At Active Oxfordshire, we maintain that EDI is the golden thread which runs through all of our work. We know that the LGBTQIA+ community face some of the greatest barriers to sport and physical activity, which is why over the last year we have placed much more of our efforts into developing our LGBTQIA+ inclusion work.

3.6% of Oxfordshire residents identify as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, or another sexual orientation or gender identity. This is around 22,000 people, more than the population of Kidlington or Carterton. We hold a responsibility to support this community to having equal and equitable access to physical activity.

We are very early into our LGBTQIA+ inclusion journey and are continually learning alongside others. There's a lot of work to do in this space to create more inclusive environments to be active in, but that means there's a great amount of possibility for change.

Making impactful change will be a truly collective effort, and we are thereby inviting you on this journey with us.

Building a foundation: team training and awareness

Although, as an organisation, inclusion and equity is something we aim to live by, we recognise that we are not always the experts. To begin developing our LGBTQIA+ inclusion work, it was imperative that we bring in the real experts to ensure that the whole team were starting this journey from the same place, with equal levels of knowledge, awareness, and understanding.

We started with a training session run by Gendered Intelligence back in 2023, where we discussed the issues that trans and non-binary people face, in active spaces and beyond. Last summer, we had a session with Guy Stanley who spoke on some of the experiences of LGBTQIA+ sportspeople, and shared some of his own lived experience too.

Both sessions created open and respectful spaces to ask questions, share ideas, and to reflect on our own inclusion and explore changes we could make as an organisation.

Since the training sessions, we have added pronouns onto our email signatures and have revisited our family friendly staff policy to ensure the language used and the policy itself are truly inclusive. We have also shared resources in our YouMove family newsletter signposting parents and teenagers to different types of support for those who may be exploring their sexuality or gender identity.

Starting the conversation to make change: partnership working

To make real change, partnership working is fundamental. Our efforts are much more impactful when we come together to share our resources, knowledge, experiences, and ideas.

At our most recent Oxfordshire on the Move event, in September last year, we ran an LGBTQIA+ inclusion workshop where we were joined by individuals from the NHS, sports clubs, and other charities and organisations in Oxfordshire, all keen to learn more and to play their role in cultivating more inclusive spaces.

The session was an important first step to bringing partners together into a dedicated time and space for this topic, and focused on combining our knowledge so we could better understand what is already happening across Oxfordshire and to determine what to do next.

Following the workshop, it was clear that we needed to do more research into understanding who is already working actively in this space. We've connected with a number of organisations, including Oxford Trans Group, Common Ground, (T)Art, with plans to attend Oxford Pride 2026 so we can continue to increase our connections. We've also found it incredibly helpful speaking with other Active Partnerships, including GM Moving and Active Gloucestershire, who are much further along than we are. Working alongside partners means that our actions will be informed and we can support one another.

Taking action – here's where we need your help

Much of 2026 will be further research and reaching out to more organisations and individuals as we continue to discover who is already active in this space.

We have a couple of asks from you.

• We've been discussing the role that Oxfordshire on the Move has in bringing people together to take action. We're exploring the possibility of running online sessions and it would be incredibly helpful to understand what you'd find useful and what you'd like to see. We ask that you follow this link and complete a very short survey. Please also share with other who are interested in this work. The survey will close on Friday 20th February.
• If you know of any good practice that's happening in Oxfordshire or elsewhere in the country, or can connect us with other people who are doing great things for the LGBTQIA+ community, we'd be grateful for your support. If you are able to help, or would like to be involved yourself, please contact Phoebe: Phoebe.Gibbons@activeoxfordshire.org.
• Lastly, you can read our LGBTQIA+ and Trans Inclusion Action Plan here. This a live working document which we will continue to review and update. If you'd like to discuss anything in the plan, please speak to Phoebe.

Photo credit: Oxford Pride
Photo credit for cover photo: Oxford Pride