Strategies to improve participation
Strategies to improve participation come under three headings:
- promotion (actively encouraging or publicising)
- provision (what is provided, supplied or arranged)
- access (transport, entry and opportunities of use)
Promotion
- Increase media coverage of women's sport, ethnic minority sport and disability sport
- More role models, especially women, BME and disability sports stars
- Campaigns such as 'Kick it Out' Disability Football and 'This Girl Can' by Sport England
- Challenge stereotyping
- Improve advertising of sessions/activities in the local area and media
- Improve advertising of campaigns and promotions such as free swimming for over 50s age group
Provision
- Provision can be local (through the local authority, private enterprise or voluntary clubs and associations) or national (UK Sport, national sports centres, sports institutes and academies)
- More PE in National Curriculum for schools
- Increase opportunities for women's sport, minority sport and disability sport (women only sessions, Kabaddi, wheelchair basketball)
- Run sessions for specific groups, for example over 50s or women only
- Plan the timing of sessions to target certain groups, for example for parents with young children put on mid-morning sessions after the school run
- Provide creche facilities to run alongside activity sessions
- Provide activities that families can take part in together
- Provide facilities that are easy to get to and cater for the community needs
Access
- Sports and facilities need to be local, available and affordable
- Transport – the availability of public transport, adequate car parking, safe cycling/walking routes or any free or specialist transport available
- Entry – ramps/wider doors for disabled access
- Equipment – the availability to hire equipment that is adapted for age/disability, for example hoists for swimming pool access
- Cost – sensible pricing to participate, reduced charges for certain groups, for example unemployed, low cost for equipment hire
- Allow alternative dress codes to reduce religious/cultural discrimination
- Availability of additional coaches/specialists to help with communication for disabled/ESL participants
- Adapt sports to make them more accessible – walking football, football golf, rush hockey