Monday 26th June 2023

Scottish Student Trampoline champion disability sport through fundraising and new disability inclusive competition categories!

The Scottish Student Trampoline development group have championed disability sport within trampoline and beyond this year, raising money for Beeslack All Stars Disability Sports Club and striving to ensure everyone had a place at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open.

Jordan, Lynne, Hollie and Cait pictured from left to right a the Scottish Student Trampoline Open

Jordan, Lynne, Hollie and, Cait pictured from left to right

Through a number of fundraising events throughout the year the Trampoline development group raised funds to support Beeslack All Stars and the incredible work they do in providing young people with opportunities to participate in sport. Beeslack All Stars DSC are a grass-roots multi-ability, multi-sports, club linked with Scottish Disability Sport. They provide sporting opportunities for children and young adults with additional support needs and their siblings. At All Stars, everyone can try out new sports together, promoting improved physical and mental health, whilst developing their social and emotional skills, communication and confidence. All Stars also guide their members to pathways into SDS competitions, the Special Olympics, and have even had members go onto the Paralympics!

SST also worked hard to make their own events more inclusive, adding a disability category at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open for the first time ever!

Hollie Fullerton, SS Trampoline Chair said:

Representatives from Beeslack All Stars at the SS trampoline open handing out medals

Representatives from Beeslack All Stars presenting medals at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open

“Our donations will allow them to fund their staffing, take on new members, and purchase specialist equipment. They are also local to SSTO, training just outside of Edinburgh. The work they are doing is a total lifeline for the families they support and they are heavily involved in their local and wider community.

We selected All Stars as our partner charity this year to celebrate and champion inclusion in sport which is especially prominent since it is our first year offering a disability category within SST.”

The SST development group raised money through their social bands, donating the profits back to All Stars. Through the generosity of the Scottish Student Sport Trampoline Community, £975 has been donated to Beeslack All Stars.

Every club that attended the Scottish Student Trampoline Open purchased social bands so they are all to thank for this generous donation.

If you would like to learn more about Scottish Student Sports’ wider inclusion and diversity work then please get in contact with Inclusion & Culture Coordinator Eilidh Paterson.

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Tuesday 25th April 2023

It’s Awards Season again!! We are now accepting nominations for the 2022/23 SSS Awards! Read on for more information on the different award categories, the nomination process and where the winners will be crowned.

We are delighted to announce that the SSS 2022/23 Awards are officially open!

The Awards 

We are accepting individual nominations in the following five categories:

  • Female Athlete of the Year- Aimed at high-performance female student-athletes, whether or not they compete for their college or university. This will be awarded to a female individual for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022 – April 2023) while making a tangible contribution to the institution.
  • Male Athlete of the Year- Aimed at high-performance male student-athletes, whether or not they compete for their college or university. This will be awarded to a male individual for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022- April 2023) while making a tangible contribution to the institution.
  • Volunteer of the Year- Aimed at students and non-students who volunteer at a local level. This is not aimed at volunteers primarily in a SSS role (please see Dr Rob MacPherson Award); coaches (see Coach of the Year); paid staff going the extra mile (see Honorary President’s Medal). This will be awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to student sport at a local level during the 2022-23 year. The contribution may be in many forms such as exceptional active or administrative services to a club, college, or university; as a faithful club servant, committee member, leader; official; or purely down to their love of sport. Volunteers purely in a coaching capacity should be nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
  • Coach of the Year- Aimed at those who coach student sport/student-athletes at any level of performance. They may be either volunteer coaches or paid coaches. Not aimed at professional coaches based in Higher Education for whom student-athletes are not the main focus. This award will be given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to student sport by coaching during the 2022-23 season. Good quality coaching; innovative ideas; dedication to the sport; and a drive to continually improve their own skills are features of an outstanding coach.
  • Honorary President’s Medal- Aimed at any individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to/lasting impact on student sport at a local, regional or national level. Nominees should be regarded as wonderful examples/ advocates of student sport and their behaviour should resonate with the above SSS values.

