Paul Taylor

Great to see this research. Sport really can be a leader in society to help build cultural competence, social cohesion through our common love for sport. Although this uses the example of football, it can apply in other settings. I have the privilege of being involved at Edinburgh South Cricket Club, where the club's membership includes 17 different nationalities, with a diverse range of ethnicities, religions, cultural identities and beliefs - but one common thing unites us, a shared love of cricket. Cricket is a game that requires people to spend vast amounts of time together on the field, working through situations together as a team to achieve a result. Through simply being around many others with different cultural experiences and identities, I've learnt so much. Most importantly, we've embraced the multiple cultural identities and beliefs as our strength, finding space to learn about and support each other. Less 'integration into a culture' and more 'evolution of our culture together'. Sport really can be a leader in society for bringing people together. Do you have a great example from your own club or sport? Feel free to share on our Equity Coach page!

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Really insightful panel last week on tackling discrimination and promoting equality and inclusion in football. Probably my main takeaway was that while footballers can certainly set an example, sports bodies have an even bigger responsibility to change culture and go beyond the topline comms. The parallels beyond football are obvious too... Clarke Carlisle explained how, as team captain, he led and created a culture of zero-tolerance of racism, sexism and homophobia in the Northampton Town dressing room - yet at the same time spoke clearly that “the burden of responsibility sits too heavily on players’ shoulders”. With examples such as the ‘No Room for Racism’ and ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaigns, Zoë Hingston LLB and Jon Holmes both highlighted the need to go beyond ‘initiative-driven’ efforts that prioritise visibility - and called on institutions in football to back this up with more meaningful changes and deeper engagement with players and fans. Such campaigns may be useful, but should be the start and not the end. Lots of insights from Dr Seema Patel too, on the need for more research and understanding about the participation of transgender players in grassroots sport, rather than always focusing on the elite levels. And a good reminder that it’s supposed to be fun - “people just want to play football”. The Football Collective Conference 2024 #FCB2024

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Meet Ella Williams, the founder of OUR GOAL CIC, a community organisation based in Manchester with a vision to empower every girl to be active and reach her full potential. As visions for your organisation go, that’s pretty cool. Our Goal is all about designing and delivering football and mentoring programmes to build confidence and self-esteem in teenage girls. Ella herself  stopped doing sport around the age of sixteen when she stopped playing football. Now hands up, I’m genuinely awful at football, I’m good at running for the ball, and just about adequate at kicking it when it is stationary (yes, yes I know), but I’ve got the confidence to at least give it my best shot (though not literally if you ever see me play) every two weeks with friends. But clearly not everyone is in this position. More than four in ten (43%) teenage girls drop out of sport in their teenage years, which is staggering. We met Ella earlier on in the year, and after some support from Hatch Enterprise UK, this is what she said: ‘The Launchpad [programme] gave me the confidence and push to set up Our Goal, and whilst it’s early days yet, I know this organisation will use football to improve the lives of women and girls across Manchester for a long time to come.’ OUR GOAL CIC is working to tackle the barriers that exist for women and girls, from social pressures, to struggles with confidence and body image, and spaces that just don’t cater for the needs of teenage girls. Having that safe space for girls to engage in football in a supportive environment can be a key tool in building back up a positive relationship with physical activity. As well as community football sessions Ella has begun to engage directly with schools on this issue. She is just one founder we’ve had the pleasure of talking to and working with who’s doing some quite amazing things that’s helping people and society, and frankly, who doesn’t need more good news stories at the moment? For more, take a look at our latest impact report: https://bit.ly/3CnTqPz

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It’s always the attention to detail that makes the difference.

