Celebrating Diversity: The London 2012 Diversity and Inclusion Award

As part of the London 2012 Legacy, we are recognising and celebrating an organisation that has made efforts to advance diversity and inclusion through increased participation in sport. The criteria for the award include a demonstration of an increase in numbers of individuals across many strands of society including: Gender, age, faith, sexual orientation, ability and BAME.

The organisations shortlisted for this award firstly demonstrate that through their approach to diversity and inclusion, there is an increased level of sports participation. Secondly, they have policies and procedures in place that encourage/support diversity and inclusion. Thirdly, the organisations have embraced the Olympic and Paralympic ideals, alongside LOCOG values of social inclusion. Finally, the shortlisted projects have made a conscious effort to measure and relay their impact effectively.

We are proud to announce the shortlist of 4 projects for the London 2012 Diversity and Inclusion Award 2014, these are: 

• LGBT Youth North West
• Global Education Derby - Common Goal Project
• The Change Foundation - Dance4Change
• Tottenham Hotspur Foundation - Skills 

LGBT Youth North West

LGBT Youth North West have created a two-strand project; firstly a series of 36 sports based events, reading 1,000 young people. These events will encourage LGBT youth people to re-engage with sport and provide personal development opportunities for them. The second strand of the project will work with 270 sports education professionals to address discrimination and barriers at grassroots level. This work includes training, a conferences and the development of a good practise guideline.

The project aims to change attitudes towards LGBT young people across the grassroots sporting community and to help LGBT young people access opportunities and, ultimately, to reengage with more inviting main stream community sports set up.

Global Education Derby – Common Goal Project

Common Goal aims to promote social cohesion and support young people to develop interpersonal and leadership skills while building positive relationships outside their immediate friendship group and experience.

Working with Derby City and Derbyshire secondary schools the project brings students of different ages, ethnicity, faith and socio economic backgrounds together to discover the common interests they share, work cooperatively and have fun – with sport as the central theme.

Joint activity days for younger students are devised and run by sports leaders in the schools, with accredited training and support provided by Global Education Derby and Derby County Community Trust. A mixture of classroom and practical sport sessions have been devised to challenge perceptions, develop peer mentoring skills and raise awareness of equality and human rights issues. After involvement with the project sports leaders are offered opportunities to use their skills in primary schools and the wider community.

The learning from the project has been captured in a resource pack with the intention of making the project sustainable and replicable in other schools and training offered to teachers on using sport across the curriculum to explore diversity.

The Change Foundation – Dance4Change

Using dance as a tool, Dance4Change aims to encourage positive changes in the lives of young people, where and when they need it most. Built into the programme, there will be an alumni programme designed to enable past participants to keep in touch and seek support for as long as they want or need it.

Dance4Change's aim is to encourage and inspire young people to work together in a structured way and learning a range of useful new skills that will help them bring about positive changes in their lives. Built in to the course, there will be mentoring and personal development sessions, professional career advice and internships, directions and pathways towards further education, the possibility to gain useful qualification.

Tottenham Hotspur Foundation – Skills

Skills offers a comprehensive sport and education programme to young people from Haringey aged 12-19 years. The project provides a combination of educational workshops and a range of sports including football, boxing, tennis, table tennis, dance, basketball, badminton and more. Daytime delivery provides educational provision for the young people who are excluded or failing in the mainstream education system. The evening then provides a range of sports for all young people to get involved with.

Skills provides a positive atmosphere and hub for young people to visit after school to reduce anti-social behaviour. The site provides young people with an alternative learning environment to get them back into education where previously they have been excluded or stopped attending. The project operates in a community where 193 languages are spoken, 15% of children suffer from obesity and there’s 88% re-offending rate.

.

These four projects and organisations are among many that have done amazing things in the sport for development sphere. We pass on our best wishes to the four shortlisted projects.