We are accepting group nominations in the following two categories:

  • Club of the Year- Aimed at the all-round best performing Club, on and off the field of play. Not aimed at clubs that have had a successful competition year only. This will be awarded to a club that can demonstrate impact in the 2022-23 season. Increasing memberships, upping participation, innovative projects, developing volunteers, promoting the role of officials; fundraising, community links and involvement in institutional activity are just certain elements that would demonstrate excellence.
  • Team of the Year- Aimed at the most successful, high-performing student teams in the country, whether within SSS/BUCS competition or further afield. Not aimed at a team that performs to the fullest of its potential in the lower levels of competition e.g. a third team that has a 100% season is still unlikely to win this award. This will be awarded to a team for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022-April 2023). This can include international performances.
  • The final award is the Dr Rob MacPherson Award. This award differs slightly from the rest of our awards – there are no nominations, instead, the winner is selected by the SSS staff team as opposed to the Executive Committee. The award is aimed at any individual who has made an outstanding contribution to volunteering with Scottish Student Sport.

The Details

  • Nominations for each category should be a maximum of 250 words, in bullet point format listing out key achievements.
  • Institutions can nominate in as many categories as they wish, but may only put forward one entry per category.
  • Past winners can receive the same award again.
  • Only member institutions can nominate. All member institutions have been sent login details to the online portal where nominations should be submitted.
  • Nominations close on FRIDAY 5th MAY at 18:00 and the Executive Council will then decide on the winners.
  • Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on Wednesday 7th June, as part of the SSS Conference.
  • Please contact Totty with any queries.
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Thursday 23rd February 2023

In the spirit of LGBTQ+ history month, Scottish Student Sport are giving voice to our amazing LGBT+ athletes. We had the honour of speaking to Hollie Fullerton, who was Glasgow University Sport Associations’ first non-binary club captain and now the current Scottish Student Sport Trampoline Chair.

In the spirit of LGBTQ+ history month, Scottish Student Sport are giving voice to our amazing LGBT+ athletes. We had the honour of speaking to Hollie Fullerton, who was Glasgow University Sport Associations’ first non-binary club captain and now the current Scottish Student Sport Trampoline Chair. Hollie shared their thoughts on why they think everyone should get involved in sport and how sports clubs can continue to work on being inclusive for all. Find out everything they had to say below:

 

How did you get into trampolining?

I went to recreational trampolining my whole childhood as my mum was a trampoline coach, but I wasn’t that interested in doing it competitively. I stopped around puberty age and then I got back into it at university. It was a bit of a hop skip and a “bounce” but it all started with recreational and that’s why I think I’m still able to enjoy it now as I didn’t have a competitive upbringing with the sport.

 

How has your first year as trampoline chair been?

We’ve just one league event left and then I’m done my first year. It’s been a really good year; we just had the Scottish Student Trampoline Open (SSTO) which was the first time it’s been back since 2020.

 

 Students from all over Britain attended the SSTO, did the event go well and can you explain how inclusivity was applied?

Everything went really well. It’s our first year that we introduced a disability category so that’s been our big step. We started introducing it in our first league back in October and we continued it for the SSTO for our first open disability category. We’re so thrilled that people signed up for it and wanted to get involved. It’s really such a great and accessible sport.

 

Could you explain what being non-binary means to you?

I came out as non-binary a few years ago. I don’t identify with male or female I’m just me. Gender is a big spectrum and there’s lots of different places that people can find themselves on that, but as a non-binary person, I don’t feel a link to gender, I use gender-neutral language, my pronouns are they/them.

 

What did it mean to you to be Glasgow University Sports Association’s (GUSA) first non-binary club captain?

My coming out tied into all as a sort of weird things happening. I was social secretary my first year, then second year I was club secretary. I was an ally so thought I’d put my pronouns in my email, and it just looked wrong. It clicked in my head that I would rather not be called she/her and that I preferred general neutral pronouns. I had known I was queer for a long time and was out openly, I just never realized that I had these feelings about gender as well. My next year going into it as captain one of our older members of the committee said I think you’re our first openly nonbinary captain. We got in touch with Glasgow University Sports Association (GUSA) and they confirmed I was.

 

Were you worried about any of your trampoline teammates’ response to you coming out?

We have our executive committee, so it was myself, our captain and treasurer and we’re really close. They were some of the first people I came out to, and they were so great and kind about it. That’s the nice thing about sport, these institutions are such a safe space. We’ve all done our diversity training and we have to be supportive.

 

Why would you encourage other LGBTQ+ members and students as a whole to get involved in student sport?

I know an unfortunate statistic is that people who identify as queer struggle with mental health. But we also know sport improves your mental health as well as your physical fitness. You’re getting to socialise every week on a regular basis so I think it’s great for anyone, but I think since queer people might be more likely to struggle, it’s even more important they get involved. The socialisation you get from a sports team is absolutely invaluable.

