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Boxing is my religion. Like all spiritual journeys it began with a moment of divine inspiration and my baptism was conducted whilst watching Muhammed Ali defeat George Foreman in “The Rumble In The Jungle”.

I grew up in boxing gyms with the sport giving me purpose, discipline and titles – including representing my country on numerous occasions.

These days it offers me the chance to inspire the next generation of boxers and to help anyone who walks through the gym door, to believe in themselves and choose a positive path in life. 

When people ask me why boxing matters so much to me, my answer is simple: it changes and saves lives.

A safe space for all

Of course, it also improves health and builds confidence, but boxing keeps people – especially young people – away from anti-social behaviour and crime, something that I can personally verify as a former Youth Justice Manager. 

With the number of proven offences committed by children seeing an increase of 4%, change has never been so important and there are many ways boxing helps fight crime.

Firstly, boxing gives young people structure and boundaries.

Many of the children and young people who walk through the doors of a boxing gym – like mine in Oldham, Greater Manchester – come from difficult backgrounds and have challenging lives. 

Having little or no access to opportunities and therefore a lack of agency in the world, may result in challenging behaviours. But not dealing with these pressures means they risk spilling out onto the streets and that’s where crime starts. 

Not because young people are 'bad', but because they have nowhere positive to pour their energy into. But boxing gyms can change that, as these spaces are built on discipline, respect, routine and team spirit.

You don’t just turn up to your gym whenever you feel like it. Instead, you’re expected to train on time, plus you have to listen to your coach, and you learn that effort leads to results and that shortcuts rarely work.

These lessons transfer directly into everyday life and children who understand discipline in a boxing gym are far less likely to make reckless decisions outside it.

Boxing also teaches emotional control, becasue contrary to what some may think, this sport helps a young person understand how to control their emotions, particularly aggression, and how to think and act under pressure.

I’ve seen it first hand – children who once lashed out can calm themselves because boxing gave them an outlet for their emotions and that allows them to thrive.

The many lessons of boxing

Boxing is a good metaphor for life and can help to develop those personal and social skills that people need, contributing to tackling deep seated worklessness and low aspirations.

The sport also fosters the development of positive character, self-esteem, self-discipline, courage, perseverance and resilience.

Instead of throwing punches on the street, they hit the pads, the bags and their coach or opponent inside the ring, but always with respect to the sport’s rules, under supervision and with a reason.

Boxing also teaches respect — for yourself and for others. You shake hands, you follow rules and you learn that real strength comes from self-control, not intimidation. These values reduce crime at its roots.

Another factor that's key is the sense of belonging among those practising the sport. A boxing gym offers identity and loyalty because, at a gym, you’re part of a team.

You train together, look out for each other and you wear the gym name with pride. That sense of identity can pull someone away from a path that leads to anti-social behaviour and crime.

I’ve seen boxing change lives in Oldham and Greater Manchester, where young people that were heading toward trouble now have focus and a reason to stay on the straight and narrow, and I’ve also seen young people who had no confidence, find self-belief.

Not all these children will become a champion boxer and that's okay.

Building better lives through sport

The real victories happen when a young person chooses to stay in school, can find a job or simply chooses not to commit a crime because they don’t want to let their gym or coach down.

At our newly refurbished Greater Manchester Boxing and Development Hub, we’ve been lucky enough to benefit from Sport England funding. 

To my mind, our investors aren’t just putting money into a boxing club and community gym. They’re investing in crime prevention and harm minimisation.

It costs less to fund a gym than it does to deal with the consequences of crime and anti-social behaviour – policing, court cases, prison and reform – as recent estimates place the total economic and social cost of serious youth violence at £11 billion between 2009 and 2020.

For me, boxing is more than titles and trophies, it’s about giving people a chance.

Every time a young person chooses to walk into a gym and away from 'the road', I believe that’s crime prevention in action and that’s why boxing will always matter. 

As one of the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, Oldham forms part of Sport England’s Place Partnership with Greater Manchester Moving and other local bodies to implement Sport England's Uniting the Movement strategy for getting people active.

I’m proud of what boxing can do to change lives.

In the words of the iconic social activist, pacifist and politician, Nelson Mandela: “Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.”

Every day, I get to see the truth in these great words in action.
 

Silent Steppers is a joyful blend of walking, dancing and mindset coaching, all delivered outdoors through silent-disco headsets.

Picture a mixed group of around 50 people moving along seaside promenades, parks and coastal walkways – everyone listening to the same uplifting music while receiving real-time encouragement, positivity and coaching through their headphones.

It’s energetic, inclusive and completely different to traditional indoor exercise. And so much fun, too!

What began as a personal healing tool has evolved into a community movement that people across the UK now travel to to experience.

Often taking 10,000 steps in an hour or simply letting the music lift their mood, us Steppers leave the session feeling lighter, stronger and more connected to ourselves, and to each other.

How it all began

Silent Steppers actually started during one of the hardest chapters of my life. After suffering a trauma, I found myself walking outdoors to clear my mind.

On these walks, I’d listen to music and quickly realised how the world softened inside that musical bubble.

The lyrics felt more meaningful, my thoughts slowed down and, for a short time, I could switch off from everything I was carrying on my shoulders.
 

With a background as a qualified dance teacher, senior mental health lead and life coach among others, and with over 25 years teaching trauma-informed approaches, I invited a few colleagues to join me for a music-assisted walk.

I chose songs that helped me heal, put on the headset mic and coached them through the session.

The effect was instant. The energy was electric. Silent Steppers was born! 

A community that keeps growing

Fast forward under a year and Silent Steppers now has hundreds of participants every week that include children, right through to our oldest Stepper aged 83.

We train in all weather – rain, wind, sun and/or coastal gales – and the tougher the conditions, the more bonded the group becomes.

Alongside our main sessions, we now run Steady Steppers, a slower-paced, mobility-friendly version designed for those with disabilities, injuries, chronic conditions or lower fitness levels.

