As we look back on Pride Month 2022, we wanted to reflect on the projects that NTU Sport have been working on alongside NTU Pride to further the inclusivity and engagement with all students and NTU Sport.
Since we last commemorated pride month, Tre, our wellbeing and inclusivity officer, has worked towards implementing gender-neutral facilities and worked alongside NTU Pride on the ‘Inclusive Sports Project’.
‘The work that Tre conducted working alongside UPP was crucial in getting agreement from NTU Sport to change one existing changing room at Clifton into gender-neutral changing.’ Ashleigh Harris, Transgender officer at NTU Pride. The signage has been replaced with permanent inclusive signage, which the society has been working towards over the past couple of years.
The Inclusive Sports Project aimed to engage with students to ensure that all students had an equal opportunity to enjoy sport as a part of their life outside of lectures. After discussing the barriers that the society feels they face including experience of bullying, individuals’ gender identity, scars, acne, weight, and physical or mental disability. The project worked alongside our sports clubs including Trent Dance and NTU Dodgeball to coordinate joint sessions. The clubs invited the Pride society to join small and welcoming sessions. The clubs were then offered committee training as a skill shop to learn about how they can work towards a more friendly society for individuals who feel that they are facing these barriers.
NTU Pride also received funding from the students union to privately hire a local swimming pool. Some members of NTU Pride had previously mentioned that they were keen to swim but felt vulnerable and intimidated by the environment. The private hire allowed the members of the society to enjoy their swimming without this barrier.
During Pride month we introduced a moves prize of a donation to LGBTQ+ charity where students and staff could exchange their points in return for a donation. We would like to thank any of our Moves users who donated, you can find out more about Moves here.
As students return to university this September, we are excited to work further on the inclusivity of our offering and facilities. We have agreed to further our work by fitting curtains within our changing facilities and replacing the disabled panic alarms.
We are excited to further this work and continue working alongside the Pride committee in the next academic year.
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