WHEN REFLECTING on the fact that 64% of sport funded bodies had no Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) members at all we can clearly see an issue of representation which stems back to an issue of equality of opportunity.

This challenge of gaining senior level roles goes across the board for BAME communities and sadly comes as little surprise to us.

We would welcome a review of the Sport Governance Code to be viewed with the lens of race in mind. We truly feel that a target of at least 20% BAME at board level is not only reasonable but also achievable when looking at the wide range of communities who fall under the umbrella term of BAME.

When looking at the 2011 Census BAME (non-white) communities made up 14.6%of Britain’s population. We are expecting this figure to have increased as per projections (BAME communities to reach between 20-30% by 2050) in the report for next year’s census.

It truly is bewildering that this vast group is not represented at a senior level in the sport sector.

We want to have a wholly diverse and inclusive sector as we feel this is the way forward for progression and success. By having empathy at the top there would be visible role models and insight into how to diversify and extend talent pools in addition to mobilising inactive groups in a more considerate and impactful manner.

When thinking of diversity and inclusion we must all reflect on the relevance of intersectionality and when we review groups belonging to the protected characteristics it is the BAME members of those communities who are often the most overlooked. This must be changed.

“We truly feel that a target of at least 20% BAME at board level is not only reasonable but also achievable when looking at the wide range of communities who fall under the umbrella term of BAME.”

With potentially 95% of senior management, board members and the workforce being white, we truly wonder how even at a basic physical activity level BAME viewpoints are acknowledged or taken into consideration.

The lack of diversity at the top impacts the average person and their ability to feel included and welcome in this sector.

Some 40% of BAME participants said their experiences of local sport or leisure clubs had been a negativeone in terms of the customer service received, compared to just 14% of White British (Sport and Recreation Alliance, May 2018).

We are simply asking for organisations in the sport sector to implement a target to extend and include at least 20% BAME for non-executive board positions.

Hope

This will have maximum impact for inclusivity for all the organisations publicly funded by Sport England or UK Sport. We truly hope that these suggestions will be implemented as this is needed for real tangible change to be achieved in terms of race equality in the UK’s sport sector.

Sporting Equals have created a number of innovative ways to make a difference and really commit to race equality. We have many different initiatives that we would strongly encourage change-makers to look into.

Chiefly our Race Equality Charter which seeks to: capture ethnicity data and intelligence, commit to tackling underrepresentation at all levels through internal reviews and showcase positive BAME role models and stories to inspire and motivate.

With support from Sport England and organisations such as the LTA and Swim England who have signed up to the Charter, we are confident that more support will follow to push racial equality in sport ahead. 

We also have our LeaderBoard Academy which is a programme that aids in equipping and skilling BAME individuals with the knowledge and connections to be able to access board-level roles.

Partners include the University of Leicester and Leicester City FC, with key modules held at King Power stadium. We touch on many subjects inviting experts to attend and host seminars for our undergraduates.

Create

The course not only equips the undergraduates with leadership and governance skills but also a thorough background on social and racial context in order to create candidates for boards who will understand the work needed to be undertaken in the boardrooms of sport.

Over one-third of LeaderBoard graduates found board roles within six months of graduating from the programme and we hope that through such programmes we can provide a solution to the issue of underrepresentation of BAME females in sports leadership roles.

Ultimately, we need more organisations to work with us and make race equality a priority rather than an ‘add on’ and find resources to carry out the work that is long overdue.

Currently we would impress upon the sports sector to implement targets for BAME leadership. We feel that all sporting boards in the UK should reasonably reach at least a  target of 20% BAME representation in their boards.

“Over one-third of LeaderBoard graduates found board roles within six months of graduating from the programme.”

We hope this will be reflected in the Sport Governance code so that all organisations publicly funded by Sport England or UK Sport will have to make changes. We understand that HR practices are difficult to change and we are empathetic to the current economic climate given COVID-19.

However, there are no dire implications for the economics of any given organisation to extend and include volunteer roles including non-executive board positions.

We know that there are capable, qualified and passionate BAME individuals out there who could build up pivotal empathy, networks and solutions to remedy the issue inequality in sport.

Diverse

We feel there is no excuse for the most diverse group (BAME) who are often the most overlooked when observing intersectionality across protected characteristics to not be a priority.

These voices and views have been long ignored and we need to come together now as a wholly representative sector that is truly diverse and inclusive.

Key statistics:

Diversity in Sport Governance Annual Survey 2018/19, Inclusive Boards

• 5% BAME board membership of Sport England and UK Sport funded bodies

(93% White, 3% Black, 3% (figure rounded) Asian (figure rounded up), 1% Other)

• 8% BAME membership on FTSE 100 boards
• 6% BAME board membership in charities
• 4% BAME board membership among Active Partnerships (County Sports Partnerships)
• 64% of sport funded bodies had no BAME members at all

5% BAME board members identified across Sport England and UK Sport-funded bodies.