'I've worked on nine Commonwealth games and on nine Olympic games'

What does Commonwealth Games ­England do?

It is responsible for the preparation and participation of the England team in the Commonwealth games, which will be held in Delhi from 3-14 October this year. We do everything, including raising the money and putting all the arrangements in place for flights, uniforms and accommodation.

How long have you been involved with sports administration?

I got a job with the British Olympic Assoc­iation in 1972 as secretary to the administrative secretary. I became their third member of staff and it's just grown since then. I set up a separate office for ­Commonwealth Games England in 1994, and I've worked on nine Commonwealth games and on nine Olympic games. In 1994, I was the first woman general team manager of Team England.

What does your job entail?

I get involved at all levels. One day I'm rolling my sleeves up and moving boxes of uniforms, and the next I'm participating in a conference with other chief executives. No two days are the same. I meet lots of people and I just love it.

How is the organisation funded?

We receive lottery funding from Sport England for our preparation, but we have to raise all the money for participation and taking the team to the games.

Has the recession hit your fundraising?

It has. We also lost one sponsor after an article saying England was considering not taking part in the games because of security fears. There was no truth in it what­soever. We will be taking a team.

Are security fears a big challenge?

We are working very closely with police and all the authorities on security. We don't want our athletes to worry.

Any other big challenges?

As well as the fundraising, there is the actual administration work for the team itself. We have to work with the organising committee for the Delhi games, who have yet to announce their plans and procedures. There can be cultural issues. When the games were in Malaysia in 1998, the ­organising committee wasn't used to dealing with women in positions of responsibility. But once they did get to know me, we had good relationships.

Iain Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice thinktank says that major team sports and athletics in this country are dominated by people educated in public schools. What needs to be done to make top-level sport more inclusive?

The England team has a policy of inclusivity. There are no barriers to qualification for the team, other than sports standards and nationality eligibility. England competes at the Commonwealth games as one team, but each of the 17 sports has its own policies to increase participation.

What is your leadership style?

It's open and ­relaxed. At least, that's what ­people see on the outside, even if it's not ­necessarily quite like that on the inside.