Hikmat CIC cycle orientation with recycled bikes

Photo Credit: Hikmat CIC

Creating Inclusive and Diverse Environments for Physical Activity

It is only through connecting with others that strong, inclusive and diverse environments can be created for physical activity.

With that in mind, we want to share with you the following information that we hope you find invaluable and helpful.

Connecting, Learning and Sharing

Working within our local communities and partners across Devon can unlock the knowledge and the assets needed to address the various inequalities and barriers that exist.

Our partners both nationally and locally help us to build insight into the inclusion landscape and provide us with advice, connection and understanding.

National and Local Partners Helping Us

The Sport England equality and diversity team help us to build our research and data on inclusion, develop campaigns, increase our reach and provide access to funding to create sustainable activities.

Activity Alliance is the leading national voice for disabled people in the UK. They provide insightful toolkits and research, and we collaborate with the alliance regularly to build networks and increase accessibility.

Inclusive Employers create national webinars on numerous inclusive and diverse topics that build our knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion, and the impact on our communities. We also support the National Inclusion week campaign every year.

Living Options Devon are a user-led charity who work across the Southwest to ensure that disabled people and Deaf people (who use British Sign Language) can live the life they choose. We work closely with Living Options to consult with disabled people and collaborate on projects such as Deaf Get Active Volunteering.

Building Inclusive Networks

Building our inclusive networks forms a large part of our work towards supporting communities to be inclusive.

Networks help us to meet new partners who have access to communities that may feel unsupported, and our community-based leads across Devon are linked into numerous networks of local groups and organisations.

For example, in Plymouth we collaborate with Inclusive Sport and Activity Plymouth (ISAP) to support more disabled people in the city to take part in sport and exercise.

At times we are also able to help local diverse and inclusive groups apply or access funding to start new projects or increase the number of activities they provide. An example of this is how we have been helping refugee organisations access a variety of physical activities for their communities to support their health and wellbeing. Such as, Hikmat Devon CIC who increased their swimming and football sessions. As well as Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support (DCRS) who now provide outdoor activities including watersports for their groups.

Opportunities to Connect with Us

Much of our work is about discovering common purpose with partners who are also trying to reduce inequalities and drive social change to improve the quality of life in Devon’s communities. Read more about opportunities to connect with us and examples of our collaborative work.

If you are an inclusive or diverse organisation that wants to harness the power of physical activity and sport to reduce inequality, then please get in touch using our Contact us form.

Becoming an Active Ally

We are on a continuous journey to be an anti-racist organisation. We do this through learning from our partners and networks. Plus, developing diversity training that includes facilitated sessions, a library of resources and national webinars. All of this helps us to gain a deeper understanding of how society can affect our community’s ability to access activity.

As part of this journey our future commitment is to become an “active ally”, with the confidence to challenge and speak out against racism and to help other organisations to start their journey.