As part of National Inclusion Week we wanted to share some of the work we’re doing to be a more inclusive employer and create a more welcoming environment at London Sport.
We know that this is just the start of an ongoing journey to continue to make London Sport a great place to work and a leader when it comes to inclusive practice in the sports & physical activity sector. We’re committed to embedding inclusive practice and values into all of our work.
We sat down with Daniel Ampaw, London Sport’s Development Manager, to find out more about this work.
How have you been learning about other people’s experiences?
We’ve committed to continued education about other people’s experiences. Earlier this year, for example, two of our staff members answered questions about the holy month of Ramadan, including sport and physical activity provisions for Muslims who are fasting.
What kind of training and development have you undertaken?
In June 2023 all our staff undertook a day long Deaf Awareness Training Course, promoting inclusivity, understanding and equal opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The goal was to help us create an inclusive environment where people can learn, appreciate diversity and work towards breaking down communication barriers.
Staff learnt some of the barriers which deaf people face, resources available to support deaf people such as online signing & interpreting services, and were introduced to some basic British Sign Language
Do you have any internal Equality, Diversity & Inclusion forum to discuss on these important topics?
We do! Our EDI Staff Group continues to meet on a 6-weekly basis, with the aim of increasing inclusion within the workplace. Together with all London Sport staff, the EDI forum has developed a roadmap of change to promote inclusion which focus on a) appreciating and utilising the diverse range of skills and lived experience within London Sport, b) amplifying the voice of the people we work with to develop a more community led approach and c) continuing to develop and promote a welcoming and supporting learning environment.
What is your next big learning moment?
While we continue to do lots of internal work to improve London Sport, we’ve also ensured our Keynote session at our Active LDN conference on 17 October is focussed on Equality and Diversity in our sector. We’re hoping this will be useful for the wider sector and for all the conference delegates, but we will also be capturing key learnings ourselves and use that session to embed best practice into our own work and workplace.
