Cheetham Bell wins £1m sport brief

Sport England has appointed Cheetham Bell JWT to handle its &£1m advertising business after a statutory review.

The Manchester-based agency, which beat incumbent Team Saatchi , will focus on developing a new regional campaign for Sport England.

The first work is likely to build on Team Saatchi’s national “Everyday Sport” campaign, which featured celebrities and sports stars highlighting the fact that people do not need to take up an actual sport to become healthier, as just taking the stairs or going dancing can also improve fitness levels.

The appointment comes as Sport England, the government-funded body responsible for promoting active lifestyles, begins its search for a new chief executive to replace Roger Draper, and a new chairman to replace Lord Patrick Carter of Coles.

Draper left earlier this year to head the Lawn Tennis Association, while Lord Carter’s four-year term comes to an end this autumn.

Earlier this year ministers were reportedly considering a shake-up of British sport by merging Sport England with UK Sport, the body that promotes and oversees the development of elite athletes.

Tessa Jowell, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, and Richard Caborn, the sports minister, had been rumoured to be considering putting UK Sport’s chairman, Sue Campbell, in charge of the new organisation after Lord Carter leaves.

The reports led to concern over the “politicisation” of traditionally independent sports councils, as Campbell is also a long-standing sports adviser to Whitehall.