THE VIEW FROM HAMBLE Katie Loucaides, RYA Safeguarding and Equality Manager


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The postponement of the Olympics has been tough for Team GB’s sailors, including Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre.


taking action for inclusion


Katie Loucaides, RYA Safeguarding and Equality Manager, discusses the association’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality


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hortly before I joined the RYA in June last year, we saw a huge shift in the focus of equality, diversity and inclusion. During the Black Lives Matter campaign, the RYA, along with many other sporting bodies, released a statement that re-affirmed our commitment to equality and explained that actions, rather than words, would ultimately determine if our pursuit of equality of opportunity was successful. As a national governing body,


“We are acutely


we are acutely aware that people from diverse backgrounds and communities are significantly under-represented within our sport. For this reason, the RYA Transitional Strategy 2021-2022 has identified diversity as one of three priority areas on which we’ll be focusing. Acknowledging that we need expert guidance and support, we’ve enlisted the help of Kevin Hylton, Professor Emeritus of Equality and Diversity in Sport, Leisure and Education at Leeds Beckett University. He’s working with us as we develop and implement our strategy. When we began to examine our diversity strategy, it became clear that we needed to identify the different


aware that people from diverse


backgrounds and communities are under-represented within our sport”


under-represented groups and formulate priorities. It was also apparent that ethnicity was the first of these that required attention. As a result, we created an Ethnicity Inclusion Steering Group, consisting of staff and volunteers, to play a significant role in helping us develop and implement new policies. We also asked stakeholders from ethnically diverse communities if they’d be willing to be part of an Ethnicity in Boating Focus Group. This group of around 15 people have now shared their own experiences and helped us identify the barriers that others may be facing on their journeys into recreational boating. The group will continue to work with us and review our actions as consultants in the future. Ethnicity, of course, is not the only area of diversity where we’ll focus. Our Women In Boating


working group held its first meeting at the end of January, and conversations are already under way with regards to setting up our Pride In Boating working group, which will look at how we can further embrace and support the LGBTQ+ boating communities. This is just the beginning of an amazing journey for the RYA, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.


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