Fiercely Independent, always affordable, forever inclusive.
MELLISH SPORTS CENTRE TEAM
Meet the people who work at Mellish sport centre!
Mellish sport centre is served by two groups: our brilliant on-the-ground staff and Mellish sport centre Board of Directors. You will see our staff smiling at you as you come in, while the Board meet on a weekly and monthly basis to undertake high-level decision making to ensure the long-term success of Mellish sport centre.
JO DEXTER
Centre Manager, member of the Board of Directors, "The Gaffer"
Jo has been the Centre Manager of the Mellish since April 2021. She has been in the fitness industry for over 30 years, teaching just about every type of class you can imagine. She also has ample experience managing facilities, brands, and members.
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Her passions are staying 'present', family time, exploring the great outdoors, and all things flora and fauna. She has been involved in the development of CBF and Mellish since the very beginning. Her goal is to keep Mellish a cut above your average sports centre.
RISTEARD "RISH" MCDONALD
Member of the Board of Directors
Rish is a Civil Servant currently working as Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equalities at the Office of Rail and Road and has worked in various Government roles since 2017. They specialise in making organisations more inclusive, and they are also pursuing a PhD in Psychosocial Studies.
Rish supports the Board in all decision making but has a particular interest in social media, branding, and strategy.
Rish is the son of the late Richard McDonald who started CBF Gymnasiums in a shed in Bulwell in 1993.
RAE HAYWARD
Member of the Board of Directors
Rachael 'Rae' Hayward provides the 'People' or 'Human resources' (HR) expertise to the Board and centre Manager.
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Rae has been in HR for longer than she can remember: she is currently Head of People for an IT technology business with just under 200 employees in the UK and Europe. She works directly with the shareholder board providing HR expertise to translate business strategy in people-related activities.
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She enjoys all things fitness and loves nothing more than lifting weights - she loves to push the boundaries, including her own! She has been a member of Mellish for around a decade, even before it became CBF. As our 'People' lead, Rae loves that the Mellish team know members by name and are always willing to help.
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