Best Sports Governing Body Initiative
Big Stadium Hockey – England Hockey
In 2019, England Hockey’s ambition was to capitalise on the legacy created by the record breaking Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup, maximising spectator demand for world class Hockey and replicating the atmosphere created by 10,000 cheering fans.
The new international FIH Pro League provides the fixtures, but the schedule limits England Hockey’s ability to install significant additional seating at their usual venue. The only way to enable big stadium hockey was to utilise an existing fit for purpose stadium, and install our own pitch for the event.
Temporary surfaces aren’t new, however, in order to access a suitable rugby/football stadium during their season, England Hockey had to pioneer a game changing, reusable technology enabling an international standard playing surface to be installed and removed in the space of a few days, critically without damaging the surface underneath.
Partnering with Harlequins to host the final FIH Pro League fixtures at the Twickenham Stoop stadium, England Hockey welcomed a record attendance of 12,039 fans. Hailed, an amazing success, athletes were buzzing about playing in front of such a huge home crowd and spectators relished in the spectacle. Big Stadium Hockey is now available to be used in any stadium…globally.
ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships – International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Foundation
In October 2019, the world saw the first ever World Parkinson’s Table Tennis Championships in Pleasantville, New York. This eagerly anticipated and historic event went on for three days, where different kind of people with Parkinson’s Disease demonstrated how beneficial table tennis is for reducing the symptoms of this disease. This unique event needed a special classification of players, where each participant received a class according to the severity of their Parkinson’s symptoms. Class 1 was categorized as the most severe and Class 3 less severe. From North America to Japan players did not only join to meet each other, train together and learn about their Parkinson’s fight, but they came to witness and be a part of history! The event showed an amazing spirit among the players, because it was more than just a competition with strong will, resilience and passion. The hugs, smiles, music playing, high fives and sweat showed that it was community at its best. Thus, they went home with a big portion of unified hope and supporters sharing to better promote the effects of table tennis on people with Parkinson’s. Because of this huge success, the ITTF Foundation decided to make it a yearly event
Project Rugby – Premiership Rugby
Project Rugby has so far reached 45,000 young people, increasing participation in the game by people aged 14-24 from non-traditional audiences:
• People from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities
• Disabled people
• People from Lower Socio-Economic groups (LSEGs).
The programme engages thousands of participants per year and is delivered by community staff from Premiership Rugby’s clubs across England, providing accessible opportunities for people to participate in the game at a time and place that can be easily accessed by target audiences. The programme also aims to support transition into local grassroots clubs, enhance wellbeing, reduce social isolation, increase social connectedness and challenge traditional perceptions of the game, positioning rugby as a sport for anyone regardless of background, ability or gender.
Swim England – Disney Inspired Family Fun Swim Sessions
Swim England and Disney launched an exciting partnership in a bid to inspire families to keep healthy and active through swimming as a year-round activity.
The sessions use Disney story-telling and activities themed around Disney’s much-loved characters to tap into youngsters’ active imaginations and thereby help naturally develop an essential life skill.
Trained activators deliver the sessions which have been specially developed to feature Swim England core aquatic skills whilst creating the perfect family activity that gets kids and adults alike, active in the pool.
The initiative complements Swim England’s vision of a nation swimming and Disney Healthy Living’s wider ambition to use the power of its characters and storytelling to inspire families to get active.
The Football Association
Wembley Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in the world attracting the biggest events in sport, music and entertainment and attracting than two million visitors per year.
As a result, Wembley plays a central role in The FA Group’s dedicated sustainability efforts, which are driven by FAST, The FA Group’s dedicated Sustainability Team comprising a group of passionate employees from across the business keen to continuously improve the way that we work.
From almost 28,000 tickets donated to the local community in the last year, to recycling 70% of all waste and reprocessing the remaining 30% to provide heat and hot water to 48,000 local homes, the organisation is dedicated to devising and implementing change, becoming an industry leader and inspiring the wider sports industry to rethink its approach.
A priority since its reopening in 2007, the stadium has focused its environmental and social activity over the last 12 months with the aim of achieving ISO20121 – the highest standard of sustainability recognised by the International Organisation for Standardization – which it duly achieved in August 2019, currently the only stadium in the UK to hold this certification.
World Sailing
World Sailing is the international federation for all sailing disciplines, it has an ambitious, innovative sustainability strategy which is aligned to 12 of the UN SDGs. The strategy and work to date seeks to address sustainable development holistically across the sport in a number of areas.
World Sailing uses its sphere of influence utilising events, athletes, regulation and innovation to ensure the sport of sailing continually improves in all areas of sustainability.
The long term strategy with 56 varied targets with multiple milestones was unanimously supported by 145 sailing nations in May 2018.
In the two years since being agreed, World Sailing have formed multiple strategic partnerships with UN Agencies and NGOs and has taken a leading role in international sport to encourage, advise and mentor other sport federations in adopting sustainable practises.
