To mark National Inclusion Week (23-29 September), Swim England, England Athletics, British Equestrian, British Wrestling and Archery GB have announced a collaboration which will see them come together as Sunnah sports.
Archery GB is one of five national governing bodies who have all come together for the first time to support Greensville Trust, a grassroots educational charity that provides a range of sport, education and community development activities to faith-based communities across the UK.
The collaboration will raise awareness of their respective sports and empower Greensville Trust alumni, working with them and their communities to generate impact on both a local and national level.
Sunnah sports refer to those sports that are intrinsically part of the Muslim faith and named throughout prophetic texts, according to the Muslim Sports Foundation. They include archery, horse riding, wrestling, swimming and running.
To kickstart the partnership, representatives from each organisation joined forces for a pilot weekend retreat at the charity’s hub at Mustafa Mount in Bradford. The two-day event provided an opportunity to share insight, knowledge and experience in tackling inequalities and barriers to participating in their sports for Muslim communities.
While the partnership aims to tackle inequalities as a whole, each governing body, under the Sunnah Sports umbrella, have set out sport-specific aspirations to guide their involvement that will contribute towards a common goal of adding value to existing activities and organisations, as well as identifying new opportunities for participation growth.
Across the weekend all sports delivered a range of activities to connect Greensville Trust alumni and their communities, and encouraged engagement through a series of sessions enabling participants to experience each sport first-hand.
Archery GB ran a number of have-a-go sessions where participants tried their hand at shooting a bow under the guidance of experienced coaches, including Jehad Shamis, from Archery for All, Nalette Tucker, from Sunnah Sports Community CIC, and Jamila Bi, from Archery GB. Jamila helps deliver Archery GB's Project Rimaya developed, with funding from Sports Aid, to engage with Muslim communities and increase participation in archery.
Swim England ran sessions on how to get involved in swimming, water safety and swimming as a teaching career.
British Wrestling put on a number of freestyle wrestling taster sessions to introduce the sport.
England Athletics hosted an athletic activation zone with running, jumping and throwing activities.
In partnership with The Pony Club, British Equestrian taught participants about horses and horse riding.
The retreat marked the first in a series of collaborative activities, initially over a 12-month period, between Sunnah sports and the charity to establish Sunnah sports clubs in communities and increase the national governing bodies’ knowledge, insight and expertise in working with diverse communities, helping sports to become more inclusive and accessible.
Over the coming months there will also be opportunities for people development as part of the partnership through community engagement roles, coaching, mentors and volunteers. There will also be development opportunities from a facilities perspective, with each governing body providing guidance and advice on practical factors, including safety requirements and help setting up equipment.
Amer Siddiq, Chairman of Greensville Trust, said: "We were thrilled to host the weekend taster sessions for Sunnah sports in collaboration with national governing bodies. This initiative is an important step towards making sports more accessible and inclusive for all, particularly for underrepresented groups. By introducing these sports to communities, we aim to inspire a new generation of athletes and instructors who will help establish grassroots clubs in communities where physical activity is limited.
"Our goal is not only to promote physical wellbeing but also to provide an opportunity for participants to explore pathways into coaching, club management, and other career opportunities in sports. This weekend was about building connections between local communities and national governing bodies, ensuring that these sporting activities become more inclusive, especially for Muslim communities.
"We believe that sports have the power to unite people, foster healthy habits, and create lasting change in neighbourhoods that need it the most. Together, we can cultivate a culture of participation and inclusivity, which reflects the rich diversity of our society."
