ULSTER GAA: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the club roadshow

ULSTER GAA, Ulster Ladies Gaelic and Ulster Camogie are coming together to host an ‘Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Club’ roadshow, taking place around each county. Having already ran a successful workshop in Armagh, we look ahead to the remaining counties in the time ahead until the end of October.

The workshop will explore a range of different issues and ways we can be more welcoming and inclusive to ensure our clubs are a place “where we all belong.” The workshops as part of the roadshow provide a balance between education and opportunities for discussion to learn from each other.

Firstly, we will look at the meaning of equality, diversity and inclusion and what the benefits of engaging with these areas are for our clubs and counties and how this links back to our wider values as an organisation. Through our discussions we will try to eliminate fears in this area and encourage change to be authentic and organic. We will discuss and explore what true belonging in Gaelic games actually means.

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Notably we will look at the protected groups within our society and ultimately the groups of people who may be susceptible to discrimination or disadvantage in sport such as those of a certain age, people who have a disability or neurodivergence, people with a particular family Status, civil status, marital status, sex or gender, of a particular race or who hold different religious and political beliefs, are of a particular sexual orientation ​or are a member of the travelling community.

We will explore how our clubs can tackle loneliness and act as a protection factor for many people and the range of different Games for all supports and neuro-inclusion in our mainstream initiatives.

Similarly, we will explore effective ways to engage and retain new communities or ethnic minorities into the club and how to work towards cultural competence in our playing and volunteering opportunities, take inspiration from some of our good practice models in this space and become more informed about how to tackle racism within Gaelic games, including the sanctions that are in place for this zero-tolerance issue. Additionally, we will look at good practice models in the LGBTQIA+ and hear from some of our valued players on issues that affect them. In recognising that our clubs aim to promote lifelong membership, we will look at how best we can cater for our older members.

Finally, we will discuss the different types of biases we can have, psychological safety in our teams and meetings, the challenges there are in relation to EDI and how we, as individuals with an impact in our clubs, can champion equity, diversity and inclusion.

Ar aghaidh linn le chéile!