upon retiring learnt British Sign Language and then volunteered as a coach for UK Deaf Sport for over 12 years. This afforded her to travel abroad for three consecutive Deaflympic competitions.