In Sport, Exercise and Health, one of our main priorities is to develop an inspirational and inclusive sporting community. In this week’s blog post, our Sport Development Assistant Ella Waite, explains three of the key ways we as a division are helping to build these inclusive communities from a mass-participation yoga session 🧘 to a football tournament held during Black History Month ⚽!
Inclusion is embracing all individuals, regardless of race, gender, disability, or other needs. It ensures equal access and opportunities, while removing barriers caused by discrimination. At Sport, Exercise and Health, inclusion is a priority, aligning with the University’s broader goals for 2030. Inclusion fosters a sense of belonging, which can enhance wellbeing, social support, and resilience – key factors to a healthier and happier life.
What Are We Doing?
At the start of the academic year, our Sport and Physical Activity team identified three underrepresented groups within sport and exercise.
1. Students of Colour
Back in October 2024, the Sport and Physical Activity team set up and led a Football Tournament during Black History Month. The event brought together a diverse group of students and staff from across the University who looked to celebrate an important cultural occasion by playing the game that so many know and love. The success of the tournament helped to develop the wider work that the team is doing to raise the profile and visual representation of black students in the University sports offer.
The Black Student Sport Project launched in early 2025, alongside our Development Officer for Sport Inclusion Joe Leaver securing support from BUCS’ Active Wellbeing Fund to tackle inequalities in sport. In collaboration with Race Inclusion Advocates, the project aims to close the participation gap for Black, Asian, and ethnic minority students, fostering a more inclusive environment at University of Bristol’s sport and exercise facilities.
2. Females in Physical Activity
Women face not only a participation gap in physical activity, but also an “enjoyment gap”, as highlighted by This Girl Can. Social, cultural, and psychological barriers are some factors that discourage female participation, highlighting why there is a lack of enjoyment.
Our Bristol Girls Can Takeover in November 2024, led by Sport Development Assistant Ella Waite, provided safe and supportive spaces for women to get active. Events included women-only gym sessions, menstrual cycle workshops, and mass restorative yoga to name a few. Check out the takeover highlights on Instagram!
However; female-only spaces aren’t enough.
Male allyship is integral in supporting females in physical activity. That’s why we’re shifting the responsibility so that it’s shared collectively. We are kicking things off this March with another Let’s Lift the Curfew nighttime run, with the aim of raising awareness of the safety issues many females face when exercising after dark.
3. Students with Physical Disabilities
A staggering 79% of disabled individuals report that their impairment limits their ability to be active, often due to inaccessibility and lack of opportunity.
Joe Leaver is determined to change this. March’s Parasport Takeover will introduce adaptive sports into our free B:Active programme, offering wheelchair tennis and basketball, visually impaired walking football, and seated volleyball for all students. Our partnership with Access Sport has enabled students to already get involved in parasports by volunteering at events like the Multi-Sport Inclusion Festival in November 2024, helping young people engage in sport in a safe and inclusive environment.
By breaking barriers and fostering inclusion, we’re ensuring that everyone at the University of Bristol can experience the benefits of sport and physical activity.
To find out more about our upcoming events, such as the Let’s Lift The Curfew run and the B:Active Parasport Takeover week, head to the Events section of our UOB Active App ✨📲