Play England announces new Senior Independent Director and Independent Directors
Play England is pleased to announce the appointment of three new Board members who will formally take up their roles at the 2025 AGM: Euan Wilmshurst as Senior Independent Director and Vice Chair, and Catherine Eden and Tom Raymond-Hill as Independent Directors.
These appointments complete the strengthened governance structure introduced at the 2024 AGM, which established an Independent Chair, Senior Independent Director and Independent Directors to enhance independence, transparency and strategic capability across the organisation.
Recruitment opened publicly in September 2025. The aim was to identify senior leaders with substantial national standing, strong governance capability and experience working across complex systems. We sought candidates from beyond the play sector to bring fresh perspective, strategic challenge and the credibility needed to influence policy, planning and national systems at scale.
Their collective expertise spans public policy, governance, leadership development, community engagement, system change and national participation programmes. Together, these appointments bring a breadth of experience that strengthens Play England’s ability to influence policy, shape national debate and deliver the long-term change set out in our bold, new 10-year strategy - It All Starts with Play!
Euan Wilmshurst
Senior Independent Director and Vice Chair
Euan Wilmshurst is the Founder and Principal of KW Strategy, working globally across education, philanthropy and social impact with a strong focus on the early years. His career spans more than thirty years in senior roles at organisations including IBM, Pearson and the LEGO Foundation, where he led global advocacy and helped position Learning through Play within education transformation. He now advises foundations and NGOs such as HundrED, Street Child, Indaba Foundation, Education.org and the Roger Federer Foundation, and serves on the boards of STiR Education, Home-Start UK and Svitlo Education. Euan brings deep expertise in governance, partnerships and systems leadership, alongside a long-standing commitment to early childhood, play and equitable approaches to learning and development.
“I am delighted to be joining Play England as Senior Independent Director and Vice Chair, building on the strong work already underway to champion children’s right to play. My work across early childhood, education and social impact has shown me time and again that play is not an extra. It is central to how children grow, learn and thrive. In this role, I look forward to strengthening governance and supporting Play England’s efforts to influence policy, systems and practice so that every child has the time, space, freedom, opportunity and acceptance they need to play.”
Catherine Eden
Independent Director
Catherine Eden is Managing Director of Eden & Partners, a consultancy that has worked for more than 20 years to support leadership development across health, higher education, the civil service, charities and local government. Her specialist expertise lies in helping leaders understand political systems and influence policy more effectively, including long-standing work with the NHS Leadership Academy and senior civil servants. Catherine brings deep experience in political systems, leadership development and sector influencing, grounded in a career spanning local, national and European politics.
“I am delighted to be joining Play England’s Board at a time when support for children’s play is firmly back on the political agenda. With 30 years’ experience in and around Westminster, I am determined to help sustain that momentum and advance Play England’s priorities for play sufficiency and a new National Play Strategy. At a time when concerns about children’s wellbeing and screen time are rising, ensuring high-quality play spaces close to home is essential. Play is not a luxury. It is fundamental to a healthier, happier childhood.”
Tom Raymond-Hill
Independent Director
Tom Raymond-Hill brings over 15 years of leadership experience in national sport, community participation and system change. As England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) Head of Core Game, Tom has overseen major investment programmes, volunteering initiatives and community partnerships that have significantly increased participation. He is known for his governance insight, strategic leadership and commitment to making activity more inclusive and accessible for all children and communities.
“I am delighted to be joining Play England as an Independent Director. I believe every child should have the freedom and space to play, to connect, and be themselves. Seeing those opportunities shrink for many children is a major personal driver for me. I look forward to bringing my experience in governance, strategy, partnerships and system change to support Play England’s growing national influence. The new 10-year strategy sets out a clear and ambitious vision for embedding children’s right to play in communities, policy and everyday life, and I am proud to help make that a reality.”
Strengthening Play England’s governance and national role
The appointment of a Senior Independent Director and Independent Directors further strengthens Play England’s ability to:
Provide independent leadership with national profile during a period of system-wide reform on children’s play.
Guide the delivery of our long-term strategy in a focused and evidence-led way.
Uphold strong governance as the charity grows in scale, influence and responsibility.
Engage effectively with government, local authorities, funders and national partners.
Position children’s right to play as a recognised policy priority across national systems.
These roles complement the appointment of Dame Karen Buck as Independent Chair, and together form a Board with the breadth, independence and capability required as we move into the first phase of implementing our bold, new 10-year strategy - It All Starts with Play!
Next steps
All Board appointments will formally commence at the 2025 AGM. Together, the strengthened Board will oversee the next phase of strategy delivery, governance development and national engagement as Play England continues to strengthen its influence and drive long-term system change for children’s play.
#ItAllStartswithPlay!