top of page

Meet the Team

Meet the team behind Final Third, bringing passion and energy, experience and innovation to supporting the sports industry on its environmental sustainability journey.

Rich Holmes, Director at Final Third delivering a workshop

Director

Richard Holmes

Rich is the Founder and Director of Final Third.

 

He has a rich and diverse background in the football industry, working at a Premier League / Championship club for more than 12 years in coaching, business and education capacities.

 

Rich led large teams and has spent his career using sport to change attitudes and behaviours, to engage, educate and empower people of diverse ages and from diverse backgrounds.

 

Rich moved into the sport and climate space in 2020, helping Planet League grow from 4 to 83 partner football clubs and launched Final Third in 2023.

 

Rich has delivered educational workshops to dozens of clubs across the UK, supported more than 100 sporting organisations on their sustainability journey, and has experience of development and education internationally in 8 different countries.

​

Additionally, Rich sits on the steering group as one of the founding members of the Green Football campaign, and leads the club and community outreach nationally.

​

He has been instrumental in the delivery in more than 10 of the biggest sport and climate campaigns globally in football and basketball from single-club to multi-club, regional, national and international, and has supported record-breaking funding applications. Has worked with professional clubs, community organisations, leagues, broadcasters, national governing bodies and senior government officials. 

​

In 2024 and 2025 Rich collected three national awards (EFL and BASIS) for collaborative work with Green Football and Northampton Town Community Trust. He has spoken on and hosted several panels, delivered workshops, seminars, training, campaigns, projects, consultancy and more to help change the climate of sport - for good.

 

Rich recently completed an MBA with the University of York with Distinction, achieving two award for the Highest Achieving Student and the Highest Capstone Project, he is a father of two and a lifelong football fan. He is also a Trustee at the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust.

  • LinkedIn
Copy of Kate Strong Climate Cycle 20.jpg
  • LinkedIn

Education Consultant

Kate Strong

Kate Strong is a behavioural change expert, author, public speaker, eco adventurer, multiple world record cyclist, age-group World Champion triathlete and ex aerospace engineer.

 

Kate’s sporting career has evolved towards advocacy and engaging communities over the traditional competition format. She conceived and completed Climate Cycle, a 3,300 mile bike ride around mainland Britain on a hand-made bamboo bike where, during these three months, she visited 50 communities, charities, companies, initiatives and projects that are working towards mitigating climate change. These projects varied from nature-based solutions to innovative technologies removing microplastics from our waterways. She also worked in collaboration with two universities, one monitoring the air quality as she cycled around Britain and the other to explore the change behaviour required in individuals to tackle climate change.

 

Kate organised Taff Tidy, a mass-participation river cleanup world record in March 2025, changing how we see our impact within the world and with our legacy projects, enabling more people to change their behaviours in protecting nature.

Want to join the team at Final Third?

There are no vacancies at the moment, but why not sign up to our newsletter to stay posted, or reach out at info@finalthirdsport.co.uk

bottom of page