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Creating inclusivity through leadership action

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About

Play Proud is a leadership, network and coach-centred training programme developed by Common Goal. It aims to promote inclusion and safe spaces for  LGBTQ+ youth and adults, enabling them to be themselves on and off the pitch.

  • Create LGBTQ+ curricula and policies that can be used by organisation leaders and coaches to make programmes, organisations, and ultimately, communities more inclusive.
  • Build capacity of grassroots organisations to be able to incorporate the methodology into their programmes through training the first generation of Play Proud coaches.
  • Roll out a Play Proud Playbook to guide organisations’ facilitation of open and safe football programmes, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. 
  • Develop a strong network of Play Proud coaches who can exchange ideas and promote collaboration.

The programme focuses on empowering organisation leaders and sports coaches through activities covering leadership skills and tools, coaching inclusion methodologies, influencing change, and knowledge acquisition on discrimination towards LGBTQ+ communities. It equips participants with a Play Proud toolkit, empowering them to create inclusivity through leadership action.

Participants also design and implement local action learning projects designed to increase inclusivity and be a catalyst for concrete change.

  • 22 organisations engaged in 8 countries. 
  • 406,950 youth indirectly impacted by Play Proud programming. 
  • 100% completion rate.
  • 100% of participants feel they are more knowledgeable about gender identity and sexual orientation.
  • 100% of participants feel they are more knowledgeable about the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community face in sport.
Testimonials
See what our customers say about us
Sara Shea
Head of Organisation Development
Farmlands Co-operative
“We have seen a significant shift in leadership capability and subsequent impact on organisational performance. Leaders have the confidence, skills and belief to lead their teams through change. This programme has also made a significant difference in raising awareness about the wellbeing and resilience of individual leaders and the important role they play in supporting our people, particularly through business transformation.”
Louise Turnbridge
Senior Manager - People & Organisational Development
Sony
"My brief to Impact was to create an assignment that would unite senior people in a common task to demonstrate that their combined skills create greater capacity to find solutions to strategic problems. Using the parallel challenges within the NGO’s brief, this event enabled us to address the challenges of strategic marketing in our organisation. Plus the team found extra motivation from the fact that their marketing expertise was able to really help Sight Savers."
Colin Kirk
Country Director, DFID Rwanda
Department for International Development
“Everyone in the office is now aware that he or she has some input which is important to DFID and which can contribute to the reduction of poverty in Rwanda.”