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The NSPCC Sport Steering Group and Sport Network are raising vital funds for NSPCC Helpline this festive period.   Who writes the cracker jokes? Should I have another pudding? Was what I saw wrong? Or am I overthinking it?   While most of us are asking about the joys of Christmas, thousands of adults are contacting the Helpline with urgent questions about children’s safety.   On average, over 200 concerned adults call the NSPCC Helpline each day about children in need of protection or support. Last year alone, our Helpline received 75,609 contacts related to child welfare, marking a significant 27% increase from the previous year.   The Helpline dealt with over 2,100 child welfare contacts between 24 December 2023 and 4 January 2024.    At the NSPCC, we believe no child should suffer abuse. At home, in school, online, or whilst playing sport, every child deserves to be safe and happy.   It costs £16,000 every day to run Helpline and protect children from abuse and neglect.   Support us to make sure NSPCC Helpline is ready for every concern this Christmas. Give now and help us answer more calls when children need us most. https://lnkd.in/etHtP4fv

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Great to be working with The Electoral Commission to raise awareness of the problems of abuse and intimidation of candidates at election times. ➡ New research showing that over half of candidates in the May elections received abuse. ➡ Shocking findings showing the gendered impact of this. 56% of women avoided campaigning alone, compared to 19% of men. 📰 For more details, read an op-ed from Electoral Commission Chief Exec Vijay Rangarajan and I here https://lnkd.in/eEx4geT8

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Is your daughter or son into football? I'm a grassroots football coach. Actually I'm a parent who, like many parents, stepped up this year to be a volunteer to run my daughter's under 10 team, which has now become a full time job on it's own (sorting fixtures, training, fetching kit, hauling kit to and from the park, refereeing, socials, etc) I've played football all my life, so I both love it and love helping others to discover it. I still play with a vets team, and a social group linked to the club I follow. Helping young children to take up the sport, and enjoy it through playing with a team, is something close to my heart. This year I've spent countless hours scrolling Instagram, and slowly the idea of launching my own book crept into my conscious, so I followed some #influencers and have written a book, created it in #Canva, set up a #publishing company, and launched the book on #Amazon. So I'm here to share the book. Firstly it's not a book to read, it's a personal diary. Children are given the book at the start of the football season, and fill it in. As with all diaries, it's about personal reflection. So there are sections where they put in the things they love, their team, players they know, who are their team mates, even what their favourite meal is before or after a game. I imagine children writing into it in the car journey to and from a match, or in the evening whilst winding down It then has space to review each match they play. It asks them to consider how they felt they did, what went well, what were their contributions. Sometimes children lose track or forget the games they played, assists, minutes played, etc. This tracking is powerful because the child can see if they are improving, or remember games they enjoyed. There are spaces to stick in photos, draw goals they scored, and keep a tab of results, parental support, even the weather each game. At the back I've provided the rules of the different game formats (7v7, 9v9, 11v11), advice from top coaches and professionals on how to improve everything from passing to saving. This should help both children and parents, especially those that want to encourage their children further to develop their passion. Since launching my book on Amazon, I've sold one copy. Just one. So I clearly don't know how to market... 😕 So here is my post trying to promote the diary. Please buy it if you think it would be useful for you child, and please tag people (parents, coaches) who you think might like to know about it. I've poured some love into this, and hope it helps children enjoy football even more. ⚽ Here's the link https://lnkd.in/e54A2DN2 #football #grassroots #sport #soccer #coaching #players #mentalhealth #reflection

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Since becoming a CIC in September 2022, the team at Preloved Sports CIC has been working hard to keep sportswear out of landfill. Since then, we realised that we need to live up to the Preloved Sports mission and from then we decided to keep records of everything that leaves the business, including items that are disposed of. This image is an update of our latest figures of stuff leaving Preloved Sports. It does not include items that are currently on our shop, in our two lockups (yes we've grown from 3 small crates to 2x 50sqm lockups) and what is currently sat in my dining room waiting to be added to the shop. A total of 2,117.47kg of sportswear has left Preloved Sports. 1,566.41kg has been redistributed to help individuals in need. 345.66kg has been resold, with the rest being recycled, repaired or repurposed. We have worked so hard to keep as much out of landfill as we could and although we have discarded some items due to health/hygiene risks, we are proud that only 3.34kg of sportswear has been discarded. Since completing the Brand Essentials Course with Avery & Brown | B Corp™, it has given me a lot of insight into building a trusted brand. Yep, we do sell secondhand sportswear, but we are creating a brand people can trust and is their go to place for sportswear, whether that is by donations or buying from us. To become a trusted brand, we need to be completely open and honest. Whatever we are doing seems to be working as we have received 38 orders in the last two weeks. We are not out there to campaign against the big brands to stop the manufacture of sportswear. We want to work with the brands to give everyone access to sports and fitness to help improve their mental wellbeing. I used running to help me with grief when I lost my dad in 2019. It's been a focus and a reason why Preloved Sports is here today doing all the amazing things at reducing waste and helping those in need. Re-Action The Green Runners Trees Not Tees

