We know that playing sport can have a profound positive impact on individuals' lives and on our communities. That when we move, we are stronger.
But more than that in performance sport, don’t we want to see England and GB teams that look and sound like the nation we are?
We are already proud of all our teams, of players and athletes that have got where they are through their talent and dedication.
England and GB over-achieves already, thanks to a talent system that produces winning teams and great champions.
I say this because only the super powers of USA and China have won more medals than Great Britain in the last four Olympic and Paralympic Games, while England and GB teams have won numerous World and European titles in a wide range of sports.
But we think that we can be even better and win even more, if we choose from the biggest squad possible.
That means removing barriers, giving opportunities to everybody in our society, spotting any possible biases and levelling the playing field so everybody with talent has a chance.
What is the Talent Inclusion Advisory Group?
We care about representation and inclusivity, but not only when the calendar says there’s a particular date we must respond to.
Our job means we tackle inequality all year around and our new Talent Inclusion Advisory Group is born to hold us accountable to this compromise and to our principles and mission. The group has come together to help us do exactly that by bringing experience and expertise from several industries and walks of life.
Together they’ll produce a ‘playbook’ containing research, stories, insights and investment ideas that the sport industry can use to create change, and to win.
The group is advising the Sport England talent team, led by Olympian Diane Edwards, who started and led her own foundation to give Manchester young people opportunities in sport.
Chaired by Dr Tunde Okinwale, an award-winning barrister and social entrepreneur who grew up on a Hackney council estate, the group contains expert individuals from education, media, psychology and finance. They are:
- Alice Dearing – co-founder, the Black Swimming Association
- Ade Ahmadu – certified program director and senior program manager, Prince 2
- Andrew Isama – economics teacher, Eton College
- Carly Tait – diversity and inclusion business partner, JD Group
- Helen Williams – Equality Advisory Group (independent), Football Association Wales
- Kevin Analuwa – non-executive director, British Wheelchair Basketball
- Rozana Green – diversity and inclusion outreach lead, BBC Employer Brand
- Tim Lawler – MBE, CEO of Sports Aid and chair of the LTA Tennis Foundation.
So what does success look like for our group?
In the last decade we’ve witnessed women’s football soar in popularity, but many may not know that it was banned for 50 years!
I’m very proud to say that Sport England’s effort and investment has supported and fuelled that change.
And it’s also worth saying that in 2017 there were very few women, culturally diverse individuals or disabled people on sport boards.
In our system partners, thanks to Sport England’s work, these numbers are over 40%, over 15% and over 16% respectively.
So change is possible.
The addition of new people, with different backgrounds and experiences, has made sport more representative, more relevant and stronger.
We aim to do the same for our future GB and England teams.
If we are successful, they will look and sound like all of us and they will win even more.
