Boccia UK chair David Richmond said Diaper and Maiden bring experience of high-performance sport and charity sectors to the organisation.

Richmond said the decision to increase the number of Board members to nine was part of their drive to have the highest standards possible in Boccia UK.

“Although we are a small sport, we have big ambitions,” he said.

“We recently developed a new vision and mission as part of a review of our strategic plan and having also undertaken an assessment of the current board’s skillset, we decided to bolster the board by adding two new positions.

“One position is for a governance expert to ensure that we continue to uphold the highest standards across everything that we do, the other is for an expert on the World Class Performance system.

“We had many highly qualified candidates apply and after a robust recruitment process, I’m delighted with the two chosen candidates.

“They bring a wealth of experience from the high-performance sport and charity sectors that will be invaluable in helping us drive Boccia UK onto the next level."

Diaper currently serves as the Head of Para-sport at Loughborough University and boasts 18 years of experience working in elite Paralympic sport.

This includes working for the British Paralympic Association as head of performance, as well as attending six Paralympic Games in support of the British team.

Diaper will be the deputy Chef de Mission for the British team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Diaper has been appointed to the Board position - one that requires world class programme expertise.

“I’m delighted to take on this role as boccia is such an important part of the Paralympic movement,” said Diaper.

“I look forward to offering my specific experience, knowledge and skills to help drive Boccia UK forwards and to ensure continued success on the international stage."

Maiden is the executive director of governance, risk and assurance at Action on Hearing Loss.

He has previously served as the head of governance at disability charity Scope where he was closely involved in the charity's development of a transformational new strategy.

Maiden has been appointed to the position requiring governance expertise.

"I am delighted to have been appointed as independent director at Boccia UK," Maiden said.

"As a keen sportsman with a background in disability charities, I look forward to bringing my experience to the Board and supporting the ongoing focus on good governance at the organisation.

“I'm particularly excited about meeting some of the athletes and seeing boccia up close when circumstances allow."

Boccia UK say the two Board members have taken up their positions immediately.