 

Do you have any advice for someone who may be nervous about joining a student sports club?

I think if someone is nervous to join, knowing there are measures in place to ensure your well-being is such a comfort. Also, a lot of friendships come from being on a team as it kind of forces you to socialise. It gives you something to talk about.

 

I’m aware some Universities have gendered clubs, for example a men’s hockey team and a female hockey team. Do you have any thoughts about the gendering of student sport clubs when it’s being played at a recreational level?

I think when its recreational it’s important to ask does it really have to be gendered, and does it really make a difference. I appreciate at a certain level bodies can make an impact on sport. But at recreational level, which is what we’re performing at university and college generally, then why not make it for everyone. I do get somewhere like the University of Glasgow the hockey teams are huge so they have to be split in some way, but I think were there can be mixed recreational teams there absolutely should be especially in non-contact sports.

 

 

 What steps would you like to see being taken next to ensure student sport clubs continue to work on being inclusive for all?

I think measuring up whether being inclusive outweighs a marginal difference in competitive level. For example, this year at trampoline we had trans people competing and I think especially at lower level it didn’t make any difference. We allowed people to compete in whatever category they felt most comfortable in. At trampoline our levels are split into level of difficulty and it’s the same expectation for everyone. If sport clubs have to be split then why not split it based on difficulty level instead if it means more people can get involved. I know it’s very sport specific I just want more people to be included.

 

 

Is there anything else Scottish Student Sport could do to promote inclusivity?

This year trampolining focused on disability, but we also have to make sure we’re inclusive in other areas. For example, British gymnastics recently changed their rules, so we were able to implement gender neutral kit and allowing people to wear religious headwear in competition. So, for the first time we had people competing in hijabs and it’s so nice to have all these different areas fully included. It’s important to question why we have the rules we have and looking at long-standing practices that might be discriminatory. Being open minded and flexible is the main thing.

 

If you have any questions or thoughts, why not get in touch with our Inclusion & Culture Coordinator:

Phone: +44 (0) 7572 682978
Email: eilidh@scottishstudentsport.com

 

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Thursday 26th January 2023

In October 2022, we launched the 2022/23 Leadership Programme, which this year consists of eight nominated enthusiastic students. Read on to learn how they’ve been getting on!

In October 2022, we launched the 2022/23 Leadership Programme, which this year consists of eight nominated enthusiastic students. This programme is designed to advance their skills in the masterclass sessions and put them to the test during their volunteering hours at some of our SSS Events. This year’s cohort have developed learning in areas such as growth mindset, collaborative working and productivity as well as motivation, from both members of the SSS Staff Team but also industry experts from our network including Guy Richardson from Eiger Performance and Ross Simpson, Assistant Director and Head of Sport, The University of Edinburgh.

This January we have just launched for the second semester, meeting in person to discuss high-performance behaviours ahead of the new term and reflect on the success and learnings from semester one. This semester the team head out to some of our SSS Events to solidify their personal development and put some of their newly developed knowledge to practice. SSS Leadership Programme offers individuals an opportunity to develop their skills and has helped some of our graduated Leaders reach positions such as Institution Sports Presidents, Ronan Welch current Strathclyde University Sabbatical Officer was part of the 2021/22 Leadership Course and here is his advice for those who wish to do the programme.

“Taking part in the SSS Leadership Program last year was very useful in developing me as a leader, and the skills I learned throughout the program I now use daily in my role as Sports President at Strathclyde. Particularly Guy Richardsons sessions at the start and end of the program – make the most of those sessions in challenging, and being challenged on your leadership style, the self-reflection you do here will be invaluable! With the weekly mastermind calls, make sure you put the effort in and speak up in them – you’ll get out what you put in. Finally, enjoy it – you’re in a group of highly motivated people who come from a range of institutions, sports, and backgrounds – use this opportunity to network, listen, and learn as much as you can from each other and you’ll come out of the year massively better off for it!”

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Thursday 10th November 2022

Check out the highlights from our recent Boccia Championships!

Check out the highlights from our recent Boccia Championships, in partnership with the fantastic Scottish Disability Sport, where we were delighted to welcome teams from colleges and universities up and down the country!

Well done to all participants and we look forward to seeing you at future Boccia events soon.

📸 Photo album can be found HERE

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Friday 1st July 2022

New College Lanarkshire have reached a significant milestone level of the Scottish Student Sport’s College Sport Award. Read the full story here!

