In reply to Woolly:
The BMC is set to loose Sport England funding so needs to look at alternative funding sources. This was part of the whole rebranding issue. To the extent the new officer is successful in generating commercial / sponsorship income in excess of the officer's costs, the role would be self-funding. It's a serious salary but it probably needs to be in order to attract someone with the right skillset. Conversely, this person would be expected to deliver.
The main concern for members is where will this commercialisation lead. As long as focus on access, conservation, safety and new members is maintained, all will be well and good. If it leads to increased focus on indoor and comps, many people won't be happy.
Let's not prejudge this. It would however be reasonable to ask at the 2018 AGM what this officer has achieved.