DEAR sports editor,

The welcome appointment of Jon Lewis (former Churchfields School, Swindon Cricket Club, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and England alumnus) as the head coach of England Women’s Cricket adds another name to the lengthening list of Swindon-educated sports men and women who are top leaders and administrators in their chosen sports.

Leading the way was Anna Mayes, ex-Commonweal School, whose spell as head coach greatly raised the profile of netball. Now, another Old Commwealian, Fran Connelly, is the new Chief Executive Officer of England Netball and surely one of the youngest to have reached such an elevated position.

Add to the list Richard Beer, (Warneford School, Highworth) who is development director of England Hockey after a playing career at Swindon Hockey Club, Cambridge University, Edgbaston and Oxford. Richard’s role encompasses both men's and women’s hockey in over 800 clubs across England and Wales.

Jon Lewis was the England men’s bowling coach (currently world T20 champions), and is widely respected in cricket circles.

Participation in netball has increased exponentially since the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, and the gold-medal-winning women’s hockey team gave us some of the most exciting moments of sporting action in recent years.

I am sure all the individuals named above would be the first to thank the countless volunteers and mums and dads who have given freely of their time to enable their youngsters to gain so much from participation in sport.

Swindon is often maligned in the media, so I think it is time to blow our own trumpet, if a town can blow a trumpet? I bet that there are few, if any towns of comparable size that can claim such a clutch of sports leaders.

We must be doing something right, and should we not be praising them and drawing attention to them as role models?

Yours proudly, Derrick Beer.