Caroline McGrath – Safeguarding Officer
Caroline has been a dedicated member of the KUGB for almost 32 years and is a Long Standing Member. She served on the KUGB National England Kumite Squad for 23 consecutive years, retiring in December 2022 after a distinguished national and international competitive career.
Beyond her KUGB commitments, Caroline brings both knowledge and experience in the field of Safeguarding, working as a Deputy Director of Operations for the NHS. She also volunteers as the Lead Trustee for Safeguarding on the Board of Trustees at Leeds Mind.
Caroline is passionate about delivering a high performing, fit for purpose safeguarding service on behalf of the KUGB and is committed to driving this strategy forwards.
CHRIS JONES – WELFARE OFFICER
Chris is a designated safeguarding lead in a large secondary school and has a wealth of experience in all aspects of safeguarding and child protection. In addition to providing training, advice and support to other staff on safeguarding and child protection matters, Chris works closely with a number of external agencies, including social services, health, police and Local Authority Designated Officers.
CAROLINE NEWCOMBE – DBS OFFICER
Caroline has been a member of the KUGB for the last 10 years and has been a keen martial artist for over 25 years. She has supported the KUGB in various roles including timekeeping and recording at national events and running her own club for the last 6 years.
Caroline works full time as a Headteacher of a primary school where she is the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Caroline has worked in HR and various other roles so has a thorough understanding of the importance of DBS checks and is eager to support the KUGB in meeting this important aspect of compliance.
Gary Blundell – Safeguarding Team
Gary started Karate in 1974 and has been a committed and dedicated KUGB Long Standing Member for over 50 years. He has also been a qualified KUGB Referee for almost 30 years.
Gary served with Cheshire Police for many years. During the early part of his career, Safeguarding was not really heard of. When Gary was faced with dealing with domestic issues that involved children and vulnerable adults, there was very little support available, and in most cases, it was down to the individual to deal with it alone. Gary therefore has a wealth of experience in dealing with difficult, complex situations both with and without support.
Being accurate, level headed and able to document factual, relevant detail is what Gary has had to do throughout his career, and he bring this, along with his knowledge, skills and experience to the KUGB Safeguarding Team.
Sam Light – Safeguarding Team
Sam been training in karate as part of the KUGB for 23 years. During this time, he has proudly competed regionally, nationally and internationally with the KUGB England Squad. Sam feels grateful to the positive impact his training and competition experiences have had on all aspects of his life. He wishes to ensure that the KUGB can continue to provide the safe and enriching experiences for other children and young people in the organisation that had.
Sam has been a club instructor since 2016, and outside of the dojo he is an HR Professional in the NHS. In this role, he has a wealth of experience in developing and managing organisational procedures, and ensuring high professional standards are maintained. This role requires Sam to liaise with local authority partners in safeguarding cases that relate to staff, and he must also ensure that the wellbeing of the people who are impacted is well supported. Sam aims to bring all aspects of this experience to the Safeguarding team.
Cayleigh McCartney – Safeguarding Team
Cayleigh has been practising karate for 16 years and has been a proud member of the England Kumite Squad.
Outside the dojo, she brings a wealth of experience from her role as a school teacher. Currently working in a special school, she is well-versed in safeguarding, managing the unique needs of each child with care and attention. Her deep understanding of safeguarding procedures makes her a valuable member of our Safeguarding Team.
