LEOPARDS DEN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Inclusion & Wellbeing Manager
Job Titles:
- Leigh Community Trust - Programmes Director
Job Titles:
- Leigh Sports Villiage Catering Manager
- Leigh Sports Villiage Chief Executive Officer
- Leigh Sports Villiage Finance Director
- Leigh Sports Villiage Safety Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the SEN Officers Team
- Veteran & Men 's Health Officer
Job Titles:
- OWNER
- Owner of the Leigh Leopards
Derek Beaumont is the owner of the Leigh Leopards and an active and integrated member of the operational board across many facets of the business.
Born in 1971, he is a self-made, successful, mature business man who built the industry's leading holiday home Sundecks manufacturer and installer from scratch to a £10m plus turnover business which proudly supports all levels of Rugby League as grass roots, women's, men's and competition sponsor.
He is a proud husband to his wife and rock Laura and proud father to his three sons Danny, Ryan and Rocky who are his inspiration. Derek's interest and hobbies above his love of Rugby League are his love for the South African wildlife where he is a trustee of the Madikwe Wildlife Foundation, through which he is able to invest in conservation work and significantly surrounding the Rhino population and their protection. He is also joint owner of Leopard Rock Safari Lodge in the Madikwe game reserve.
Derek has a passion for living life in the fast lane, always pushing himself to the limit and is a keen fan of the Lamborghini car brand. He is a black belt at Shukokai Karate and a keen road cyclist which serves as a great platform from which he can challenge himself and raise significant funds for various charities.
Derek openly admits he is someone that has faced many hurdles in his life and has dealt with addiction and is active in being open about his mental health issues to assist others in realising it's okay not to be okay.
His and his wife's charity work they choose to keep close to their hearts as it's only necessary for those receiving to know as they are the real champions that make funds work where they are needed.
He openly admits he is a tough task master and demands the best from those around him and is driven with a single-minded approach to anything he focuses on.
He knows he isn't everyone's cup of tea, he is a realist and knows he can never please all of the people all of the time but he is more interested in pleasing others than himself. As he says he can't change the world but if he can change the expression on a person's face in a positive way, if only for one day, then it's a positive impact.
Derek can be contacted via the club's media manager concerning interviews or appearances
Job Titles:
- Member of the Life
- Assistant Apparel Manager
Job Titles:
- Leigh Sports Villiage Finance Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the SEN Officers Team
- SEN Wellbeing & Inclusion Officer
Job Titles:
- Leigh Sports Villiage Catering Manager
Job Titles:
- Apparel Manager
- Head Physio
Job Titles:
- Leigh Sports Villiage Safety Officer
Job Titles:
- Leigh Sports Villiage Chief Executive Officer
Job Titles:
- CHAIRMAN
- Member of the Life
- Club Chairman
- Club Historian & Archivist
Mike has supported his hometown club for over 50 years and is honoured to be a Life Member as well as the club's historian, archivist and ambassador. He has served on the non-executive board since being invited to join by Derek Beaumont in early 2014 and as Chairman since February 2018, apart from briefly stepping down during 2023 after eye surgery. He was an honours graduate of Bristol University and has run his own accountancy business for many years.
For much of the past 40 years he has researched the history of Rugby League, cricket and football, often on microfilm readers in libraries, explaining why he wears thick glasses and blinks in daylight.
He has written for local and national newspapers and contributed match reports, features and articles for Rugby League Express for 20 years following its formation in 1990 and currently writes a long-standing monthly historical article for Forty-20 magazine.
He was appointed Chairman of the Association of Sports Historians upon its formation in 1993 and for 12 years (1996-2008) hosted a weekly, hour-long Rugby League programme on BBC Radio Lancashire as well as hosting a weekly cricket programme for the station.
A self-confessed groundhopper, he has visited over 3,000 football, Rugby League and cricket grounds including every venue in the UK that has hosted a first-class Rugby League match.
After four years as Vice-Chairman of the Northern Premier Cricket League, he became Chairman of Cricket for Cumberland CCC between 2013-2018, a tenure which included the county becoming Minor Counties champions in 2015.
A founder member of the Rugby League Record Keepers' Club, he has compiled a vast historical and statistical archive about the game. He was Leigh's programme editor for many years and researched and compiled the club's Heritage Numbers which culminated in a special Heritage Day at Leigh Sports Village in 2014.
He has written over 30 sports books, including several on Leigh. His most recent books are one on cricket, entitled When Frank Woolley came to Berwick and a history of Runcorn Northern Union Club.
Married to Janet with two grown up daughters, he was born at Firs Maternity Home in Leigh in 1960.
His many duties on the board included co-compiling with Derek and Laura Beaumont the club's successful Super League application in 2021. He attends and chairs board meetings, writes and edits the club's press releases,and website articles, maintains club records and archives, co-hosts Premier Club on match days with Gill Wood, as well as compiling the RFL and statutory returns and accounts. He also undertakes many engagements around the local community in an ambassadorial role.