These sessions offer the same music, the same mindset coaching and the same sense of achievement, just at a pace that feels safe and accessible for everyone involved.

The physical and mental impact across both groups has been extraordinary and participants have reported improvements of different kinds like weight loss, better fitness levels, plus better balance, coordination and confidence.

Others have mentioned being able to return to exercise after cancer treatment or joint replacements, a reduced reliance on mental health medication (always under GP guidance), stronger mobility and the ability to jog for the first time in years, and, overall, significant improvements in mood, stress levels and wellbeing.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, overwhelmingly, people describe Silent Steppers as their escape – an hour where they can lose themselves, breathe differently and feel part of something special.

The outdoors connection

Taking Silent Steppers into outdoor public spaces has created something truly magical.

We dance-walk along promenades, move through parks, train beside the sea and often stop people in their tracks who just smile when they see us.

Week after week, members of the public pause to watch us, cheer us on, take photos or even start dancing as we pass. People tell us we’ve made their day, how amazing we look or how we lift their mood. 

Many now recognise us and come back each week just to see us in action because our group's energy is infectious.

These interactions have become part of the heartbeat of Silent Steppers, and proof that movement and joy ripple far beyond the people wearing the headsets.

Challenges and what we’ve learned

I must admit, however, that with popularity comes challenges.

We only have 60 headsets, which means waiting lists of 25+ people are becoming common.

I’m also frequently asked to run sessions across the UK – and even internationally – but with existing commitments, it simply isn’t possible.

However, I’ve now excitedly trademarked licensing training that'll launch in the new year, which will create opportunities for Silent Steppers leaders in towns and cities nationwide.

There are other key lessons we’ve also learned:

• When exercise is fun, people stick to it – many of our steppers are a year in and saying it’s the only thing they’ve ever stuck too.
• Authenticity matters, as people connect with honesty and real stories.
• Listening to the community and adapting accordingly is essential.
• Music profoundly changes the movement experience.
• Mindset coaching and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques amplify the emotional impact.

The future of Silent Steppers

The combination of music, scenery, encouragement and community creates an empowering, accessible and inclusive atmosphere that translates into a wellbeing experience unlike any other.

It fills me with pride that what started as a personal coping mechanism has now grown into a nationwide wellbeing model, supporting hundreds every week.

I also love that Silent Steppers is reshaping how people view exercise, mental health and community connection.

Silent Steppers is proving that exercise can be enjoyable at any age and ability. One dance step at a time.

Two years ago I shared my first blog for World Children’s Day to raise awareness of children’s rights.

Whilst progress has been made in our sector, the words of a member of a newly formed Youth Advisory Group (YAG) on behalf of the Children’s Coaching Collaborative (CCC), proves there is still work to do.

He said that children’s rights are something that he heard about in primary school, but that he now only finds “in random news articles". This young man is now 16!

However, ensuring that young people have positive experiences of being active that are safe and fun, and that also respect their rights, is one of the areas we at Sport England, and a number of partners across the sector, have been advocating for in the past few years.

And there’s an article about children’s rights in sport by Liz Twyford, from UNICEF UK, that I think is key because it highlights the subtle but important change that means putting the child first to make a difference, and the impact that coaches have on those they work with.

Supporting young people to Play Their Way

Play Their Way exists precisely to champion children’s rights in sport and physical activity.

The campaign was launched in 2023 with the idea of taking a child-first approach to coaching, to ensure that their rights, needs and enjoyment are always prioritised, so they can have a positive experience of being active.

The campaign has been gaining supporters non-stop and in September this year we celebrated reaching a milestone of 10,000 registered members.
 

In a recent blog by our head of children and young people, a survey was shared to understand the range of youth voice and resources used across the sector.

Thanks to those who contributed, it has confirmed that listening to children and young people is an established priority with many brilliant examples.

However, for some, more support is needed to ensure a meaningful and sustainable youth voice practice to ensure children and young people feel included and supported to shape decisions affecting them through ongoing opportunities.   

Welcoming the Youth Advisory Group

To keep engaging and embedding the voice of young people in a meaningful way into the work of the CCC, earlier this year young people were invited to apply to join a YAG for our sector.

The initiative was led by Streetgames and saw 12 young people aged 14-19 with a range of experiences and backgrounds being 'recruited'.

Over the summer they spent time getting to know each other and understanding the role they would play as part of the group.

Within their applications, they were asked why they felt young people participating in shaping sport and physical activity opportunities was so important.

I was impressed by their thoughtful, positive and passionate responses that took into consideration not just themselves, but their peers too.

Some comments that I found particularly insightful mentioned that hearing what young people had to say is important as it “ultimately allows more young people to be able to access sport” (Poppy, 18).

That being listened to, allowed young people to have “a sense of empowerment” that made them see they’re “in control of the future” (Tasnuva, 16).

And, ultimately, that speaking out allows them to shape their own opportunities by
“influencing the accessibility and culture of sport for years to come” (Isobel, 18).

The group will be encouraged to share their experiences, views and opinions on coaching to inform the ongoing work of the CCC and will receive support to develop their own understanding of their rights. 

There are also other organisations with great initiatives to put children and young people’s views first in the sector.

For instance, the Positive Experiences Collective are hosting a range of resources and support connections to inspire advocacy for physical literacy, to help children and young people develop a positive and meaningful relationship with being active.

And the Centre for Youth Voice recently relaunched to continue to amplify the voices of young people and their impact. I recommend you check out their free online training and events on their website.

The future is young

Next month we’ll be releasing the Active Lives Children and Young People survey, covering the 2024-25 academic year.

This time we’ve introduced a new question to help us understand to what extent young people are heard by the adults delivering activity to them, which will provide a baseline to shape our work moving forwards.

