“Firstly, we applaud Sport England on delivering a very accessible strategy launch yesterday with both BSL interpreters and captions provided. Having an inclusive event meant the information was clear to everyone and reinforced that the Deaf community are very much part of this new direction. 

Sport England’s ‘Uniting the Movement’ Strategy offers an exciting and robust vision and plan, highlighting five key themes to guide all involved to improve the health and wellbeing of the nation over the coming decade. 

We were delighted to see an emphasis on inclusion, fairness and equity in the new strategy. We know that Deaf and Disabled people remain the least active across all communities and have been the hardest hit by the Covid-19 Pandemic. We want to create a world where there are no barriers for Deaf people to engage and participate in sport and physical activity. 

We will continue our work to influence and drive change within our existing systems and infrastructure within the sector so that more Deaf people can start, stay in and support sport and physical activity opportunities. 

We recognise the challenges ahead in recovering from the Covid-19 Pandemic and are pleased to see that Sport England’s investments will be distributed where it is needed most. We will continue to work with our National Disability Sport partners and Activity Alliance to champion the needs of Deaf and Disabled people in sport and physical activity. 

We will continue to work closely with Sport Wales, Sport Scotland and Sport Northern Ireland to ensure that our work engages with all of our partners and members across all areas of the United Kingdom. 

As an organisation, UK Deaf Sport will be sharing our own vision for the future with the launch of our updated strategy later this year. 

We look forward to working alongside Sport England and our key partners to fulfil these ambitions, and to make sure that sport and physical activity is truly available, accessible and enjoyed by everyone.”