SSN exclusive: NGBs and Premier League clubs invited to complete Race Representation Index by Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel; Maggie Alphonsi, Kadeena Cox, Devon Malcolm all on the panel; index scores progress against race equality agenda, with league table to be published later this year
Thursday 28 October 2021 09:07, UK
Premier League clubs and 20 National Governing Bodies for sport have been invited to complete the Race Representation Index survey.
The survey has been sent to clubs and organisations by the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel (SMAP), comprised of influential current and former Black athletes including Paralympian Kadeena Cox, former England Test cricketer Devon Malcolm, Women's Rugby World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi, QPR's Chris Ramsey and netballer Ama Agbeze.
Sports bodies have been asked to complete the survey electronically - the findings will be analysed and processed ahead of the publication of a league table, allowing for clubs and sports to be compared on performance.
The Index, which has already been piloted at Championship club QPR, will score the progress made by sports bodies towards the inclusion of Black communities. It will look at workforce diversity, policy and strategy, and will also focus on diverse ethnic representation within men's and women's sides at national team level.
The panel was convened by the charity Sporting Equals to hold to account clubs and publicly-funded sporting organisations over the many Black Lives Matter-inspired pledges made across the sports sector last year.
QPR technical director Chris Ramsey said: "It is particularly poignant for the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel to be launching the Race Representation Index survey during Black History Month given the survey seeks to track the progress made by publicly funded sports bodies and Premier League clubs.
"Following the persistent racist attitudes of football fans directed at Black players - as evidenced disgracefully during and post the UEFA Euro 2020 final - we need to look more closely on how we as a sector are tracking in terms of racial equity for the Black community in sport.
"The panel and myself will be very interested in seeing and publicly sharing the results of the survey. We hope we will be able to quantify the diversity present in decision-making roles and whether there is enough lived experience present to inform meaningful, empathetic and pragmatic practices that are fit for all communities to engage in sport."
Rugby World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi MBE said: "Having a standard to hold ourselves to account as a society, is incredibly important. That is why following widespread statements regarding race equity in sport, we as the Sport Advisory Monitoring Panel, felt it necessary to establish the Race Representation Index.
"The launch of our survey to collect the pivotal data needed to mark a standard for progress for the Black community - and to launch during Black History Month - was important to us as a Panel and as members of the community. We want to honour the strife and success of our community as we continue to advocate, challenge and where possible celebrate instances where race equality is delivered within UK sport and physical activity.
"We look forward to being able to share our findings in the near future and hope that with greater data and visibility we can all set a greater standard for engagement and treatment of the Black community in sport and physical activity."
Former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm said: "As we launch the Race Representation Index survey, we as the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel wish to remind the sector, the public, and decision-makers that the mark of progress for our community is now going to be measured in UK sport.
"This in itself is a momentous occasion to have the opportunity to review the pledges made post the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd. We will now be able to obtain and review data that will allow for the panel to make recommendations and celebrate success stories of where true equity is being delivered for the Black community following the widespread pledges for change.
"We are hopeful that moving forward the Race Representation Index survey will act as a tool that will measure a growing and positive trend for race equality in sport."
Sporting Equals chief executive Arun Kang added: "The launch of this survey and its findings will be very telling for how committed the UK sport sector has been towards race equality and whether they have managed to successfully hold themselves to their pledges regarding racism in sport following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.
"We are undertaking this vital work to ensure there is accountability in the sector and there are equally successes found, celebrated and tracked as a mark for progress that can be replicated sector-wide."
The Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel also features former Olympian Fiona May, ex-Paralympian Alexandra Rickham, Waltham Forest Gators head coach Harley Hicks, The Voice sports editor Rodney Hinds, and sports academic Professor Kevin Hylton from Leeds Beckett University.