New College Lanarkshire have reached a significant milestone level of Scottish Student Sport’s College Sport Award!

Scottish Student Sport’s College Sport Award is a self-improvement framework which supports Colleges to provide physical activity and sport opportunities to their students, staff and communities.

After signing up for the College Sport Award – confirming the College’s commitment to sport – New College Lanarkshire used their time efficiently throughout the pandemic to put a real focus on their students’ wellbeing and the importance of getting physically active. The achievement of the ‘training towards’ level entitles the College to a £500 reward to buy sporting equipment.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic and a limited number of students on campus, kudos to Kellyann McGraith – Students Association President of Resource and Wellbeing – as the real drive behind moving the award forward within the College – well done!

The College Sport Award is a key project of Scottish Student Sport and is part of our drive to build a world class system for physical activity and student sport. The Award is supported by the Scottish Funding Council, and is endorsed by sportscotland and the College Development Network.

Photo: Kellyann McGraith (Students Association President of Resource and Wellbeing) and Professor Christopher Moore (College Principal)

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Monday 28th March 2022

The latest in this years Reffin’ Brilliant offering looks to grow the number of student referees supporting basketball competitions across the country.

Through a partnership with Basketball Scotland, SSS are pleased to deliver a Level 1 Refereeing course as part of SSS’ sportscotland-funded Reffin’ Brilliant programme.

The volunteer workforce is vital to the sustainability of student sport and this course will help to grow the number of students involved in this side of the game. A refereeing qualification will give students a different perspective of the game they love but can also provide additional income to support the student lifestyle. Progression through the pathway can open up opportunities to referee across Scotland and the world.

Level 1 Refereeing Course

The Level 1 Referee course is designed for candidates who have a basic understanding of playing or refereeing basketball. Candidates will learn more detailed rules of the game, signals, mechanics, communication and managing a game.

This course is made up of a 3-hour online workshop, followed by a 5 hour practical session. Students signing up for the course are committing to attending both sessions in order to complete the course. This course is open to current students and deployment in student sport is expected, and has a limited number of spaces.

The cost of the course is normally £45, but thanks to the Basketball Scotland student member rebate, and the sportscotland Developing People grant, this course is available to students for only £15.

Theory session (online)

  • Date: Monday 11th April
  • Time: 6-9pm

Practical session

Click HERE to sign up for the refereeing course.

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Thursday 24th March 2022

In a continued bid to positively influence the culture in student sport, SSS and the CHANGES: Programme has extended our partnership to continue tackling the challenges of initiation and hazing activity within student sport. Read more about the continued partnership below!

As of August 2019, Scottish Student Sport and the CHANGES Programme have strived as partners to advocate that student sport in Scotland is a safe and inclusive environment for all. Alongside CHANGES’ Programme researchers Professor Moira Lafferty (University of Chester) and Dr. Caroline Wakefield (Liverpool Hope University), we are continuing to work towards the commitments set out in the partnership agreement which are supported by SSS CHANGES trainers, Development Committee, and Equality Steering Group.

Through the partnership, we aim to:

SSS Commitment

  • Promote and market the CHANGES programme to SSS’ members
  • Continue to formally support the staff within the membership who make up the CHANGES delivery workforce as trainers
  • Advocate the use of the CHANGES workshop programme annually and work with sport sabbaticals to create a national campaign endorsing CHANGES messaging
  • Provide ongoing support through SSS staff, Development Committee, and Equality Steering Group

“The work we have done over the last 3 years in partnership has been ground-breaking in the UK. By working together through this agreement, we can move the programme forward through research-informed practice developments.”

CHANGES Commitment 

  • Continue to provide SSS members with the CHANGES workshop programme and components at a not-for-profit delivery
  • Continue to run SSS Train the Trainer workshops so we have people trained at the Regional level to lead the workshops
  • Update and share CHANGES resources
  • Work with SSS to further develop CHANGES to tackle anti-social behavior beyond welcome and initiation activities
  • Provide support, input, and updates at SSS Conference and meetings as required.
  • In all work involving CHANGES with other Educational groups/student sport acknowledge and reference the partnership agreement with SSS.

Lead researcher, Professor Moira Lafferty, from the University of Chester’s School of Psychology, told us:

“Renewing the partnership with Scottish Student Sport means we can continue to roll out the Challenging Hazing and Negative Group Events Programme (CHANGES) by working with students, our Scottish trainers, and their Committees to ensure that student sport in Scotland is safe and inclusive. The work we have done over the last 3 years in partnership has been ground-breaking in the UK and by working together through this agreement, we can move the programme forward through research-informed practice developments.”