This has only been a snapshot of the work we know is happening within the sector for children and young people, but we will continue to raise awareness of their rights.

For now we can all do this by listening to their voices and working with them to design and provide more opportunities to support all children and young people to be active, so they can enjoy it and gain the benefits that movement can bring into their lives both now, and as they grow into adults.
 

The concentrated focus of Black History Month provides an opportunity to gain new perspectives through events, articles and media programming that might otherwise be overlooked.

At its best, this month should stir our curiosity and resolve as we look back at the achievements and struggles of Black people, helping us gain a fuller understanding of Black histories to strengthen our grasp of the present.

This celebration (and the round-the-clock efforts by many through the year) should move us to action, reminding us that we don't have to accept the erasure of some people and communities as normal.

Today, on World Mental Health Day, I find myself reflecting not just as the new Head of the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), but as a parent, a colleague and a lifelong advocate for the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

Mental health is not a standalone issue. It's woven into the fabric of everything we do – how we parent, how we coach, how we educate and how we safeguard.

And in my new role at CPSU, I’m committed to making sure children’s wellbeing, their mental health and voices are instrumental in our work.

One of the most impactful ways we can help with mental health is through sport and physical activity as their benefits are well-documented and include movement boosting our mood, building resilience and fostering connection.

But sport and physical activity also offer something deeply human – it gives children a sense of belonging, a place to express themselves and a safe space to grow.

The power of communication

Whether it’s a kickabout in the park or through more structured team-training, movement can be a lifeline for young people – helping them navigate the complexities of growing up and it can also help them to cope with the world’s pressures.

But the act of playing sport or being physically active alone isn’t enough.

This week we are also celebrating Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week, and we think that sport and physical activity are key in highlighting that parents and carers play a crucial role in safeguarding their mental wellbeing.

This safeguarding starts with a conversation, because when we talk openly with our children about emotions, stress and support, we create a culture of trust and a safety net.

These conversations don’t have to be perfect – they just have to be real and, as parents, we have to listen.
 

When children feel safe to open up, we strengthen the parent-child bond, we build relationships rooted in empathy and understanding and, in doing so, we lay the foundation for lifelong mental wellness.

So today I encourage every parent, coach and caregiver to take a moment and ask your child how they’re feeling, what support means to them, and what actions we can do as parents and carers to help them.

We also think that as well as listening, it’s important that you share your own experiences too and that you let them know they’re not alone.

At the CPSU we have new videos and conversations starters for parents, plus resources for sports organisations to help promote a culture of listening within their organisations.

Because safeguarding isn’t just about protection – it’s about connection.

Together, let’s make mental health a part of keeping our children safe. Not just today, but every day.
 

Safe and positive experiences for children and young people are one of the five big issues at the heart of Sport England’s long-term strategy, Uniting the Movement.

Sport England has supported the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit since 2001 and continues to invest in keeping sport safe for children.

Early experiences with sport have the power to make or break a person’s lifelong relationship with physical activity, which can affect physical, mental and social health at every stage of their life: from childhood; to teenage years; to adulthood.  

Simply put, a negative experience could turn a child away from sport, causing them to disengage and miss out on the extraordinary benefits of an active life – from being able to concentrate better at school; to having fun with their friends; to reduced anxiety; to the sheer joy of moving.

Our social value research found that active children and young people generate a wellbeing value (the monetary value that can be placed on happiness, health and life satisfaction) of £4,100 a year (for an active adult, it’s £2,500).

This shows that active children gain more from movement than active adults.

It’s also so important for their development and happiness, and with childhood obesity rising and less than half of children meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines for physical activity, getting children active is more important than ever – and parents and carers have a vital role to play here.
 

We are supporting the KYCSIS campaign by asking all those who work in the sector to call on parents and carers they interact with, to think about how to support children in sport and to have open conversations about what kind of encouragement helps young people thrive.

Why those in charge matter so much

There are different reasons why parents and carers are key in their life’s kids when it comes to sport:

• Parents and carers shape how children feel about sport. Their behaviour, language and the support they offer can determine whether sport is a positive space for their child. 
• They know what their child needs and what kind of support they respond to. Support looks different for every child. Some want loud cheering, while others may prefer quiet encouragement.
• Parents and carers are best placed to know what their child needs. They can then share this with coaches and leaders.

Positive support from parents and carers helps children reach their goals. So whether that is winning, a personal best, being a good teammate or simply enjoying being active, positive support from parents and carers can build a positive relationship with sport and physical activity.

The TALK steps 

There are four simple steps every parent and carer can follow to ensure their kids enjoy sport in a secure and enjoyable way – it’s what we call the TALK steps and we’d love it if you could share these with those in your network.

• Talk to the child; listen to the child: parents and carers should ask why their child plays and how they want to be supported. Parents can use their answers to guide how they show up at training and competitions.
• Always show respect: we encourage parents to be good role models of sports values by supporting the whole team and treating coaches and officials with respect, even when they disagree.
• Let’s speak out: if adults are shouting insults, criticising, focusing on weight, confronting officials aggressively or pushing children into competitions that are too advanced for them, parents and carers should raise it with the club’s welfare officer or match-day official.
• Keep sport fun: we encourage parents and carers to praise effort and progress as well as results. Offering constructive encouragement when things go wrong can help children learn from setbacks.

What about if my child is in a competitive environment?

For many parents and carers, it’s brand-new territory when turning up at their child’s first sporting event – but they must be equipped and not afraid to ask about anything they feel unfamiliar with.

Here are five questions every parent/carer should ask before signing their child up to a competition:

• What is the primary purpose of this competition for children at this age or level?
• How are children supervised and safeguarded during the event?
• What expectations will be placed on my child and what support is available if they find it stressful?
• How are selection and team decisions made and communicated to participants and families?
• Who is the designated welfare officer and how do I raise a concern on the day if needed?

Asking these types of questions before agreeing to children taking part makes it easier for parents to recognise when something is not right.

