DISABILITY, LONG-TERM HEALTH CONDITIONS AND LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESSES
In Jersey, 59% of people with a disability are inactive compared to 42% of people without a disability.
INCLUSION
IN SPORT
WELCOME TO THE INCLUSION IN SPORT HUB!
Within this online resource, there are lots of useful resources, practical tips and examples of good practice from external sources to help your sports organisation to be more inclusive. You’ll find information that is specific to addressing some of the barriers that individuals with protected characteristics and/or additional needs experience, as well as data and strategies that support the demand for improved access to active opportunities for all islanders.
If you have any questions about any of the detail within this resource, or you have some useful tools that could be added to help another sport, please get in touch with the Jersey Sport Team at: sport@jerseysport.je.
Inclusion in sport and physical activity is a key focus of our work at Jersey Sport, driving our vision for a community where all islanders can become more active, more often. However, we know that there are different challenges and barriers for some individuals to participate in organised sport and recreational physical activity which can make it more difficult or overwhelming to get involved in local opportunities.
ISLANDERS AGED 65+
Local data tells us that islanders are significantly less likely to play sport or be active if they are aged 65+.
LGBTQ+ PARTICIPANTS
More needs to be done to encourage more of the LGBTQ+ community to take part and stay involved in sport and physical activity.
LOWER SOCIO-ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES
Adults living in social housing are 50% less likely to play sport and 19% less likely to be active than those who own their own home.
NATIONALITY AND ETHNICITY
Data shows that physical activity levels differ hugely between ethnic backgrounds in Jersey.
NEW OR EXPECTANT PARENTS
In a 2024 report, 61% of mothers cited motherhood as the primary reason they dropped out of doing regular exercise or sport altogether.
RELIGION OR BELIEF
Data shows some faith groups are more physically active than others; such as Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Sikh.
TEENAGERS
There is a significant drop-out rate in sport and physical activity as children transition through puberty as teenagers.
WOMEN AND GIRLS
There is now just a 3% difference between boys’ and girls’ participation in physical activity, and similar trends in adult organised sport.
EVIDENCE THROUGH DATA
Data tells us there are significant inequalities that exist in Jersey for islanders to access sport and physical activity, particularly regarding gender, income, disability, nationality and ethnicity.
The pronounced ‘gender gap’ is bigger in Jersey compared to England, with 9% less adult females regularly participating in local sport or physical activity every week than adult males. England’s gender gap of just 1.5% can be attributed to the success of targeted initiatives like Sport England’s ‘This Girls Can’ campaign.
This trend is seen again in data involving children and young people, where on average, girls are 6% less likely to be active in sport or physical activity than their male counterparts. We are making strides to reduce this gap locally, with new data in 2023 showing us that there is now just a 3% difference between boys’ and girls’ participation in physical activity, and similar trends in adult organised sport where the gender gap in Jersey has narrowed from 7% in 2021, to 3% in 2023. Much of this work can be attributed to initiatives run by local sports organisations that specifically target the female participation, but there is still work to do.
Barriers to participation in sport and physical activity is also compounded by low socio-economic status. Data from the annual Jersey Opinions and Lifestyles Survey (JOLS) in 2023 shows that adults are significantly more likely to be active if they live in owner-occupied or private rental accommodation (43%), compared to social housing living arrangements (18%). Likewise, you are twice as likely to be involved in organised sport if you live in owner-occupied accommodation. The data involving children and young people also unsurprisingly replicates this trend, where children who perceive themselves as “not well off” are 17% less likely to visit an open public space to be active, such as a park, beach or woodland.
We know that islanders with a disability or long-term health condition will likely face more barriers to accessing sport and physical activity opportunities than others. As an adult, you are 16% less likely to be active in Jersey when reporting one or more disabilities, with almost two thirds of local sports organisations unable to provide a specific disability or inclusive offer.
Further supporting data from information sources and reports can be found on our website here:
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SETTINGS TO BE INCLUSIVE
Inclusion in sport and physical activity means everyone should have the opportunity to access the same facilities, take part in the same activities, and enjoy the same experiences, relative and reasonable to a person’s needs. Inclusion can also be defined as a person’s universal human right to the same access and choices as everyone else, with everyone being made to feel that they belong and are valued, so they can all develop equally.
These rights are reflected in The Discrimination (Jersey) Law 2013, which was updated in 2014 and 2018 to protect islanders based on race, sex, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age and disability. This law prohibits discrimination in relation to workplace and non-workplace settings, including education and members’ clubs, of which local sport and physical activity offers often fall under.
Inclusion is more than just the participant; it also provides multiple benefits for sport organisations and the people within it, such as:
- Developing communication and people skills
- Attracting more people to organisation, such as the family and friends of new members who feel included
- Increased retention rates, as when people feel welcome, they are more likely to engage, return and stay involved
- Promoting an inclusive island community by establishing environments where everyone has the potential to be their best
- Appealing and catering for new stakeholders and supporters into sport and physical activity, such as corporate sponsors, community groups and political leaders
The apprehension some sports organisations feel can be exacerbated by a long-standing misconception around the meaning of the word ‘inclusion’, and the language and terminology that accompanies this idea. A lack of confidence in providing safe spaces that are inclusive to more islanders is often related by uncertainty around how to adapt and modify sport environments appropriately.
USEFUL INFORMATION
If you’re unsure where to start with inclusion for your sport, get in touch with the Jersey Sport Team for support at: sport@jerseysport.je, and take a look at these other local organisations and useful websites to find out more:
- Enable Jersey – Life Without Limits – Jersey’s all-embracing disability charity providing help to islanders of all ages and with all types of disability.
- Liberate | Equality, diversity and inclusion across the Channel Islands – a local charity championing equality, diversity and inclusion across the Channel Islands.
- Jersey Community Relations Trust – established by the Government of Jersey in 2004 to promote good relations between all members of society and seek to achieve equality of treatment and opportunity within our community.
- Citizens Advice Jersey – the appointed agency to advise on discrimination relating to non-employment matters, like inclusion with local sports organisations.
- Move More Jersey – an initiative by Jersey Sport to get more islanders, more active, more often.
- Creating an inclusive culture – Sport England’s resource, learning and training hub.
- UK Coaching – a guide to becoming a more inclusive coach.
- Energise Me – championing and changing lives through physical activity and sport.
- Activity Alliance – practical examples of how to ensure spaces and places are inclusive for disabled people.