Sport England in collaboration with the home country Sports Councils and UK Sport have published the findings of a detailed, independent review into tackling racism and racial inequality.
The Tackling Racism and Racial Inequality in Sport Review is now available to read on the Sport England website and the chief executives of the country’s five Sports Councils have issued a joint statement in response to its findings.
The review involved an extensive analysis, carried out by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, of all publicly available data on race and ethnicity in sport.
It also involved an additional piece of work led by AKD Solutions, a Black-led learning and development consultancy, to carry out a lived experience research project in which over 300 people across the UK, ranging from grassroots participants to elite athletes and coaches, shared insights into their involvement in sport.
The findings make clear that racism and racial inequalities still exist within sport in the UK and that there are longstanding issues, which have resulted in ethnically diverse communities being consistently disadvantaged.
The review also highlighted the detrimental impact this has had on individuals, leading to mistrust and exclusion, and makes clear areas where we must see change.
Mark Lyttle, Chair of BF said, “The report released today highlights much of the work to be done in tackling racism and racial inequality in our sector. Diversity and inclusion is a key element of our board level strategy and the operational action plans that deliver our strategic goals. Our board comprises 36% of ethically diverse members , and we are intentional in our aims to maintain a diverse board that truly reflects our community. ”
Georgina Usher, CEO of BF, “We are committed to creating welcoming and inclusive environments where people can enjoy our sport and will continue to work with our stakeholders and members to tackle racism and racial inequality. We do this through education, support and, importantly, listening to the views and responding to the needs of our diverse communities.”
Further info:
As a reminder, members are invited to join BF’s CEO and Board Directors for upcoming Diversity Listening Events:
June 30th, 2021 6pm: Diversity Listening Event: LGBT+
July 6th, 2021 6pm: Diversity Listening Event: Ethnicity
Board Diversity Metrics are published on the Board Directors page and now form part of the Annual Report.
As at 10.10.2020, 45% of the occupied Director positions are women (5 of 11) and 55% are men.
As at 10.10.2020, 36% of the occupied Director positions are ethnically diverse (4 of 11) and 27% are Black (3 of 11).
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