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Free and unlimited jobs board posting via the Manor Royal BID Jobs Board (www.manorroyal.org/jobs) powered by LoveLocalJobs.com is one of the benefits provided by the BID for Manor Royal based companies. It saves companies quite a bit of cash each month, but more importantly provides a valuable service and also secures the expertise of people like Claire Beech and over the years we have accumulated some great data. We can see the jobs board has a decent number of loyal monthly viewers, over 1,000 per month. Feels like there's been a bit of a shift in the jobs market in recent months with a slight upward movement in October. There's also, possibly, the signs of a slight shift in the employer-employee dynamic and - perhaps - more job seekers out there. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next quarter and post April as changes signalled in the Budget start to come into play. To see other Manor Royal BID benefits see https://lnkd.in/dC3fVRG Chris Oxlade Helen McLaren Samantha Bertie Gary Peters Paul Scrivens

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‘Bringing back the fun factor: why play needs a bigger role in sport’ - Cath Bishop in The Guardian A Commission on Play has been launched this month by the social entrepreneur Paul Lindley OBE partnered with the Centre for Young Lives. Set up to stimulate a national conversation about how to support children to play more, it will explore the impact of technology, access to outdoor space and parental attitudes. But in the brief, other than a glancing reference to the “no ball games” culture, there’s no mention of sport as we understand it. This in itself shows how a child’s experience of play has become disconnected from sport. This commission offers a sharp prod up the backside of the sports world to ask itself about its contribution to the diminishing experiences of play in children’s lives over recent decades. Hours of activity, free play and obesity have all gone in the wrong direction over the last decade. Sport has a role to play. The challenge is less about how we get more kids playing cricket, football or learning to row, and more about what children need from sport. When we find that out, we can then adapt our sports accordingly. Young people deserve to play freely without fear of rejection, constant assessment or other adult-devised constraints. Whether in school PE lessons or the local sports club, we’ve been sucked into over-organising and over-controlling sport. Play is a brilliant tool for creating diverse experiences of sport, exploring and experimenting, finding out about yourself, developing flair and freedom, and strong connections with those you play alongside. The Commission on Play offers a moment for sports leaders to ask what children need from sport, and what needs to change as a result. Not simply how are we going to do in the Euros and where will we finish in the Paris medal table. This summer offers a bigger opportunity for sport to rediscover its soul and reconnect to our lives more meaningfully and playfully. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I absolutely agree with Cath Bishop and this is why I have joined the #RasingTheNation Play Commission as a Commissioner and why Play England have and will continue to work with Sport England and the wider sport & physical activity sector, as outlined in our Manifesto ask for the next Government to introduce #PlaySufficiency legislation in England, which would establish statutory guidance for local authorities to provide and secure sufficient play and recreation opportunities ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eKtJWuBg 🏫🚸🌿🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 🛝 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️ #PlaySufficiency #FreePlay #Play #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #Leisure #Sport #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #SchoolStreets #StreetPlay #HomeZones #Playces #Splace #Playgrounds #Parks #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #KnowBallGames #UNCRC #Article31

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So wonderful to see another 20 RtR DA Champions graduating from our accredited training. Welcome to the Network and don’t forget there’s a lot of opportunities to meet up virtually and face to face. Continue to learn and grow within your new role. Last years RtR DA Champions’ survey told us that on average 60% of those we train support 4 or more domestic abuse victims each year, AND, they support colleagues who are also supporting victims/survivors. On average that 10 victim/survivors each, every year. These new RtR DA Champions are likely to collectively support 120 individuals impacted by domestic abuse who aren’t currently accessing support. RtR DAChampions is evidence based, research aware and lived experience informed. Want to start to be part of the longest running, largest multi-agency DA network in the country? It’s easier and cheaper than you think for such an opportunity. [email protected]

