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Active Lancashire’s Sport Welfare Officer Team successfully hosted their first ‘Activate: Our Club, Our Voice’ workshop last month. The event, which took place on 30th May, welcomed 25 members of Typhoons RUFC, including union team members, touch team players, social members, committee representatives, and coaches.

The two-hour session provided Typhoons RUFC with valuable insights on governance, culture, health and wellbeing practices, and participant engagement. The workshop began with a focus on inclusion, where participants engaged in discussions about fostering an inclusive environment within the club. This involved examining current practices and identifying opportunities to make the club more welcoming to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Michael Hill, Membership & Recruitment Officer, reflected on the workshop’s success: “On Thursday 30th May, Active Lancashire visited Typhoons RUFC for our very first membership workshop with members across the club to gain an understanding of how the club is run and member concerns along with recommendations and support provided by Active Lancashire. The membership workshop was very well received by members of the Typhoons, providing an alternative approach to membership feedback, using an interactive approach and team building exercises to formulate responses. The feedback received provides the club an opportunity to understand its strengths and weaknesses, allowing the club a further opportunity to grow and achieve a good member experience for all. I would like to thank Active Lancashire for coming over to Typhoons RUFC providing this opportunity, and I would love to work with them again in a year’s time for another workshop.”

Ross Adams-Newton, a member of Typhoons RUFC, also shared his experience: “The session with Active Lancashire was focussed on how to get more out of our interactions as a rugby club: It certainly helped me reflect on our overall approachability, but also my own – I’ll be putting a lot of what we learned to use outside of the club too. Nathan and Gwen were brilliant facilitators who allowed/encouraged self-reflection. I’ll be asking for them to come back next year!”

The workshop also delved into how different aspects of identity, such as race, gender, sexuality, and ability, intersect and impact the club experience. This segment aimed to raise awareness about the varied experiences of club members and the importance of considering these intersections in creating an inclusive environment. Members took part in interactive games and tasks, enabling them to practise some of the guidance which was given at the session, as well as sharing any relevant experiences they may have had.

Nathan Moulds, County Sport Welfare Officer at Active Lancashire, stated, “Our first Activate Workshop was a great success as it enabled us to understand some of the successes and challenges that grassroots-level clubs face. Being able to connect with organisations like Typhoons RUFC is crucial to Active Lancashire’s mission of improving the health and wellbeing of those across the County; through these workshops, we hope to provide insight and support for those working within the physical activity sector, ensuring that there is a safe culture which prioritises the welfare, wellbeing and health of all members.

“Being able to meet with members and hear their own experiences allows us to identify key areas of support, enabling Active Lancashire to develop its offerings of things like training and networking events. We’re delighted that our first event was a success, and look forward to hosting more Workshops with other Lancashire-based organisations in the future.”

Active Lancashire’s Sport Welfare Officers are continually looking to collaborate with clubs and organisations of any size across Lancashire, helping them to continually improve their cultures and practices. If your organisation would be interested in completing an ‘Activate: Our Club, Our Voice’ Workshop, please contact NMoulds@activelancashire.org.uk, GHughes@activelancashire.org.uk, or call 07465 759911.