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Everyone deserves safe and inclusive opportunities to engage in sport and physical activity. Volunteers and organisations across the country are working hard to make sure this is the case. 

For some, like members of the LGBTQ+ community, these inclusive spaces can be harder to find or unsafe as a result of poor inclusive practices, negative club cultures or worse, discrimination and abuse.

The Buddle team recently caught up with Blaydon Tennis Club to see what they’re doing to remain inclusive and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

Blaydon Tennis Club, located in the North East of England, have over 400 members and have been providing activity opportunities to their local community for over 100 years.

The club pride themselves on providing a safe and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and free to be themselves, without fear of judgment or discrimination.

More recently, having noticed a lack of opportunities for the local LGBTQ+ community, the club have set out to develop their inclusive practices and widen their community reach to ensure everyone can benefit from being physically active.

We spoke to Ian Pearson, a full-time coach at Blaydon Tennis club and the founder of Pride in Tennis, to explore what they have done. 

Aerial view of several arms holding tennis racquets over a trolley of balls on a court, with some arms sporting rainbow wristbands.

Background

Ian has a lifelong passion for sport and physical activity and believes that everyone, regardless of their age, ability, background or beliefs, should be able to take part in the activities they enjoy.

However, from a young age and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he struggled with his mental health due to a fear of not being welcomed or accepted. 

Wanting to use this lived experience to help others, Ian, the committee and other members at Blaydon Tennis Club (Blaydon) set about shaping and providing inclusive and accessible opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community. 
 

Creating a welcoming environment

Blaydon have taken several steps to create an inclusive environment for their local community, such as:

  • Completing free inclusion training provided by Pride in Tennis to become a Rally Allied venue, which recognises the club as a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ community. 
  • Actively promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion through their social media channels and by encouraging participants and volunteers to wear rainbow sweatbands, socks and laces.
  • Adopting a diversity and inclusion policy, which outlines a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory behaviour.
  • Tackling any forms of discriminatory behaviour effectively and efficiently.
  • Creating partnerships with other clubs and community organisations that engage the LGBTQ+ community to understand their needs, any required changes to their offer or ways of operating and activity promotion.
  • Adopting a code of conduct which sets out clear standards and behaviours.

Responding to challenges

Blaydon recognises that while vitally important, the journey to creating an inclusive environment isn’t always easy, and there are likely to be challenges and barriers to overcome. 

Some of the challenges Blaydon faced included:

  • Lack of role models

    There’s a significant lack of openly LGBTQ+ role models in tennis, so the coaches at Blaydon have focussed on being positive role models instead. 

    They’re trusted individuals and their behaviour and actions are often mirrored by others, particularly younger members.

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  • Time commitment

    It takes time, effort and persistence to be inclusive and requires club-wide buy-in. 

    To help embed this, they regularly communicate and live out their values and ensure everyone agrees to their code of conduct.

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  • Complaints from members

    The club have received complaints from some members around the prevalence of the Pride flag, which they use to promote their inclusive environment. 

    The club took time to explain why this was important to those who had complained and remained committed to showcasing their values.  

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  • Lack of trans and non-binary members

    The club don’t currently have any trans or non-binary members, but to ensure they can meet their needs in the future, they’ve created a gender-neutral toilet and changing facility. 

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  • Finding the right volunteers

    When recruiting new volunteers, the priority of the club is to recruit people who support their values and culture.

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Partnership working

Developing strong partnerships with organisations that are already trusted by the LGBTQ+ community has been essential to the club's inclusive practices. These partnerships have included: 

  • Pride in Tennis – providing them with free training and resources to help identify and address the barriers and inequalities faced by the LGBTQ+ community. 
  • Out North East Gateshead Pride – allowing the club to promote the activities to a wider audience. 
  • Geordie Grand Slammers – a tennis club that provides opportunities exclusively for the LGBTQ+ community. Working alongside this club provides members with another safe, inclusive space to play tennis.
Aerial view of a rainbow arcing over a grass tennis court. Text says 'Pride Month - Blaydon Tennis Club'.
A Pride Progress flag flies in front of a grass tennis court. Text says 'Tennis for Everyone - Blaydon Tennis Club'.

Alongside the partnerships developed with LGBTQ+ specific organisations, the club recognised that this community could face other challenges or barriers, unrelated to their sexual orientation. To further support them and other members of the club, the club have: 

  • Partnered with local schools and community groups by providing free access to their facilities. This removes the financial barrier of hiring the court, while raising awareness of the club's offer. 
  • Recently introduced gate access technology, which improves accessibility and allows people to play tennis whenever they like, to work around any caring responsibilities or irregular shift patterns. 
  • Offered a pay-and-play scheme to help reduce the financial burden and cost associated with a long-term membership.

Top tips

Blaydon Tennis Club have found great success in furthering their inclusive practices and supporting their local LGBTQ+ community. The club have seen an increase in participants, two new committee members and greater opportunities for social and fundraising events. 

To help other organisations, Blaydon have shared some top tips for creating an inclusive environment: 

Be proactive
Search for support and actively reach out to trusted organisations that already engage with communities you want to reach.
Respond to discrimination
Ensure appropriate actions are embedded into your culture, the way you operate and in up-to-date policies and procedures.
Be resilient
Be prepared to face negative feedback. Be comfortable to respond to this in the right way and believe in what you are doing.
Work as a team
Collaborate with other clubs and community organisations who are also working to attract certain groups or provide inclusive opportunities. Learning from each other can be a powerful tool.