SPORTS EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD

Aston Villa Foundation

Launched in 2024, Everybody’s Game demonstrates the Aston Villa Foundation’s commitment to EDI principles and provides much needed support in the local communities around Villa Park.

South Asian representation in grassroots and professional football is significantly lower, despite South Asian communities compromising the biggest ethnic minority group in our target communities.

Everybody’s Game breaks down barriers to football for young male and female players of South Asian background who live in Birmingham, whilst supporting volunteer coaches and other club officials in developing their confidence in football delivery. Overall, the objective of

Everybody’s Game is to create a stronger football infrastructure amongst the British South Asian community.

To date, we have worked with just over 20 clubs, religious or community groups which has seen:
– Over 500 participants (children, young people and adults) from South Asian backgrounds benefiting
– 34 festivals, tournaments & activation events, engaging hundreds of young male and female players
– 526 1:1 mentoring sessions for volunteer coaches
– 15 coach development workshops
– Distribution of AVFC tickets, kit and equipment to participating clubs and organisations
– Developing a network of delivery and funding partners advocating for our project (FIFA Foundation, Islamic Relief, Muslim Sports Foundation, Panjab FA)

Community Integrated Care

Community Integrated Care is transforming sport in Britain by strategically embedding inclusion into every aspect of the sports system, significantly addressing systemic exclusion faced by disabled communities. Leveraging over 8 million annual care hours, the charity uniquely bridges the gap between elite sport, frontline care, and lived experience. This innovative approach has established a replicable model for sustainable, nationwide system change.

Central to their groundbreaking work are strategic collaborations with leading governing bodies such as the Rugby Football League, British Cycling, and Lawn Tennis Association, connecting athletes, disabled people, and care providers. Initiatives like the Support Squad, which employs disabled people as accessibility auditors, have redefined event accessibility standards at major international championships.

Community Integrated Care’s visionary programmes, including Beyond Barriers and Serving Inclusion, reshape workforce development, volunteering, and employment opportunities in sport. By placing disabled people at the heart of their initiatives, the charity not only champions equality but drives profound and measurable social change.

Recognized internationally, their pioneering model serves as a blueprint, empowering disabled communities and positioning the care sector at the forefront of meaningful, lasting transformation in sport and society.

Dirt Is Good (Unilever)

In 2025, Dirt Is Good (DIG), the collection of laundry brands Persil, OMO, Surf Excel, Breeze, Rinso, Ala and Skip, set out on a bold mission to tackle the taboo surrounding period stains in sport.

When DIG research revealed that 78% of teenage girls stop playing sport due to periods and 67% do not know how to remove period stains, the brand acted.

A purpose driven campaign, co-created with Arsenal Women’s team and a group of twenty girls aged 14-18, was launched to address the issue and help demystify the stigma of period stains in sport and create an environment without fear or shame.

It’s Part of the Game, spearheaded by Beth Mead and her Arsenal teammates, featured personal stories, tips and tricks and generated international awareness around the subject through an integrated campaign.
In stadiums, online and in classrooms a consistent message of resilience, understanding and acceptance was shared to universal acclaim.

The campaign reached 34 countries and generated a reach of a quarter of a billion – but importantly, it encouraged thousands of people to open up and share their own experiences as we strive for a sport where everyone should feel a sense of belonging.

ITTF Foundation

Founded in 2018, the ITTF Foundation is an independent nonprofit under the International Table Tennis Federation, dedicated to using table tennis as a driver for sustainable social change. Guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Foundation implements five global programs focused on inclusivity, education, and empowerment through sport.

World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) is one of the Foundation’s flagship initiatives. In both 2024 and 2025, WTTD centered on the theme of diversity and inclusion, aiming to foster unity among people of different backgrounds, ages, genders, and abilities. With the benefit of continuity, the second year enabled deeper engagement, better impact analysis, and stronger local ownership.

WTTD 2025 mobilized 845 celebrations across 146 countries and territories, supported by 32 trained promoters. An updated app mapped accessible table tennis tables worldwide, while new training and communication tools helped create welcoming spaces. The main global celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, organized by a local project partner, showcased the successful fusion of two of the Foundation’s core initiatives.

Participation data highlighted strong engagement from youth, women, seniors, people with disabilities, and refugees. WTTD 2025 proved that sport can be a powerful force for inclusion, setting a new benchmark for global, community-driven event management.