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🏅 What an honour to be a part of the FA's annual awards - this year held in the Sheridan, Manchester. Great to see how much it as grown since attending several years ago. The event showcases the incredible progress of football on and off the pitch. Among the many highlights of the evening was a chance to chat with Manchester United and England striker Ella Toone, whose humility and humour shine just as brightly as her talent! ⏰ During our conversation, Ella and I discussed a small habit we share… over-checking alarms and setting multiple alarms for a single event. “I’d have a pre-alarm for my alarm,” I admitted to her, “...and a couple of extras just in case!” Ella has spoken about her fear of being late or missing an alarm, a behaviour that I relate to. This fear might seem trivial, but for leaders, athletes and high-pressure roles, small habits like these can reveal underlying perfectionism. 🐐 It’s a reminder that even the most accomplished individuals, like Ella, face pressures that manifest in subtle ways: David Beckham has spoken publicly about his obsessive need for symmetry and organisation at home, and Rafael Nadal has been known for precise placement of water bottles on-court – he insists it is not superstition. 🔍 The sports world provides a valuable lens through which to view mental health, but this extends far beyond the pitch. In workplaces, anxiety is often an unseen force that can quietly impact performance, creativity, and morale. Leaders have a unique opportunity to notice signs, support their teams, and ensure that anxiety doesn’t hinder success: 📶 Over-preparing for meetings or tasks. 🔁 Triple-checking work. ⏸ Putting-off decisions in case of mistakes. Such tendencies may stem from good intentions, but can signal an underlying concern that, if left unchecked, can manifest into larger problems. Addressing anxiety at an early stage doesn’t just help the individual—it fosters a healthier, more resilient team dynamic. For industries like professional sport, where mental and physical pressures collide, tailored support has long shown to optimise performance. 📈 Businesses across sectors are now recognising that this level of support isn’t just a perk—it’s essential for cultivating resilience and productivity. Create a safe environment where concerns can be voiced without judgment. Leaders who are proactive will create environments where both performance and people can flourish. 👶 👦 After years of obsessively checking alarms and setting several at a time, I’m out of the habit: my two pre-schoolers put pay to my anxieties – no chance of oversleeping any time soon! 

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Support Sense This Christmas and Make a Difference! 🎅🏻 As we approach the festive season, I'm reaching out to businesses in the Midlands to help spread some festive cheer for people with complex disabilities. At Sense, we believe everyone should experience the joy and magic of Christmas, but for many, that’s not always possible. This Christmas, I'm inviting you to get involved and make a real difference by supporting our work with simple, fun and festive initiatives: ✨ Christmas Jumper Day in the workplace with a donation ☕ Festive Sensational Tea Party 🎁 Secret Santa with a twist—donate to Sense instead of buying gifts for colleagues By supporting Sense, your business can help provide vital services to individuals with sensory impairments and complex disabilities, giving them the chance to enjoy the simple pleasures of Christmas. Together, we can make this Christmas a little brighter for those who need it most. Whether it’s hosting a fun office event or encouraging your team to get involved in fundraising, your support this Christmas will make a huge difference 🎄 #ChristmasForAll #Sense #InclusiveChristmas #SupportSense #CorporateSocialResponsibility #CharityPartnerships #FestiveGiving #Fundraising

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Mark Sclaire (This is your Turning Point) it’s a simple truth that many managers don’t grasp. It’s easy to play the ‘Blame Game’ with your team. “You fully deserve a pay rise and a promotion and if it was my decision you’d have had this months ago”. Blame others is easy and fun and makes you feel better. Too often I’ve seen managers washing their hands of responsibility and accountability by blaming senior leadership. Pay is a motivator but it’s out of the power of most managers to provide. The benefits of pay increases are extremely short lived. Humans adjust their lifestyles in response to resources available to them. The real motivators, all of which are massively in the power of managers and leaders, are: 1. Setting clear SMARTA goals for your team (specific and agreed). 2. Feedback and recognition - your team deserve honesty from you. Be honest, specific and give examples. 3. Help your team understand the critical role they play in your team. How do they contribute. This helps them become more responsible. 4. Guide your team on how they can grow. Humans need to feel that they are learning. Experiencing something new is learning❤️ 5. Care for the humans you work with❤️. We all need to - feel respected, acknowledged, heard and remembered. Would love to read your thoughts #leadership #motivation #ownit #management #future #mentalhealth