Spotting concerns and taking action

Parents and carers know what their child needs to be their best and should be empowered to challenge or call out behaviour that could harm their child’s wellbeing.

Adults shouting from the sidelines, personal criticism of children, pressure about weight or repeated, aggressive challenges to officials are all red flags.

Parents should report concerns the club’s welfare officer or the relevant match official immediately.

If you remain worried about anything that may cause harm, contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected].

We all have a joint commitment to ensure children and young people feel safe when taking part in sport so let’s make sure, we support parents and carers to make this happen!
 

People might not expect Hazel, who is blind and living with complex disabilities, to enjoy skiing – but it’s an activity she absolutely loves! 

Hazel is a lot of fun – she’s got an amazing imagination and the warmest smile. However, because she’s blind and disabled, there have been times in her life when Hazel has been isolated and hasn’t had any opportunities to join in activities.

Amongst the many barriers preventing people like Hazel from being active is the lack of knowledge within the sports workforce to ensure disabled people feel included in activities.

A key figure for disabled people 

The 2023-24 Annual Disability and Activity Survey by Activity Alliance shows that the number of disabled people agreeing that ‘The activity leader met my needs’ has continually decreased over the past four years.

The role of the coach is crucial to the experience that a participant has in sport and physical activity.

We know it’s challenging for any coach to ensure their session is engaging for everyone in their group, so imagine working with a group of participants with complex disabilities, like Hazel.

In addition to adapting to their skill level, a coach must also consider their level of vision and hearing, their mobility and their understanding of the task.

They must ensure that both the environment and their own approach are tailored so that each participant can actively participate in the activity.

This requires changes to how a coach prepares, communicates and interacts.
 

It's also important to reflect on the idea of ‘active participation’.

Any coach can deliver an ‘off-the-shelf’ session but it takes real commitment, care and creativity to develop opportunities which ensure people with complex disabilities can engage meaningfully and appropriately – in a way which supports them to achieve all the outcomes they want to achieve by being active.

Whether it’s their physical, mental or social wellbeing they are trying to improve, it’s never been more important for a coach to ensure they are meeting their participant’s desired outcomes.

Sense’s Potential and Possibility research found that 26% of people with complex disabilities report their health as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’, compared with 9% of the general population.

In response to this data, we are determined to ensure that no-one is left on the sidelines.

We believe that everyone, no matter how complex their disabilities, should have access to high-quality opportunities that help them achieve the outcomes they desire.

Our 'person-centred' approach

That’s why our recently launched Complex Disabilities in Sport training has been designed to help coaches understand the outcomes people want to achieve from sport and physical activity and design their sessions in a way which supports them to do so.

The training was developed following consultation with Sense’s own coaching networks, as well as the wider sport and physical activity sector, who identified training on ‘How to plan sessions which are person-centred’ and in a face-to-face format, as the most desirable learning scenario.

Following plenty of piloting and tweaking, we’re now in the process of delivering these three-hour, practical and theory-based workshops across the country, targeting sport and physical activity providers who have a real commitment to utilising their newly learnt skills with a complex disabilities audience.

And we’re really pleased with the results so far, with coaches reporting on average a 30% increase in their confidence in coaching people with complex disabilities, post-workshop.

It’s safe to say that Hazel’s positive experience with skiing would not have been possible, had instructor James not taken a person-centred approach to delivery.

By understanding Hazel’s need to take things slowly, allowing her to explore her surroundings and feel supported, James created an environment in which Hazel slowly started to feel more comfortable.

We hope that over the remainder of our Sport England funded ‘Active Lifestyles’ programme and beyond, we can continue to build the confidence of the coaching workforce, allowing more people, like Hazel, experience what her key worker Tracey describes as ‘a real sensory explosion’.
 

It’s undeniable that the Lionesses’ recent triumphs and the professionalisation of the women’s game, the strong performance of the men’s team and the fact that the number of girls watching and playing football has doubled in recent years, has made the country proud.

We know that the scale of grassroots football in England means that the sport is well positioned to influence people and communities in tackling inequalities in sport and physical activity.

So because of all of these reasons, we thought that our case study with The Football Association (FA) would be a great way to close our series of blogs.

The FA is the National Governing Body for one of the country’s most popular sports and receives significant funding through Sport England’s system partner investment.

I've always loved enjoying the outdoors, being active and healthy, and throughout my life sport has had a profound impact on me.

In my 20s I had a series of strokes that left me unable to walk, but keeping active helped me heal and gave me back my identity, so I believe that sport contributes to lots of people healing when suffering life-changing injuries or illnesses.

I've been in Paralympic sport since 2012 with athletics, triathlon and cycling, and I’ve also been involved in ultra-cycling, in which athletes' endurance is tested by cycling distances of at least 200 km/125 miles.

After a suicide bomber attacked concert goers at the Manchester Arena in 2017, it was plain that a change was needed in how we protected people visiting public spaces.

In particular, there was widespread agreement that security and safety wasn’t just a matter for the police and emergency services; event organisers and the venues they used had to have a larger role in prevention and planning.

That realisation led to the campaign for Martyn’s Law, which is currently going through Parliament.

Officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, it will place a duty on premises and events to have security procedures in place to reduce the risk of harm if there’s an attack.

Some larger events and premises would need documented measures to reduce their vulnerability but it may well be some time before it fully comes into force as organisations and premises will need time to prepare.

As explained on ProtectUK – the dedicated website of the Home Office on counter-terrorism security information, training and materials – it will only directly apply to larger events and premises.

Yet we know that the people who want to do harm are just as capable of targeting small venues and small organisations.

Attacks on high-profile events or locations are getting harder to pull off, so how can we ensure people are protected everywhere they play, compete or train?

Luckily, we’re a society where voluntary associations have always taken responsibility to look after their people.

