Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – a mid year update to our members
In January 2023, we launched our Strategy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which outlined our commitments to making volleyball welcoming and accessible. Since then we have established a DEI Committee with community representatives to help oversee and support the delivery of this work. We are committed to sharing with our members our journey in this space. Read on to learn about the work we have been doing so far in 2024.
key activities to date
- The Board approved a Commitment Statement on Diversity, Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion
- We set up a barrier reporting mechanism to capture information about the challenges that prevent people from being included and participating in volleyball activities.
- We developed of “plain English” versions of Discipline and Complaints Policy & Appeal Policy to ensure that they are clear to understand. More versions of other key policies will follow later this year.
- We developed an Accessibility Checklist for Events for staff to support event planning
- We developed a communication calendar to acknowledge and recognise key dates related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
- We delivered a female mentorship program for female coaches and referees during the 2024 club season.
- We completed a review and update to all of the Terms of Reference for our Committees to be more intentional about considering diversity and representation.
- We have been working with the 2025 Invictus Games to support the delivery of sitting volleyball at the upcoming games. We celebrated the 1 year countdown to the Games in February by providing sitting volleyball at a community celebration.
- We hosted a coach workshop with the Head Coach of the Women’s National Sitting Volleyball Team to increase the number of coaches who can support this program. As part of our work with Invictus Games, we will be securing sitting volleyball net systems and starting up grassroots sitting volleyball opportunities.
- We ran 3 newcomer programs in partnership with the Surrey Welcome Centre, South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, and the South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services to deliver introductory volleyball to new youth to Canada.
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The post Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – a mid year update to our members appeared first on Volleyball BC.