Black History Month Spotlight: Sporting Equals

This Black History Month, the Sport and Recreation Alliance wanted to celebrate the immense contribution Black individuals have made and are making to grassroots sport and recreation by showcasing the stories of some of its members and partners, and their work delivering grassroots activity and positive change in communities across the country.

The Alliance’s Membership Officer, Will Spendlove, spoke with Ellie Bradwell and Yaegan Gore from Sporting Equals to find out about the organisation’s work.

As a charity working in race equality for sport and physical activity, we aim to shine a spotlight on and celebrate the outstanding contributions of black people to the sports landscape in the UK. By doing so, we contribute to creating a more inclusive and racism-free sector.

This October, we wanted to highlight our work and overarching mission, including through partnering with organisations across the sector, such as the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

A key pillar of our work is our Race Representation Index, which - in conjunction with National Governing Bodies (NGBs) - analyses work force data in senior leadership positions to drive positive change. The Race Representation Index also spawned the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel too – a group of black sports professionals who seek to drive more Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion across the sector, and who seek to create more opportunities for black individuals to progress within elite sport. 

It’s crucial a similar approach is applied across all sport and recreation too - creating more pathways and opportunities for black and other ethnically diverse people to access and engage in physical activity, no matter what level. Our LeaderBoard Academy programme, for example, is designed to support the progression of more ethnically diverse individuals into boardroom roles in sport, while our ‘saluting our sisters’ initiative actively helps empower more black and ethnically diverse women into coaching at grassroots level.

Throughout the year, we also enthusiastically celebrate ethnic diversity in sports at various events, including our State of the Sector event and The Sporting Equals Awards. These platforms serve to acknowledge and applaud the remarkable contributions made by black and ethnically diverse individuals to sports in the UK, across all levels from elite sports to grassroots endeavours. And we lean on the expertise of influential black athletes through our judging panels, which this year included Ama Agbeze MBE, Devon Malcolm, Vanessa Wallace PLY, Christine Ohuruogu MBE, Montell Douglas, and Densign White MBE – all of whom have been champions of racial equality in sports.

While there is so much progress still to be made, it is clear Sporting Equals is playing a significant role in driving positive change. The Sport and Recreation Alliance is proud to have Sporting Equals as a member and is delighted to be able to highlight the organisation’s fantastic work during Black History Month.

If you would like to share any stories or case studies in the future, then please do not hesitate to email our Membership Officer, Will Spendlove, at wspendlove@sportandrecreation.org.uk.

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