Disability

Activity Alliance Insight

Activity Alliance is the leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity. Take a look at some of their research and insight below.

Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021-2022 Executive Summary (June 2022)

Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2021 -2022 Full report (June 2022)

Activity Alliance Annual Disability and Activity Survey (Feb 2021)

COVID-19 and disabled people snapshot (March 2021)

My Active Future: Including every child (March 2020)

Sport England Insight

Sport England's Mapping Disability: The Facts gives an in-depth look at the vast range of impairments experienced by people in England. It also includes comprehensive data on disability by categories such as region, gender and age.

Produced by Sport England in partnership with Activity Alliance Engaging Disabled People: The Research is a report which looks at the vital ingredients that make up successful and accessible communications – such as the channels themselves, marketing materials and how to give people a great first experience in sport.

England Swims - Research with diverse communities

Swim England carried out research with diverse communities in 2022 to understand the barriers to swimming for underrepresented groups and communities. The England Swims research looks at the perceptions of and barriers to swimming in these communities and the uses a COM-B model to look at ways we can drive behavior change in underrepresented groups.

Read the research below:

England Swims - Spotlight on South Asian Communities

England Swims - Spotlight on Black Communities

England Swims - Spotlight on East Asian Communities

England Swims - Spotlight on Muslim Communities

Sporting Equals

Sporting Equals is the leading UK 'think tank' for research into Ethnically Diverse Communities and Sport and has over 20 years of experience in delivering high-quality bespoke research to both the public and private sectors.

Sporting Equals have worked with a range of partners to develop its expertise and understanding, including:

Sport England, Sport Wales, Sport Scotland, Sport Northern Ireland, National Governing Bodies of Sport (England Hockey, England Golf, British Rowing, Swim England), Activity Alliance, UK Sport, YMCA, Equality and Human Rights Commission, ContinYou, Youth Sports Trust, Street Games, Age UK, Women's Sport & Fitness Foundation, Action Deafness and Spirit of 2012.

Their online research is currently ongoing and will allow Sporting Equals to produce tailor-made research for specific key target audiences.

Discover more about their research, training sessions, conferences, consultancy and latest news on their website.

Engaging Women

Women are more likely to be inactive than men. Insight can help us understand the reasons why and help close the gender gap and encourage more women to be more active. It includes seven key learnings that are most important to keep in mind when delivering sport and exercise to women and girls.

Women in Sport: Sport, stereotypes and stolen dreams: Why girls still feel they don’t belong in sport

Women in Sport insight uncovers why girls as young as five years old don’t feel they belong in sport.

The research has found that girls are being bombarded by messages and labels that undermine their self-belief, crush their confidence, and make them feel as though sport is not a place for them.

Over half of parents (57%) of girls said their daughter had felt excluded from sport. Of those 26% said their daughter had been told, ‘it wasn’t for girls’. When asked if they’d describe their child as ‘sporty’ just 27% of parents of daughters agreed, compared to 37% of parents of boys.

The report found girls are heavily influenced by parents, family, peers, and the school environment, with marketing and media playing more of a role as girls get older.

Based on the research Women in Sport have put forward five factors of success to help change this narrative and create a positive environment to enable girls to develop a passion for being active. Find out more by reading the executive summary.

Read the Executive Summary

Women's Sporting Journey's

"Gender inequalities in sports participation still exist at every age, so any insight that helps to re-dress this balance is incredibly valuable...

Fear of judgement is preventing millions of women from enjoying sport in their lives, but there is so much more that sports can do. This research highlights the enormous positive impact of providing compassionate, welcoming environments and showcasing women of all ages and backgrounds participating."

Read the latest research report (November 2021) by Sports Marketing Surveys

Go Where Women Are

This insight pack from Sport England is an in-depth look at engaging women and girls in sport and exercise. The pack pulls out seven key learnings that are most important to keep in mind when delivering sport and exercise to women and girls.

Download the insight pack

University of Edinburgh - Menopause, Physical Activity and Mental Wellbeing

Moving Through Menopause, commissioned by Scottish Mental Health Charity SAMH and produced by The University of Edinburgh, shines new light on the links between our physical and mental health and wellbeing, and how menopausal symptoms impact women during this time.

The experiences of women who took part in this project highlighted menopause was a barrier to being active, with 57% of women reporting a decrease in activity levels, and 94% reporting a change in mood, such as low mood, anxiety, mood swings or low self-esteem. However, women who met the physical activity guidelines, as set out by UK Chief Medical Officers, had greater mental wellbeing than those who did not.

Read the Report

Further Links & Resources

• Women in sport - empowering women and girls through sport.
• UK Coaching- coaching women in sport and menstrual cycles and participation resources.