Sporting Equals

12/06/2026

Sporting Equals appoints permanent Chief Executive to lead next phase of growth and impact

Sporting Equals, the UK’s leading charity promoting race equality and meaningful inclusion in sport and physical activity, is pleased to announce the appointment of its new permanent Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment marks an important moment for the organisation as it moves into a new phase of delivery, influence and growth, underpinned by a refreshed strategy focused on creating a sporting landscape in which ethnically diverse communities are not only represented, but are able to influence, belong and thrive at every level.

The incoming CEO brings strong sector experience and leadership, with a track record that will help Sporting Equals build on its work across leadership and governance, community engagement, research and insight, and wider systems change across sport and physical activity.

Viveen Taylor will formally take up the post at the beginning of September 2026

11/06/2026

Statement from Sporting Equals

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 begins today, the eyes of the world will once again turn to football. It will feature 48 teams across three host nations, underlining its scale and global reach.

At a moment when hate, division and racism continue to cast a shadow over public life, major sporting events carry a responsibility that goes far beyond spectacle. They should place inclusion, dignity and belonging at their heart, ensuring that the global game is not only watched by diverse communities, but genuinely shaped by and accessible to them. FIFA itself describes its member associations as having a role in promoting inclusion and respect on and off the pitch.

It is hugely disappointing that this World Cup has begun amid the exclusion of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been set to make history as the first Somali official at a men’s World Cup before being denied entry to the United States. His exclusion is a painful reminder that representation and inclusion cannot be treated as slogans. They must be protected in practice.

Sport can give us something increasingly rare. A shared space in which difference does not have to lead to division. It can create moments of common purpose, mutual respect and collective pride. However, that only happens when organisers, governing bodies and host nations are prepared to match the language of unity with decisions that reflect fairness, openness and race equity.

As this World Cup gets underway, Sporting Equals calls on all major sports organisers and event hosts to recognise that inclusion is not an add-on to major events . It is central to their legitimacy, credibility and power to bring people together. If football is to help build more harmonious and less divided communities, then the world’s biggest tournament must reflect the values it so often claims to represent.

01/06/2026

We’re proud to partner with Women in Sport as our research partner for SEMenoFit. With over 40 years of expertise, the charity works to create lasting change for women and girls in sport through research, policy influence, and tackling inequalities in physical activity. Their insight will help capture the impact of SEMenoFit and support wider education on perimenopause and menopause for ethnically diverse women.

29/05/2026

From Devon's legal battle to challenge racial bias in cricket, to Michelle calling out unconscious bias on behalf of her daughter at English Schools - and her unflinching question to a charity board that had never employed a Black person in fifty years - this conversation is honest, warm, and full of insight for anyone working to advance EDI in sport and physical activity.

Together, Michelle and Devon offer perspective that athletes, coaches, parents, and governing bodies can't afford to ignore:

You can't be what you can't see: Representation in coaching, officiating, and leadership isn't a nice-to-have. It's the difference between a young person staying in sport or walking away from it.

Diversity at the table changes everything: If the same people keep making decisions, you'll keep getting the same results. Boards, clubs, and governing bodies need diverse voices not just to reflect communities, but to understand them.

Sport is a foundation, not a ceiling: Both Michelle and Devon made a point of raising children with choices beyond sport. The goal of inclusion in physical activity is to open doors, not to funnel people through the same narrow ones.

Use your voice - especially when it costs you something: Devon risked his house and his career to challenge racism in cricket. Michelle took on an institution to protect her daughter. Equity doesn't advance without people willing to push back.

Give something back: Nelson Mandela called Devon after the 1994 South Africa test to tell him how fast sport reaches young people. Decades later, he's still putting that reach to work.

27/05/2026

Adopting healthier lifestyles earlier on in our lives could increase our chances of a rich and full later life – even just small steps can make a big difference.

That’s why Age UK launched Act Now, Age Better. We see every day the challenges that getting older can bring, particularly around health and wellbeing. We want to get people in mid-life (aged 50-65) thinking, talking and taking actions that are going to be help them in their years to come.

26/05/2026

This week on Meno Mondays 🩷

Creating a routine might seem small, but during menopause, consistency can make a big difference.

Small habits. Big impact.

Send this to someone who needs to hear this! 🩷

26/05/2026

Being questioned about your loyalty to a country you've given everything for. Watching the doors of leadership stay firmly closed long after you stopped playing. Two athletes who reached the top of British sport and still had to fight for their place at the table.

In this episode of Equity in Action, John Williams brings together two pioneering figures in British sport who, despite competing at the very same time, had never met - until now. Michelle Griffiths Robinson is a Team GB Olympic triple jumper, women's health advocate, and champion for inclusion across sport and physical activity. Devon Malcolm is a former England fast bowler, Windrush generation son, and a man who took his fight for race equality all the way to the High Court. Between them, they carry decades of hard-won wisdom on race, equity, and what fairness in sport actually looks like when you're living it.

24/05/2026

For every shade of the journey, and the moments you start feeling brighter, lighter, and more like yourself again 💛

18/05/2026

If you’re new here, welcome to Meno Mondays 🩷

A weekly series where we answer real menopause questions with honest, practical advice.

16/05/2026