Staff and students at the college’s Sports Campus have designed brand-new kits to support and promote equality, diversity and inclusion in sports and the wider sporting community.

The netball, football and basketball team kits – sponsored by Double G Clothing – now feature rainbow colours to represent diversity and inclusivity.

The college’s Sport’s campus is home to football, netball and basketball youth academies, offering year-long programmes in addition to academic study. All teams play in the Association of College’s Sport East leagues.

Programme Manager for Sport and Uniformed Services, Scott Leadley, said:

‘Equality, diversity and inclusion run through the heart of much of the work we do around the college. Our goal is to develop inclusive programmes and experiences that bring together people with differing experiences and backgrounds, and our new kits are a representation of that.

There have been long-standing problems with recognising and supporting diversity within sport. Ultimately, we hope that through promotion and support of EDI agenda, we will help to tackle some of these issues, which will lead to more inclusive approach throughout the sporting community.’

The approach is in-line with the British Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiative, which aims to create opportunities, reduce barriers for all, especially under-represented groups. The EDI initiative focusses on six areas of diversity; age, disability, ethnicity or race, gender, religion or belief and sexual identity.

The students have been instrumental in the design of the new kits, with the hope of promoting the EDI agenda in sport.

College student and member of the netball team, Jessica Webb said:

‘We hoped to create something that we enjoyed wearing and that would send a positive message too.’