Equality and Diversity Statement & Plan

The AT Board and core team pledge to promote and champion equality, diversity, community cohesion and human rights. We will empower under-represented groups and individuals to participate in sport and physical activity and take a pro-active role in society. Fair physical activity and sport is a guiding and under-pinning principle for the work the AT Board and core team do.

AT is committed to achieving an appropriate level of the Equality Standard for Sport, which will support our services continually improve. The AT Board will ensure that programmes are accessible to all sections of the community. AT staff involved in planning and delivering the programmes should be committed to treating everyone with respect, irrespective of ability, gender, ethnicity, disability, cultural background, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, social class or age. The AT Board and core team will strive to identify and eliminate practices that prevent access to physical activity and sport and address unfair behaviour. Discrimination or any behaviour against any individual will lead to appropriate and proportionate actions being taken.

It is the philosophy of AT to ensure that everyone has access to sport and physical activity opportunities and it is recognised that this will require, targeted, positive action. Therefore, the AT Board and core team will ensure that targeted interventions and actions based on local insight are taken to encourage all residents in Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland to either take part or volunteer in physical activity and sport.

As well as stimulating participation by under-represented groups, it is clearly understood that AT must continue to encourage increased participation by those parts of society which are already well represented. It will encourage all persons to take part in sport and physical activity at the most appropriate level for them, and will ensure that no-one working for AT takes any action which would discourage individuals from achieving their maximum potential through physical activity and sport.

The AT Board will monitor and evaluate programmes to determine successes and challenges with equity data being utilised to influence on-going and future developments.

AT recognises that some sections of the community are often under-represented at a strategic level in physical activity and sport administration roles. The Board is committed to achieving a minimum of 30% of each gender (but aspires to exceed this in relation to female representation) on the Board and will positively encourage applications for Board membership from under-represented groups from across society. The AT Board is committed to producing an Equality Action Plan which it will formally monitor on an annual basis, providing and publishing a written progress statement.

The mental health charity Mind, have been working closely with Active Partnerships to promote the importance of being aware of the mental health challenges faced by many and to look at how we can promote and deliver the most appropriate opportunities to support those in this situation.

In September 2016 Active Together hosted a regional conference in conjunction with Mind which brought local partners together to learn and understand more about mental health conditions, share good practise and network with others sharing a common aim of offering more opportunities to those with mental health conditions and highlighting the positive benefits of physical activity and moving more.

Following this, Active Together made a commitment to addressing mental health awareness within its programmes by signing up to the Sport & Recreation Alliance Mental Health Charter. The AT team are now actively working towards a more inclusive approach to mental health and wellbeing both in the workplace and throughout their sport and physical activity programmes.

'Active Together are committed to creating a culture of welling within the workplace, to support the core team and partners to deliver a programme of activity which promotes good mental health and wellbeing, raise awareness of and helping to address mental health challenges'.