UK sports clubs and teams are exemplars of good practice in introducing safety and safeguarding protocols, and doing it with only the goodwill of volunteers to draw on.
 

At the National Counter Terrorism Security Office we have been developing simple and easy-to-follow tools that are intended to demystify the steps needed to make people safer.

As well as working with some of the country’s biggest sporting organisations with large security set-ups, we’re conscious that security and terrorism are often the last thing on the mind of a club secretary who has to organise coaches, book referees, sweet talk parents into overseeing the car park or finding someone to collect the weekly subs.

Few people probably want to worry about having a plan to stop an intruder with a knife or think through how to manage multiple casualties caused by a rogue vehicle, but they want to know that someone has thought about the risks and that there are procedures in place.

Those procedures may be as simple as making sure you know who is coming into the building, organising the car park to limit the risk of an attacker getting up speed in a vehicle or having a protocol for getting people to safety inside a clubhouse, the changing rooms or the equipment store.

Or they might just involve regular volunteers by asking them to do a short free online security-awareness course.

Working with security experts across Government, industry and a number of national bodies, we’ve built a number of free tools on the ProtectUK website that clubs and teams are welcome to use.

You’ll find advice and resources covering subjects including identifying risks, event safety and eLearning for staff and awareness posters.

And if you can’t find what you need on our website – please, tell us. If it means that people can go about their sport in safety, we’re listening.
 

When looking at creating inclusive opportunities for disabled people in our sector a lot of focus falls on participation, but fairness for this group of people applies to its workforce too.

For years our Annual Disability and Activity Survey has shown disabled people as underrepresented in our sector’s workforce. 

Understanding what needs to change 

The 2023-24 edition revealed that disabled people are half as likely to see ‘people like me’ working in sport and physical activity compared to their non-disabled peers, and that only 9% of disabled people agreed they have the opportunity to become a coach or take on a role in delivering sport or physical activity compared to 24% of non-disabled people.

Off the back of these concerning figures, we commissioned a research project to explore the barriers and enablers for disabled people to work in our sector.

The final report has now been published on our website and is fascinating reading for anyone working in sport and physical activity.

Initial findings showed that there are limited sources of data and that most of the insights were very high level, identifying barriers such as negative attitudes towards disabled people. 

However, the evidence to help understand these in more detail was limited and while national disability employment statistics delved into specific impairments, these were not broken down to reflect the reality in our sector.

Some research considered other marginalised groups in the sport and physical activity workforce, but did not take an intersectional perspective and treated each identity in isolation.

Coverage of enablers and barriers to disabled people’s participation in the sport workforce was limited, tending to offer a wider commentary reflecting statistics, rather than personal perspectives of disabled people. Only a handful of sources provided some insights, which helped us structure the primary research design and interview questions.

Two of these were Aspire’s EmployAbility Guides and ukactive’s Everyone Can initiative.

Based on initial findings we decided to carry out in-depth interviews to understand the barriers and enablers experienced by disabled people in the professional world, and to develop recommendations that would make a real difference.

Interviewees shared personal stories with examples of both good and bad practices, including a personal trainer who had to hear that the reasonable adjustments put in place to help them do their job were perceived as ‘unfair’ by a colleague.

The need for further change

Accessible application processes, upfront information about roles or inclusive approaches to interviews (for example, choice of video or in-person) made a real difference and gave many the opportunity to consider a role.

To truly understand the reality of employment for disabled people in sport and physical activity, the report should be viewed as a whole and organisations should take a person-centred approach to ensure people can apply and remain as part of our sector’s workforce.

We published three key headline recommendations:

• Adopt a ‘flexible by default’ approach to job roles. Normalise adaptations and consider flexibility beyond whether the employee could choose their hours to include how adjustments could be made across the wider team. For example could the disabled employee do certain tasks while a non-disabled colleague picks up others?

• Provide advice and guidance for employing disabled people. There is a clear need for an effective source of advice and guidance for employers to turn good intentions into action and organisations should aim to create a culture that values - and is informed by - diverse voices and experiences.

• Proactively identify and remove barriers that exist at all stages of the 'work journey'.
  In our research we tried to break down this path into different stages to explore barriers and enablers at each point, but it became clear that many challenges recurred throughout. Employers need to provide clear information about their available role using diverse and suitable communication platforms. They need to learn continually and listen to their disabled staff continually. A good way to achieve this is employing disabled consultants to identify and remove barriers through an inclusive culture.

Organisations who were seen to be committed to inclusion appealed to participants, but the main conclusion to take from the report is clear: there is still a lot of work to be done in creating equal opportunities for all and there’s an urgent need for the sport and physical activity sector to address recruitment and retention strategies.

We hope that in highlighting real-life experiences we can shine a light on both the good, the bad and on the way forward.

There is undoubtedly a desire in the sector to ensure disabled people do not have to overcome barriers to enter the workforce and we firmly believe that this piece of research could be a key tool to unlocking those opportunities.

Our male weight loss programme celebrated its 10th birthday in 2024 – a key milestone in its support of men up and down the UK and beyond!

MAN v FAT currently has over 8,500 men of all ages participating in its more than 150 owned club locations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and has seen its members lose more than 750,000 lbs of weight combined.

This year the organisation started supporting those interested in rugby with MAN v FAT Rugby and football with MAN v FAT Football, and there’ll also be new 'MAN v FAT sports' in the coming years.

Disabled people face significant challenges in participating, volunteering and working in sport and physical activity due to financial, physical, psychological and structural barriers.

This data has inspired a partnership programme called Recover and Reinvent between Sport for Confidence (SfC) and Activity Alliance (AA) designed to promote roles enabling people with lived experience to work in the sector.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions, in 2023 the employment rate of disabled people was 53%, compared to 82% of non-disabled people – a gap representing a difference of over two million individuals.

And disability charity Scope says that disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed, with jobseekers often facing barriers at every stage of the employment ladder.