Eilidh Paterson, Inclusion & Culture Development Coordinator shared:

“We at Scottish Student Sport are so grateful to be partnered with two incredible experts in Moira and Caroline who continue to provide our members’ student and staff with training at no cost but also, addressing extremely important and challenging subjects on campus shifting the sporting culture as we know it. We are delighted to extend our partnership with CHANGES and look forward to being part of the continued progress.”

staff writing on a poster paperSince the partnership’s conception in 2019, we have hosted three Train the Trainer sessions which has led to the upskilling of 26 staff from the SSS Membership. This strong foundation of trainers means SSS is able to offer members the opportunity to arrange training for their students on campus with the only cost being to cover the trainer’s travel expenses. As a result, a few of our members have created their own partners who return the on-campus training delivery favor to those that deliver for them.

If you are interested in booking one of our trainers to deliver some training to you or you do not have a staff member trained within your College or University, please reach out to SSS’ Inclusion & Culture Development Coordinator, Eilidh, and submit a note of interest.

Tayside, Fife, and Grampian Regional Trainers;

Eamonn Laird, University of Dundee

Rory Anton, Robert Gordon University

Kieran Matthews, Robert Gordon University

South East Regional Trainers;

Amy Beattie, University of Stirling

Catherine Wilson, Heriot-Watt University

Douglas Jardine – Scotland’s Rural College

West Regional Trainers;

Seona McKenzie, University of Strathclyde

Jamie Taylor, University of Glasgow

Scottish Student Sport’s Staff;

Eilidh Paterson, Scottish Student Sport – eilidh@scottishstudentpsort.com

Megan Richardson, Scottish Student Sport – megan@scottishstudentsport.com

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Thursday 24th February 2022

In the first event of its kind, the SSS Women’s Futsal Festival proved a big hit with participants and has built strong foundations to grow the sport. Emma Kern (SS Futsal Communications, Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer) explains more….

The first-ever Women’s Futsal Festival took place on Saturday 19th February and was hosted by University of Stirling. The event was delivered in partnership with the Scottish FA. Alongside a development workshop, three student teams took part in a tournament alongside Boroughmuir Thistle U19s, in what was an outstanding showcase of high quality futsal.

The Futsal Development Workshop took place with guest speakers educating and informing existing players, and some that were new to the sport. Steve Chatila, founder of Perth Youth Futsal and coach at University of Edinburgh, kicked off the workshop with a talk on tactics and coaching. Steve used his experience of coaching in the Champions League to inspire a new generation of female coaches in the game. Gordon McCabe, a SFA, UEFA and FIFA Futsal referee, gave an update on changes to the laws of the game, and explained the refereeing pathway while outlining the fantastic opportunities to travel the world for officials. The final presentation was from Beth McKay, former University of Stirling student and now football player for Heart of Midlothian. Beth also plays futsal for Northern Ireland and she spoke about her career and the positive impact of a dual pathway for futsal and football players.

The round robin tournament took place in the afternoon, with the student teams named “Amandinha”, “Peque” and “Ana Catarina” after some of the top female players in the world. Teams comprised student players from the University of Strathclyde, University of Stirling, University of Edinburgh, the University of the West of Scotland, University of St Andrews and City of Glasgow College. These teams were joined in the draw by a representative squad from Boroughmuir Thistle U19s, many of whom were participating in futsal for the first time.

Goals quickly began to flow with Amandinha and Peque drawing 2-2, before Boroughmuir then claimed their first victory with a 6-0 win over Ana Catarina. Amandinha also beat Ana Catarina (3-0), followed by a very close game that ended in a win for Boroughmuir against Peque (1-0). Peque got their first win against Ana Catarina (3-0) before the final group game  saw Amandinha beat Boroughmuir (3-1).

In between matches, the teams took part in a penalty shootout challenge, with players having 10 seconds to drive the ball from the halfway line and score. This gave players an opportunity to showcase their futsal skills but also showcased the high standard of goalkeeping on display. The first shootout saw Amandinha beat Ana Catarina (1-0), followed by a victory for Boroughmuir against Peque (1-0). After the playoffs, Ana Catarina managed to come in third place in the challenge after beating Peque (3-2), whilst Boroughmuir secured first place against Amandinha (2-0).