Having been at Wembley as a ten-year-old in 1971, he was honoured to receive a Challenge Cup winner's medal in 2023 in his role as Chairman.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Non - Executive Board
- OPERATIONS DIRECTOR & NON EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER
Neil Jukes was born 23 May 1976 and is a former professional rugby league player and represented Leigh and Rochdale Hornets.</p> You may remember his time as the head coach of the Leigh Centurions, having also been assistant coach at the club between 2009 and 2016, coaching the team successfully into the Super League in 2016 </p>
Making his playing debut for Leigh in January 1995, he went on to make 32 appearances for the club. His playing career ended in 1998 after suffering an injury while playing for Rochdale Hornets.</p>
Neil is now Operations Director at Leigh Leopards, overseeing a number of integral functions within the club to ensure its day to day efficiency and success. He is also a Manager at club sponsor AB Sundecks, where he works alongside club owner Derek.</p>
An ever present figure at the club, Neil has played an important part in helping secure Super League status, the recruitment of great coaching staff and helped Derek and his team build a squad to compete at the highest level.</p>
Job Titles:
- Leigh Community Trust - Programmes Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Non - Executive Board
- MARKETING SUPPORT & NON EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER
Richard is the newest member of the board, he joined ahead of the 2023 season after the club rebrand to support with Marketing, Media and Support Sales.
Born in 1982 and raised just down the road in Astley, Rich is an ex St.Mary's High School Pupil, and has followed the club since his school days, having of his own admission, being a bit part player for his school team, before defecting to football, where he played, coached and was Chairman for local side Leigh Athletic.
Now owner and Managing Director of Brand Agency MCCM (Manchester Creatuve Collective Marketing Ltd.), Richard and his team have supported with enhanced media and marketing post-rebrand, forming a strong bond and relationship with the squad and coaches. A Graphic Designer by trade, he, along with his team of photographers, videographers and creatives are excited to see how they can support the club further over th coming seasons.
Away from the club, Richard is a dad of two and enjoys sharing this experience with the family. His son also being a keen Leigh fan, is excited to follow the clubs journey into this new era.
Job Titles:
- Member of the SEN Officers Team
- Inclusion LD Head Coach
Job Titles:
- Leigh Sports Villiage Ticket Office Manager
Job Titles:
- Men 's Team Assistant Coach
Job Titles:
- Member of the SEN Officers Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Non - Executive Board
- NON EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER
Gill is proud to be the first female Leigh Rugby League board member, after being appointed in July 2021.
Born & raised in Leigh, Gill grew up spending much time at the Leigh Miners Welfare Club as her Mum, Pam, and Auntie Pat worked behind the bar and her step-dad, Cuan, played amateur rugby league there. Gill grew up knowing all the RL greats and loved the ‘rugby family'. Gill's Dad John, was heavily involved in local labour politics and home visitors regularly included Peter Smith (who was to become Lord Peter Smith), local councillors and then MEP Lawrence Cunliffe. At the age of 14 Gill was taking minutes at the local meetings; where an 18-year old politician, Andy Burnham, was starting to make an impact.
As a young adult Gill wanted to join the police force but failed the eyesight test (bizarre as Gill now predominately works in the field of ophthalmology). And so, in a totally opposite career path, she took herself over to the Costa Del Sol (as an Airtours holiday rep) to exercise her love of dance and performance. Gill spent three years in Spain and then returned to the Airtours HQ in Helmshore, Lancashire.
From here Gill embarked on a new career in medical project management working at hospitals around London and the South East where she lived for a number of years. Gill returned to Spain for a further two years and whilst it's a little bit rusty, Gill would still like to say she has Spanish as a second language. Gill returned to Leigh in 2009 and went straight back to her comfort zone… Rugby League and her Leigh team.
In 2010, with two young children, Gill set up her own business gmProjects dealing with project & event management in the ophthalmic education space. gmProjects became a limited company in 2017 and Gill widened her market to include commercial projects and marketing. gmProjects Ltd. has been a player and kit sponsor at Leigh and Gill is also proud to host the corporate hospitality ‘Premier Club' on match days.
Gill lives, and works, with her partner Dean who is a great support at Leigh Leopards, supervising the provision and operation of match day Ball Operatives & helping Gill in her work at the Club. In 2022 Dean took up road cycling and joined Club owner Derek, and his wife Laura, along with CEO Neil Jukes and and the crew on the charity cycle from Leigh Sports Village to London Broncos, where he was named Man of the Tour!
Gill and Dean have 4 sons, 2 daughters, a step-daughter and a dog & a cat between them! Never a dull day!
Job Titles:
- Member of the SEN Officers Team
- Sport Inclusion Officer
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Member of the SEN Officers Team