Many employers have not seriously considered the inclusivity of their workplaces and, as a result, biases or misconceptions – such as believing it’s too difficult, risky or expensive to hire disabled individuals – remain widespread.

Sharing my experience

These attitudes impact disabled jobseekers’ ability to apply and get into work every day, plus they can also create inaccessible workplaces, so this problem needs to be addressed.

I am proud to contribute to the Recover and Reinvent partnership, which works to foster positive change because for many of us involved, discrimination is not theoretical – it is lived and deeply felt.
 

In my experience a failure to make reasonable adjustments meant my health constantly worsened – I would burn out, end up bed-bound or in hospital, recover and return, only for it to happen all over again.

The pressure to turn up to work every day despite the pain, fatigue, mental strain and sense of failure I felt was intense and overwhelming. 

This negative cycle eventually reduced my capacity to stay in long-term stable employment despite all the years of training and dedication to my profession, which ended in my career and purpose in life being taken away from me.

The lack of flexibility in many professions exacerbates these challenges, which have also been further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

I was expected to use my planning and preparation time (which is time given to teachers to allow them time away from classroom delivery to do planning, preparation and assessment-based work each week) to attend hospital appointments and had to cancel many others because they didn’t ‘fit’ within the timetable and working hours.

As a result I missed treatments and my mental health spiralled, leading to a five-week hospital stay and recovery that meant I was unable to leave the house by myself for seven years let alone consider employment.

Finding solutions together 

So the solution is clear: workplaces must adapt to ensure equal opportunities for all current or future employees.

Change is needed across the board, making job advertisements, application processes and interview practices accessible to disabled individuals.

We need to support candidates through often rigid recruitment systems to foster experiences where people feel safe and supported.

For example, in my recent interview for the position on the Recovery and Reinvent Programme I felt much safer knowing that my lived experience would be considered a strength rather than a weakness or an obstacle to being able to do the job.

Potential employers may offer reasonable adjustments for application and interviews, but are these being communicated effectively to the 10 million working-age disabled people in the UK?

Simple measures can make a big difference.

For me, it was helpful to be able to bring my personal assistant to the interview without feeling self-conscious about it.

And for my personal assistant it was great having a place to wait and to be welcomed by the interview panel and provided with a drink.

This adjustment allowed me to focus on my interview with reduced anxiety levels.

Employers face challenges in integrating disabled people into the workplace, but these are not excuses.

Barriers like inaccessible environments, inadequate adjustments, biases and a lack of understanding must be addressed.

Talent assessment organisation Chally published an inclusion quote that I really relate to:

 “The workplace is one of the best scenarios where these differences can engage, support, challenge, and inspire curiosity. Championing diversity in an organisation leads to better outcomes and greater success for individuals and teams.”

Through our partnership we are collaborating with many national partners to reduce inequalities for disabled people to challenge organisations, partners, employers and individuals to bring about lasting societal change.

And we need to acknowledge and work against negative attitudes towards disability as these disempower individuals and fuel social exclusion.

Empowered by our lived experiences, occupational therapists and peer support workers working with the sport and physical activity sector are essential to the success of the programme.

Together, we aim to create a network of individuals who will enhance opportunities for disabled people to engage in physical activity, sports, volunteering  and employment.

If you share our passion and values, please get in touch and share your experiences (good or bad) because both will help us grow.

Let’s learn together, grow together and create opportunities that foster belonging among disabled people.
 

I have a massive passion for sport.

In the past, I’ve had challenges when trying to take part in sport and have also experienced negative attitudes by some people, so I don’t want others to have to go through the same difficulties I've faced.

I became a sports coach with Arsenal football in the community so I could help others and, following this position, I was asked to tutor with an organisation called Advocacy on their Employment Ambassadors programme.

After that I was advised to apply for my current role with Mencap, co-tutoring their Learning Disability in Sport Workshop.

A programme for disabled people in sport

This programme aims to help clubs, coaches and providers of sport understand how to support people with a learning disability to access sporting opportunities in an inclusive environment.

As part of the workshop, which was first delivered 10 years ago, I talk about my experiences - including the barriers and the challenges I face on a regular basis.

This inspires people to think about their own delivery and gets them to reflect on what they need to consider when coaching and to make new pathways for disabled people in our sector.
 

People sometimes wonder if this kind of workshop is necessary and I think it is, because activity must be inclusive for everyone.

Those with learning disabilities face a lot of barriers to taking part in sport and physical activity, but the workshop helps people and organisations to be aware of these and how to overcome them.

According to Sport England, people with learning disabilities are also less likely to take part in sport and physical activity, but that doesn't mean they don't want to be active - they just don’t have the same opportunities to participate.

But this workshop helps to improve understanding of how to help disabled people get active.

Since the pandemic we have delivered 58 workshops across the country reaching 989 people and we'll keep working to reach many more.

People have passed on great compliments about the course, too, including the following:

‘Thank you so much for explaining everything and for the amazing practical exercises, which clearly and practically made us understand what a person with learning difficulties needs to deal with on a daily basis, and how that can affect them and how those around them (coaches and helpers) that are giving the session need to adaptable.’

So what examples of practical things can be done to help coaches and helpers to design better sessions for people with disabilities?

Take time think about the language you use.

Language that some people use in their day-to-day lives can be hard to understand for others.

So as a coach, if you need to explain how to do a particular exercise, ask yourself: 'can someone with a learning disability understand what I'm saying?'

If they can’t, how do you think that makes them feel?

So use simple language and break information down into smaller chunks and, where needed, give people enough time to understand new information.

Some people don’t know there are pathways to global competitions for people with learning disabilities.

Find out what is out there for people with a learning disability and how they can get involved.

Inclusive recruitment in our sector

So as well as disabled people being active, how easy is it for disabled people to work in our sector? We need to ensure there are inclusive recruitment possibilities.