The group stage finished with Amandinha in 1st place followed by Boroughmuir, Peque and Ana Catarina. In the third-place playoff, Peque finally started to click despite not having any subs, and comfortably beat Ana Catarina (10-0). The final saw another comeback win for Amandinha against Boroughmuir (4-2), meaning that the leaders of the round robin cemented themselves as champions!

Overall, this tournament provided our student teams with the opportunity to play against different opponents and with different teammates. This also introduced youth football players to futsal in the hope to promote the sport nationally.

Watch the video below to hear more about the day…

Filming by YFS Media.

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Tuesday 22nd February 2022

To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, we are shining a spotlight on student clubs that would like to share their work

40 footballers on pitch smiling to camera, half standing and half kneeling in front of them

Kristina from the University of Edinburgh Women’s Football Club, got in touch with our Inclusion & Culture Coordinator Eilidh to highlight the work the club is doing to ensure their current and future LGBTQ+ members know they are welcome.

Hello Kristina, thanks for reaching out. How has the start of the semester been for the club?

Everyone at Edinburgh University Women’s Association Football Club (EUWAFC) has been happy to have the chance this year to get back together on the pitch and play in matches after a year of social distancing. Each of our four teams – ranging from our first team in the Northern Prem to our newly competitive fourth team in Scottish 3A – has featured several new faces and grown as groups showing great cohesion, strength, and resilience this past semester. Our recreational program also saw a surge in participation demonstrating the increasing interest in football across our community. These remain tough and uncertain times for student sports clubs but EUWAFC has taken every challenge head-on thus far and will continue to do so this semester.

What steps are you taking as a club to make your sport more welcoming to and inclusive of LGBTIQ+ students?

EUWAFC has a strong history of commitment to LGBTIQ+ inclusion and as the club’s first Inclusion Officer in recent history, I’ve aimed to maintain our efforts and build on past progress this year. Both on and off the pitch, EUWAFC strives to offer a welcoming and inclusive environment for players of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. This year we’ve worked closely with our Sports Union to ensure the fullest participation as possible for our transgender and non-binary members and still aim to do more work on this front to help with participation in competitive games. We also have previously reformed our Club Constitution to use gender-neutral language and currently, we encourage the sharing of pronouns by our Club Committee and members during introductions and on their social media. Additionally, we run awareness campaigns on our social media (@EUWAFC) throughout the year. Back in December, we participated in Stonewall UK’s ‘Rainbow Laces Day.’ Donning the ‘Rainbow Laces’ was a small way to symbolize our Club’s dedication to LGBTIQ+ inclusion in football, and in line with the campaign’s motto of “Lace-Up and Speak Up,” we used our Instagram to raise awareness of and take a stand against LGBTIQ+ discrimination in sport.

Why do you think it’s important to celebrate awareness dates such as LGBTQ+ History Month? 

It’s important to celebrate awareness and visibility dates such as LGBT+ History Month because these occasions give recognition to the progress gained by affected communities while also raising awareness of the continued challenges faced by them. LGBTIQ+ inclusion in sport has grown in recent years but barriers and inequities to full participation remain, which need to be addressed. We at EUWAFC acknowledge our ability to be an advocacy platform and change agent in football and Scottish student sport. For example, during this year’s LGBT+ History Month, we are participating in Football v Homophobia’s (FvH) ‘Month of Action.’ As part of this campaign, we will host an inter-university tournament with the University College London (UCL) and the University of Glasgow in honor of FvH, make a club pledge toward further inclusion actions (e.g., formal development of an equity policy and trans inclusion policy), and report on these actions as well as promote awareness using our social media platforms. Through these actions, we both celebrate the LGBT+ community and work to demand better for them.

What would you say to an LGBTIQ+ student who would like to join your club but is worried about how they may be received?four square photos with four different team pictures

I would say that it is understandable to be worried about joining any new group but reassure them that EUWAFC truly welcomes everyone. Whether you are just trying out football for the first time or this beautiful game has been your forever passion, you can have a place in our club. EUWAFC – its Committee, coaches, and members – will be there for you and is committed to taking active steps to make you feel as safe and included as possible.

Thank you to EUWAFC for sharing their development journey with us. This is the last of our student spotlight stories for LGBTQ+ History but look forward to continuing to shine a spotlight on the membership.

To assist us in our journey to make student sport even more inclusive, complete and share our equality survey.

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