UK Athletics

UK Athletics (UKA) is leading the way in embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDI) across every level of the sport. As the national governing body, UKA ensures athletics is inclusive, accessible, and representative of modern Britain. Its work is driven by a bold Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), close collaboration with the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs), and clear accountability from boardroom to grassroots.

In 2024, UKA’s inclusive strategy delivered standout results on the world stage. At the Paris Olympic Games, the team won 10 medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 6 bronze), with 60% of individual medallists being women and 40% from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Relay teams were gender-balanced, with over 80% of athletes from ethnically diverse communities. At the Paralympics, the team secured 18 medals (6 gold, 8 silver, 4 bronze), with women winning 83% of golds and 71% of silvers.

UKA has also driven progress off the track, with workforce ethnic diversity rising from 12% in 2021 to 26% in 2025, and 30% of Board members from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Through pioneering policies, inclusive leadership, and community-driven action, UKA is building a sport where everyone can thrive and succeed.

USA Track & Field

In 2024, USA Track & Field (USATF) advanced its role as a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within global sport, advancing bold initiatives to support athletes on and off the track. As the most diverse National Governing Body in the U.S. Olympic Movement, USATF deepened its commitment to equitable representation, inclusive hiring, and athlete-centered innovation.

Key initiatives included the historic integration of U.S. Paralympics Track & Field into Team USATF, culminating in the first fully unified national championship in 2025. This milestone ensures equal competition access, recognition, and media coverage for Olympic and Paralympic athletes alike. USATF also introduced a landmark maternity policy that extends financial and medical support enabling mothers to sustain their careers without penalty.

Commercial partnerships with brands like August and Neutrogena addressed athlete-specific wellness needs, demonstrating USATF’s responsiveness to lived experiences and athlete advocacy. These collaborations boosted engagement and public support.

USATF’s diverse leadership, inclusive policies, and integrated support structures earned it the 2024 World Athletics Member Federation of the Year award. Its holistic DEI model – blending representation with action – has set a new global benchmark for what athlete support and inclusion can look like in global sport.

Rexona Breaking Limits Programme – Rexona (Unilever)

Rexona (also known as Sure, Degree, and Shield globally) believes in the transformative power of movement. Yet, the confidence to move—and access to safe spaces—is not universal. Mental barriers like stereotypes and social expectations, along with structural obstacles such as limited resources and facilities, prevent many young people from being active. As a result, 80% of the world’s adolescent population is not active enough (World Health Organization).

To change this, Rexona launched the Breaking Limits Programme in 2021 to dismantle barriers and create a world where everyone can move with confidence. The programme partners with grassroots NGOs and schools to deliver inclusive, locally-led initiatives that empower underserved youth.

The Global NGO Programme operates in nine countries, supporting 71 NGOs with over $4 million in grants. It has trained 7,774 coaches through a digital platform covering topics such as disability inclusion, mental wellbeing, and anti-bias. In 2024 alone, coaches engaged 546,000 young people.

In the UK, the Schools Programme brings movement into classrooms through free, curriculum-linked lessons. Since launch, it has reached 766,900 students aged 9–14, with 94% reporting improved confidence, including a 68% uplift among girls.

Through education, coaching, and community support, Rexona is making movement more inclusive for all.

Welsh Wheelchair Open – Squash Wales

The Welsh Wheelchair Open 2025 marks a historic moment for squash in Wales. Organised by Squash Wales, this will be the first-ever wheelchair squash tournament in the country, taking place at Rhiwbina Squash Club, Cardiff, on 13th September 2025.

This groundbreaking event has been developed as part of Squash Wales’ broader commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion – with a specific focus on widening access for disabled participants who have historically lacked formal competitive opportunities within the sport.

Designed with accessibility and affordability at its core, the event has already attracted significant interest from players, clubs, the media and disability sport organisations. Promotional campaigns have helped raise visibility, challenge perceptions, and place disabled athletes at the forefront of the conversation.

The Welsh Wheelchair Open is not a one-off initiative but the first step in building a sustainable pathway for wheelchair squash in Wales. It reflects the belief that sport should be open to everyone – and that meaningful inclusion requires visibility, opportunity and structural support.

This tournament is setting a new standard for inclusive sport in Wales and has the potential to inspire similar movements across the UK and beyond.