Update 14th April 2021:
In September 2020, UK Sport, Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Wales and Sport Northern Ireland came together to set out to Tackle Racism and Racial Inequality in Sport with the collective ambition to have a sporting system which is truly inclusive and properly reflective of UK society.As part of the first phase of this initiative, the Sports Councils commissioned two pieces of work – a data gathering and analysis project led by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University and a lived experiences project led by AKD Solutions.
Both pieces of work have now concluded, and the five Sports Councils are currently in the final phase of the project of using the findings raised and presented to establish a full report and set of recommendations in line with the collective ambition. These are expected to published by the end of May.
The five Sports Councils have made two important appointments as part of the next steps of The Tackling Racism and Racial Inequality in Sport initiative.
The Chief Executives of UK Sport, Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Wales and Sport Northern Ireland have joined forces to tackle racism and racial inequalities across their nations by developing a collective plan to help build a sporting community that is properly reflective of the societies they represent.
AKD Solutions has been appointed to create a lived experiences opportunity and today launched the #TellYourStory campaign, asking people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities to share their knowledge and understanding of accessing, being involved in, or being excluded from sport.
The Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University has been appointed to bring together existing data on race and ethnicity in sport to identify gaps within these records, gain greater insight into participation and progression barriers. Both pieces of work will make clear recommendations for change that the Sports Councils can take forward.
Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport, said: “Creating the opportunity to hear lived experiences is a much needed and fundamental step in doing everything we can to stamp out racism and build a sporting community that truly reflects the diversity of our society. We are offering the platform for necessary changes to be made to ensure the sport we all know and love is truly inclusive. The campaign offers a safe space for those we need to hear from most to be open and honest and through this we will be presented with clear learnings and recommendations for change.
“The outcomes of the #TellYourStory campaign and the work undertaken by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University will allow us to be in a place to better understand and engage on the issues of racism and racial inequality that exist in our sector and act as a result. We recognise that while individually each Sports Council has sought to tackle the issue, it has not gone far enough or been done collectively. Working in partnership as Sports Councils, we are determined to take the lead and drive the change we want to see.”
Sarah Powell, Chief Executive of Sport Wales said:
"Sport in Wales is not as inclusive as it should be, and it means that too many people are missing out on the benefits that being active can bring. The only way that we can make a real difference going forward, is to truly understand the full picture by hearing the experiences and difficulties that individuals have had to endure.
There is a real commitment to make notable long-lasting change in a way that has not been achieved before. We urge people in Wales to come forward and take part and help us to turn things around."
