I have recently had the amazing opportunity to attend the Include Summit alongside four of my incredible FA National Youth Council team members. The Include Summit is the UK’s largest diversity and inclusion summit for sport and to have the opportunity to attend alongside my FA National Youth Council colleagues was extremely exciting as we got to celebrate the diversity within our very own team!
The day was full of inspiring discussions around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) across numerous platforms, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to share a room with so many motivational people who are creating positive legacies for all, across several sports. Throughout the day I was able to hear from like-minded individuals dedicated to making sports more inclusive and equitable. Every discussion, workshop and panel was extremely captivating, I feel truly grateful for the wisdom and passion in tackling inequalities!
As someone who is very passionate about advocating to make football truly a space for all, being a part of this event was extremely inspiring. One of the panels that particularly resonated with me was the insightful talk surrounding Neuro Inclusion practice in sport and celebrating the strengths of neurodiversity. Throughout this panel I had the opportunity to listen to Jayde Ellis and Sophie Epsley at Access Sport who discussed “What does Neuro-Inclusion in Community Sport look like?”. Ellis and Epsley drew upon some community clubs who are having life changing impacts for neurodivergent participants and how we can utilise their key lessons to consider how to create this within our own sport environment.
Personally, another key takeaway from the Include Summit was having the opportunity to discuss and collaborate with members of the Youth Sport Trust Board. Myself and members of the FA National Youth Council were able to learn about the variety of events offered at Youth Sport Trust that occur throughout the year, and understand how the Board integrates Youth Voice into the framework of everything that they do. Listening to their dedication surrounding the embodiment of Youth Voice and learning about the legacy they have and are creating was truly remarkable.
Alongside these wonderful discussions and collaborations my team and I had the opportunity to try out sports like Goalball and Visibility Impaired (VI) tennis. Having watched Goalball during the Paralympics this summer it was definitely an experience of a lifetime to have the chance to learn their techniques, positioning and the pure speed that these athletes throw the ball at.
As I eagerly look forward to the season, I am really excited to see the positive difference the FA National Youth Council team will accomplish together this season following our amazing time at the Include Summit.