Cardiff Met awarded bronze accreditation from the Inclusive Employers Standard Sport
Cardiff Metropolitan University has become the first university in Wales to receive an Inclusive Employers Standard (IES) accreditation – an organisation making inclusion an everyday reality in the workplace.
The Inclusive Employers Standard Sport category accreditation was awarded to Cardiff Met Sport, who scored above the industry average.
The process and accreditation helps Cardiff Met Sport understand their inclusion journey and identify key areas of development.
Laura Williams, Assistant Director of Sport Physical Activity and Health said: “Achieving the bronze accreditation from Inclusive Employers is a significant milestone in our commitment to fostering a truly inclusive sporting environment.
“At Cardiff Met Sport, we believe sport and physical activity should be accessible to everyone, and this accreditation reflects our dedication to continuous improvement. Through initiatives like ArcHER and our wider EDI framework, we are ensuring that inclusion remains at the heart of everything we do. We are excited to build on this foundation and further embed a culture of belonging for all staff, students and community members."
To gain this accreditation, the Cardiff Met Sport Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group was required to provide a detailed overview of their inclusion activities in line with the six pillars of the inclusion framework.Cardiff Met Sport’s action-focused feedback identified some key areas to further enhance their culture of belonging and inclusion.
Emily Pattinson, Senior Inclusive Employers Standard Programme Lead, commented: “We’re incredibly proud that Cardiff Met Sport has shown a clear commitment to building an inclusive culture and has achieved a bronze accreditation. Your ArcHER programme is a fantastic example of a structured role model and story-sharing initiative.
“We are particularly impressed by their active sharing of insights from ArcHER and their advocacy for accessibility in physical activity. It is great to see that inclusion is a key part of Cardiff Met Sport’s strategic approach in sport, with clear links between their Change the Game strategy and EDI Sports framework. Their approach to goals for managers and leaders is an excellent way to embed accountability for inclusion across the organisation.
“By seeking to understand their inclusion development Cardiff Met Sport has demonstrated to others in their sector that they are prioritising their people and creating a culture of impactful inclusion in sport.”
Cardiff Metropolitan University’s ArcHER programme aims to create an equal environment for women to play sport by equipping its students and workforce with a deeper understanding of the female body.
More information about the Inclusive Employers Standard and how to get involved is available on the Inclusive Employers Website.