For me, inclusive recruitment looks like people with learning disabilities having an equal chance for jobs.

When you’re in employment, you’re included in different parts of the company and you’re seen as an equal, which means you don’t get excluded.

I also think that speaking to people and understanding their training or accessibility needs is important because that helps them feel included in their workplace and beyond.

In this sense, learning disability-focused training helps employers to understand things from the perspective of someone with a learning disability.

They can then make changes to the workplace to make it more inclusive, like communicating in different ways because for instance, some people may prefer voice notes rather than emailing.

The most important thing is knowing that each person is different and will have different needs, so if we can understand those differences we can then go about helping them.

The benefits of inclusive work environments

When I think of the benefits I bring to those I work with as a tutor with lived experience as a disabled person, I think of talking about my life experiences and sharing advice to help them be more inclusive in their coaching offers.

But what’s more important is that when people see me in a leadership role, it opens their eyes to a better understanding of how people with a learning disability can and must be employed.

As an employer you don’t want to tell people’s stories for them.

Instead, working to employ disabled people helps you to better understand them and letting them tell their own stories has a massive impact and something that I think is key is for employers to think of different ways to advertise job opportunities to people with learning disabilities.

This could be word-of-mouth, contacting or visiting local organisations to present the job opportunities, or providing easy-read information about the available positions.

The easier the better.

I feel that recruiters could have better ways of allowing people with learning disabilities to fill in applications, possibly with video applications.

They could also allow voice notes or online meetings, depending on the person and their individual needs, and it's important to give people the space to have comfortable conversations and to not make interviews an intimidating situation. 

Those in charge of recruiting could offer people the chance to have support during the interview if needed and, most importantly, they should chat to disabled people like regular people, because we are!

As a leader make sure you take action – rather than just talking – and don’t make empty promises.

Help inspire others to be the leaders they want to be in their life and in their community by helping them feel like they have a fair chance and equal opportunities to get the advertised job.

If you would like to find out more about the workshop, please get in touch.
 

Since I was 14 years old, I’ve been a sprinter and student at Track Academy, an athletics, education and mentoring charity based in the London borough of Brent. 

Being here has enabled me to develop and mature into a disciplined and hardworking student athlete. The support I’ve received in the past seven years has been crucial in helping me get through high school and sixth form.

It gave me a space to hone my talents and meet inspiring athletes, while providing the means for me to do my study and homework. Now, I combine studying at university and working for Track Academy, providing fundraising and operations support. 

This Black History Month, I’ve thought about how Track Academy’s entire approach celebrates and amplifies black history and culture – not just for a single month but all year and in every aspect. 

Most of the staff, coaches, mentors, tutors and trustees reflect the demographic of people who attend. Many of our student athletes are of Afro-Caribbean descent (49%) and are conscious of the very high proportion of black athletes who represent countries within athletics. 

Track Academy is a community-led organisation and, by using sport for development, we’ve been able to reach the community in ways that shape the future.

Through the younger generation we can see the progression of society, and by helping them hone discipline and perseverance within sport, we can guide them to brighter futures.

The academy continually celebrates black lives. The people, events, guests and mentors that it brings on board to help the student athletes are representative of the lives they impact; all its workshops and events are influenced by or involve the black experience. 

Track Academy is as inclusive and diverse as it is supportive to its student athletes. My experience has been uplifting and positive, and I’ve loved the support provided.
 

Getting to where you want to be in life is not always an easy ride.  

It hardly ever is, actually, and for me it came after many years of preparation, commitment, exams and travelling. 

This year’s Black History Month theme – ‘Reclaiming narratives’ – is something that I can totally relate to through my professional journey. 

It all started in 2008 with an email from a British Triathlon regional manager, containing information from the London Development Agency. 

They were looking to train Londoners to officiate at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with official London Sport funding, which meant committing to four years of training to be able to officiate at the Games. 

What was not to like about an offer like that?!   

Definitely not a sprint

However, getting on the then Level 1 Club/Assistant Referee course – we were not called Technical Officials (TOs) back then – and into the bursary process, was not what you’d call straightforward.  

Becoming a TO requires hours of commitment and there was a lot of travelling to triathlon events, shadowing qualified race referees and writing up detailed reports, plus this was all done on paper and emails with a lot of admin that took up a great chunk of time after every event.   

Moving up to a Level 2 (regional) seemed to be a much quicker process, though. 
 

I thought I might be on track for the Olympics, but in order to get to the next stage (national technical official, NTO) I needed to complete two years of officiating at a specific number and type of events in various roles before I was able to apply for the relevant course and exam. 

Due to work I didn’t get on to a course on time, so I had to wait four years before the next opportunity became available.  

I finally qualified as an NTO in 2018 and then embarked on a number of TO roles (all self-funded) around the world, living amazing experiences and meeting some great colleagues, some of whom became good friends. 

But to become the continental technical official (CTO) I am now, I had to do two more years of officiating at specific events and finally I completed the course and its exam in 2022/23. 

So no, I didn't get to London 2012 as an official, but I was there as a ’Games Maker’ and that was an amazing experience! 

Remembering a particular sports event

As you can see, being a TO requires a lot of commitment over a long period of time, plus you need to have resources to get to events nationally and overseas.  

Of all the events I’ve officiated, I recall one in particular: the Blenheim Palace Triathlon when BADU Sports entered their first triathlon team.   

I got chatting to them when they arrived and explained my CTO role.  

One of the BADU team was extremely surprised that I had achieved such a title and was (in her words) “in charge” of other technical officials working at the event.  

However, what made me remember this event in particular was that when I returned to my car at the end of that day I heard one of the exhibitors comment that I must be part of the security team. 

That hurt, especially as the company they worked for was one of the major sponsors for British Triathlon. 

I know, and now you know, how much it takes to get to where I am today and it all got erased by one person’s assumption. It felt wrong. 

