17th April, 2025
George Wood is combining a personal passion with his profession as he ensures as many people as possible can share his love of badminton.
The Badminton England Sport Director first joined the organisation in 1999 as a Programme Assistant and is now in his third stint after six years working with Swim England and a range of national governing bodies as a consultant.
It is experience that Wood is applying at all levels of the game from grassroots through to major events as his role encompasses areas as diverse as development, coaching, domestic competitions, and the player pathway.
As a keen badminton player himself, it is inclusivity that underpins Wood’s approach.
“Inclusion is really important. One of the things I’m really excited and passionate about is that badminton does engage people from the campsite, not scoring and just hitting a shuttle over a car, right through to the Paralympic and Olympic stage,” he explained.
“It can cater for all of that which is brilliant, and all ages, gender and ethnicity, it goes across the board.
“Making sure as many people as possible feel included within our sport and that there is a place for them is super important to me.
“That’s one thing that’s really critical, and that’s the golden thread that runs through everything we’re trying to do.”
In that vein, Wood is currently working on a number of exciting projects that aim to provide a place for all current and prospective badminton players.
One initiative targeted specifically at ensuring badminton is as inclusive and welcoming as possible is the ‘A Sport that Cares’ campaign.
“It’s about making sure that we’ve got a really inclusive and safe environment in all of our clubs and badminton environments across the country,” said Wood.
“It applies to anyone that’s affiliated with us so we can ensure that people will receive a welcome, will be part of a safe environment and it will be a great place to play badminton.
“The number one thing within ‘A Sport that Cares’ is ensuring that all clubs have a welfare officer who’s trained and DBS checked.”
No Strings Badminton
Another initiative particularly close to Wood’s heart is No Strings Badminton, which he developed during his previous stint with Badminton England.
Now one of the longest lasting sports development programmes at 15 years old, it retains the core focus of fun, fitness and friends but will evolve under this year’s relaunch.
The provision will now include four facets: ‘No Strings: Play’, ‘No Strings Badminton: Youth’, ‘No Strings: Develop’, and ‘No Strings: Compete’.
Each seeks to meet a demand identified by the team at Badminton England, whether a desire for young people to access casual badminton, a willingness from players to have fun competing or for players to learn more skills before they rock up to sessions.
“It’s about having casual environments where people can come along with someone else or by themselves and they’ll be welcomed. It’s as simple as that,” said Wood.
“It’s pay and play. So if you come one week and don’t come the next week, that’s absolutely fine. There are no commitments, it’s just about getting involved.”
Both projects sit amid a plethora of other initiatives that Wood is overseeing.
They range from Shuttle Stars, a new programme aiming to provide a brilliant start in the sport to young people from seven to 11 years old, to expanding the National Badminton League (NBL) to form the pinnacle of club badminton across the country.
Wood is also working with the Coaching Team on a plan to stimulate the development of more full-time coaches, while he will also work with county badminton associations to ensure governance systems are as effective as possible.
On top of all that, Wood is looking to grow Badminton England’s showpiece YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships to create even more of a spectacle in the coming years.
His ambition is derived from a pure enjoyment of a sport that has long been a source of joy.
“I have worked with about 15 to 20 different sports, so I’ve been super lucky,” he said.
“However, I do absolutely love the sport of badminton – there is something really special about it for me. I am fortunate to work with a fantastic staff team and a whole host of truly committed volunteers.
“That means I genuinely feel lucky and privileged to be working in badminton, and it’s as simple as that. It’s just a pleasure to be part of this sport every day.”
