News
Introducing our Inclusion & Engagement Coordinator
29/09/2023 00:00, In Blog / Club Notice Board /
National Inclusion Week aims to raise awareness of and celebrate inclusion in the workplace, this year’s theme is ‘Take Action Make Impact’, a call to action for all in the organisation, from leaders to I&D professionals – teams and individuals.
Taking action is exactly what we plan to do at Welsh Athletics and to help make strides in this area we are delighted to introduce you to Libby Steele, our new Inclusion & Engagement Coordinator.
A bit about me…
“I am based in North Wales and have studied Sport and Exercise Psychology at Bangor University for the last eight years which culminated in finishing my PhD this summer; my PhD aimed to inform the development of a standardised starting system to increase equity for D/deaf athletes in athletics.
"I love getting outside and enjoying the coastal path and beaches across North Wales with friends and family. I was born Deaf and have been learning British Sign Language for the last few years and I am currently doing my Level 4. I absolutely love learning BSL and would recommend everyone to learn!”
My Role…
“My role is Inclusion and Engagement Coordinator. I am responsible for developing and maintaining partnerships with clubs and organisations, as well as collecting data to better understand the participation landscape across Welsh Athletics to increase participation and engagement across underrepresented groups.
"I also sit on the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Sub-group which is a great group to be a part of. In addition, I support staff with embedding inclusive practices across the organisation, making sure staff are confident and educated about all aspects of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.”
Objectives of my Role…
“One of the main projects that I will be working on is to reignite the Junior Athlete Voice within Welsh Athletics. The Junior Athlete Voice aims to involve and engage with young participants and athletes in decision-making, initiative development and to provide a platform for young people’s voices to be heard and listened to in Welsh Athletics.
"I have also been coordinating Welsh Athletics’ insport silver submission with Disability Sport Wales, which is a project that aims to ensure that all activity is delivered inclusively of disabled people. Achieving insport Silver will mean that Welsh Athletics is one step closer to being recognised as a ‘Gold’ standard inclusive organisation which will be fantastic.
"Another key project within my role is to better understand the landscape of underrepresented groups across Welsh Athletics, with particular focus on disability and ethnicity, to provide insight to inform initiative development and increase participation and engagement across underrepresented groups. As you can see, I will be working on a range of projects across many protected characteristics and underrepresented groups, which I am really excited and passionate about and intend to make a difference in Welsh Athletics.”
Welcome onboard Libby! If you would like to contact Libby, please email libby.steele@welshathletics.org