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Do you remember the famous UK #NorwichCity football team’s advert with the tagline “You Are Not Alone”? This tagline was part of a 150-second TV ad launched 10 months ago for #WorldMentalHealthDay. The ad focuses on suicide prevention and features two friends who regularly watch their local football team, Norwich City Football Club City, also known as The Canaries.  The football club’s website explains, “as the film concludes, it becomes apparent that the more outgoing man has died by suicide, dispelling the myth that only those who display obvious signs experience poor mental health.”  You can watch the film and read more on the club’s website. The advert’s reach was nothing short of awe-inspiring. According to media company, TheDrumNewsOnline, “in June 2024 the video has been seen over 146 million times”. The club harnessed the power of marketing to deliver an important message about suicide prevention. While there’s still much work to be done, campaigns like this and events such as today's #WorldSuicidePreventionDay are crucial in accelerating efforts to raise awareness & educate people about suicide thoughts & behaviour. In my work at Melville Mental Solutions (MMS), I’ve seen a shift from focusing solely on 'why' people experience suicide thoughts and behaviour to also addressing 'how to talk' to someone who shows these signs. One of MMS’s services is training adults to become @Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders®) with the company MHFA England® /International. Two key roles of MHFAiders® include “having a conversation with improved mental health literacy around language and stigmas” and “providing first-level support and early intervention.” A good example of taking away stigmas is the question to delegates about the difference between road traffic collisions vs died by suicide. MHFA England uses information from the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom & Office for National Statistics: “In Great Britain, during 2020, 1,752 people died in road traffic collisions and 6,749 died by suicide.” Are you surprised by this difference? A thought-provoking question I often use to share knowledge is: ‘you saw someone on the edge of a bridge exhibiting suicide behaviour, how would you approach them—directly or indirectly?’ MHFA England advises that “asking clearly and directly about suicide is good practice.” MHFA England training also emphasises using suitable language to avoid stigma and misunderstanding. One key learning is to use the phrase “died by suicide” rather than “committed suicide” or “completed suicide”— since suicide is not a crime. Whether you’re reflecting on today's campaign or beyond, I trust this information will be valuable. If you’re interested in learning more about MHFA England for yourself or your organisation, or if you simply want to chat, please feel free to reach out. Here's another link: https://lnkd.in/eEgybgdX Remember: “you are not alone”.

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❓ Do you remember that it was #SuicidePreventionDay on the 10th of September? I used to work on the media buying side of marketing. 'Awareness' of a brand was a key challenge in a campaign. There is so much news around us. I know that some of you reading here worked with me 🤲 , and against me on this 🥊 It was good to be part of the push to raise awareness about this global day. I shared a post on LinkedIn about this - you can read it here: https://lnkd.in/e2jttgxx Thank you to those who shared my post both through their channels, especially JobsInAdtech.com LawNet Ltd PRCA, or in media speak - online and offline 😊 One of the key parts of awareness is to take away stigmas and misunderstandings about any subject. Millions of 💷 is spent to show a message. But the best way is Face to Face conversations. This is around the power of trust, listening, and familiarity. I also had a good conversation with someone who is involved in this charity. Just mentioning the phrase brought this up: https://lnkd.in/eWFrSQBd If you know of someone who has suicidal thoughts or behaviour, it can be that they need to have a face to face converasation. Just visit Samaritans if you want to know more.

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Seeking comprehensive safeguarding training for your Board? Have a look at our post below and get in touch for details. #board #boardtraining #boardsafeguarding #safeguarding #safeguardingleadership

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It has been a busy few few weeks Premier Partnership, Quality Assuring, refreshing courses and working with great new and existing clients. Hugely proud to say we've had our first cohort start with our new Award Body SFJ Awards, and really looking forward to growing our relationship with them, with new and exciting qualifications. #learninganddevelopment #educationandtraining #qualityassurance #assessing #managedserviceprovider #training

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Elevate your leadership skills. Through our Integrated Performance Programme, gain invaluable insights as you work one-to-one with a Coach, and learn transformative behavioural skills to take your leadership to the next level. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3UtNVV9 #Coaching #OneToOneCoaching #RADABusiness

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