I don’t have anything against security professionals. They do an amazing job, and a difficult one too, but it’s just not my job. So why did that person think that it was?  

Helping make the change I want to see

As I mentioned before, this year’s Black History Month is about reclaiming our narrative and I’m using this opportunity to reclaim mine – the efforts and the years of my life I’ve invested in pursuing the place I’m at now.  

But I also want to highlight some positive changes I’ve witnessed since the start of my career, like the change in the face of triathlon in the UK since I first joined the sector.  

Back in 2006 I would be the only Black/Brown person at the event, but nowadays I see more people taking part from diverse backgrounds and cultures.   

However, when you look at the UK officiating team, the number from diverse backgrounds is low (1%) and I believe I know who they all are, too!    

I continue to officiate events and it would be great to see more diversity in my professional landscape. 

As well as supporting diversity in my job, I’ve been involved with equality, diversity and inclusion as a volunteer, as a representative of the Triathlon England Council and a participant of round-table talks. 

But, while for me it is important to reclaim my narrative, I’m here to also help others build theirs. 

There is a saying "you have to see it to be it" but I believe that "you have to be it for others to see it" because if we all waited for someone to inspire us, many people would still be waiting.  

But we’re done waiting. It’s all about reclaiming, building and thriving now.
 

My first Olympic memory is sitting in front of a small television, locked-in, watching US sprint legend Michael Johnson secure the historic 200m and 400m double gold at Atlanta 1996 while wearing his iconic golden spikes.

I don’t know what it was that drew me in.

Was it his unique, almost action-hero-like running style? His laser focus? His healthy disrespect for what people said was impossible? Or maybe it was just the gold shoes?

The influence of Atlanta'96

The 1996 Games were a major catalyst for my personal journey through sport, and it was also the catalyst for the transformation of the British high-performance sport system for a very different reason.

Atlanta saw Great Britain's worst performance at a summer Games since 1952, finishing 36th in the medal table with a single gold medal.

But as a nine-year-old, I couldn’t care less about the medal table. I just saw a man do the impossible in golden shoes!

Since then, the Olympics have always been special to me and at this year’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games I had the privilege of being on the leadership squad for Team GB’s Olympic preparation camp in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

My role was to lead on all things technical-training across our sport venues, working with team leaders, coaches, athletes and city partners to ensure that all the athletes representing Team GB had the best possible training block before heading onto the village to compete.

Building into the future

Lots has changed for me since Atlanta 1996 but funnily enough, it’s still not Great Britain’s position in the medal table that drives me.

In my opinion, if you work in sport – to quote Manchester United football legend Roy Keane –  when it comes to winning or the relentless pursuit of victory, “that’s your job”.

Medals and world records may come or not, after all there are many factors you cannot control, so it’s the pursuit (not the outcome) that you should focus on.

Having worked with Team GB over the last twelve months towards Paris, when it comes to the ‘pursuit’ all I saw was gold (like the shoes, not the medals).
 

The leadership, the athletes, the coaching, the environments, the behaviours... the complete process has been unique, laser-focussed and with a healthy disrespect for what people say is impossible.

The outcome is a testament to a finely tuned sporting system that many great people have built over the last 30 years and that many great people will continue to build into the future.

And what is Sport England doing to ensure the future is brighter than the present?

Within the talent and performance team here at Sport England, there are two objectives that guide everything we do – to achieve progression and greater inclusion.

Progression by producing higher quality athletes at every stage of the pathway and greater inclusion because pathways should be accessible to everyone with the potential to succeed at the highest level.

Of course, these two concepts are inextricably linked – quite simply, a pathway must be diverse to produce the highest quality athletes.
 

These objectives must also be considered alongside the fact that, as a nation, we are increasingly reliant on Olympic debutants to win medals: 14% in Sydney 2000 up to 32% in Tokyo 2020.

This trend also extends to Paralympic sport: 31% in Sydney 2000 up to 59% in Tokyo 2020.

Therefore, we need to be doing everything we can to ensure that debutants attending an Olympic or Paralympic Games are as prepared as possible for their first Games.

The School Games National Finals 

This is one of the reasons why Sport England recently invested £2.8 million in the upcoming School Games National Finals – one of very few multi-sport competition experiences that developing athletes will have before attending their first Olympic or Paralympic Games.

Fun fact – 118 of the Olympic athletes that competed in Paris this summer also competed at the School Games National Finals when they were youngsters. They achieved a total of 7 gold, 8 silver and 16 bronze medals for Team GB.

The 2024 School Games National Finals start today at Loughborough University and run until Sunday, 1 September.

For the last 12 months we have been working closely with our delivery partner, the Youth Sport Trust, to redesign the event to ensure it supports our ambitions across both progression and inclusion.

A series of innovations aim to help these goals:

• a holistic enrichment programme designed to support the development of attendees as people, athletes and performers
• deeper selection pools to ensure more young athletes from diverse backgrounds can benefit from this great developmental experience
• for the first time, Obstacle Course Racing will be on the competition programme for Modern Pentathlon and all athletes attending the event will be given the opportunity to engage in an Obstacle Course Experience. This opportunity will offer sports a mechanism beyond their individual technical events and existing profiling techniques to explore the inter-relationship of performance and potential
• an ambitious qualitative research programme – ‘The Aspiring Athlete Innovators' – has been developed to understand who the aspiring athlete is today so that we can better design experiences, environments and talent pathways that ensure they thrive not only as athletes and performers, but also as people (spoiler alert, my next blog will probably be sharing what we find out).

I’d like to finish this piece by shouting out everybody that made the Team GB prep camp what it was this summer… there are too many to list but you know who you are. Legends.

With the Paralympic Games underway, this Paris chapter will soon come to an end but for the athletes competing at the School Games National Finals this week, the pursuit has only just begun and I’ll be there, looking for gold (like the shoes, not the medals).