British Triathlon joins Stonewall Diversity Champions programme

British Triathlon are continuing efforts to make the sport more inclusive for LGBT people

British Triathlon has been accepted onto the Diversity Champions programme established by the LGBT charity Stonewall.

The sport's governing body in the UK is responsible for raising the profile and delivering elite performance for Triathlon, Paratriathlon, Duathlon and Aquathlon in Great Britain. There are over 1,200 triathlon events conducted in the UK each year, a figure which grew by 63 per cent between 2012 and 2016.

By joining the Stonewall programme, the organisation hopes to create an inclusive and accepting working environment for athletes, staff and those interested in taking up the sport.

The programme will see British Triathlon witness examples of best practice, gain assistance with recruiting diverse talent, while being able to access expertise and resources for guidance on inclusivity.

Stonewall work with over 700 organisations across the public and private sector, with British Triathlon adding to a growing list of sporting bodies who are putting diversity at the heart of their agendas.

British Triathlon CEO Andy Salmon said: "Here at British Triathlon, we are actively working to ensure a wholly inclusive workplace environment.

"With the help of the Diversity Champions programme, we can continue to explore ways to encourage openness and in turn create even better interpersonal relationships and productivity in the workplace."

British Triathlon will be supporting the Rainbow Laces campaign later this month

British Triathlon are already championing inclusivity from a participation perspective, with seven per cent of GO TRI participants identifying as LGBTQ+, echoing the estimate for the UK population.

In turn, three-quarters of these individuals feel the culture of triathlon is welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community.

British Triathlon will kick off their work with Stonewall by actively supporting the charity's week-long Rainbow Laces campaign, taking place November 24 to December 3.

The emphasis will be on inclusivity within sport participation and spectating, with the mantra of making sport everyone's game.