Vicky Neal has been appointed Head of Foundation at Cambridge United Football Club...
Vicky comes into the role to replace Sam Gomarsall. Vicky has worked at the Abbey Stadium for almost two and a half years. She was previously Head of Operations at the Community Trust, heading up the Wellbeing, Inclusion & Community Engagement programmes. She will provide a strategic and operational lead for the Community Trust and assist in its growth moving forward, as it looks to re-brand to become a Foundation in 2023.
Vicky’s career prior to Cambridge United was spent as a teacher at the Gretton School for autistic children and young people aged from 5-19 years old, and she has been an important cog in the Community Trust’s growth over the past two years. Vicky will be leading a team of 26 staff, investing over £500,000 annually into our local community across 20 projects.
Delighted to be given the role, Vicky commented, “I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to become Head of Foundation. We have a fantastic team of staff at (what is currently) the Community Trust and it’s an exciting time as we look to transition to become Cambridge United Foundation.
"Having worked both in a special school for nine years, including as Head of PE, and at the Community Trust for the last two years, I know the real power that sport can have to enhance lives for the better and the way that Cambridge United Football Club helps to unite our community. I am excited to build on the work that we’ve done in the past few years and take Cambridge United’s work in the community to the next level.”
Graham Daniels said about the decision to appoint Vicky, “The Trustees and I were delighted to appoint Vicky to lead the Trust/Foundation. She has worked very closely with Sam and knows our strategy, policy and practices very well indeed. Further, and more importantly, she is an excellent team player who has developed an outstanding and trusted relationship with the staff. Vicky grew up in Cambridge, she loves the city and is thoroughly committed to the cause of serving our community.”
Cambridge United Community Trust engaged with over 9,000 individuals last year through their 20+ projects, which use the power of sport and the brand of Cambridge United Football Club to empower our local community and change lives.
Sam became the Community Trust Manager in September 2019. In his time heading up the charity, the Community Trust won five different awards including English Football League (EFL) Community Project of the Year in 2020 & EFL Sustainability Award in 2022. In 2021, Sam and his team set forward their three-year strategy “At the Heart of Our Community” to create a stronger, healthier & more equal community.
Chair of Trustees, Graham Daniels, paid tribute to the hard work that Sam put in over his tenure, commenting, “It has been a real pleasure to observe Sam’s leadership over the last three and a half years. He has modelled humility, hard work and a rigorous dedication to turning strategy into very effective practice. In particular, he led the whole football club in serving our community through the devastation of the COVID lockdown. We thank Sam for leaving the Trust/Foundation in excellent shape, which is the mark of outstanding leadership.”
If you would like to take part in any of our programmes or engage in any other way, please check out our website www.cuctrust.co.uk or get in contact by emailing communitytrust@cambridgeunited.com or calling 01223 632129.