inclusive futures, by iRO

Supporting Meaningful Inclusion

Designed by
Commissioned bySport England

Every organisation's inclusion journey is different.
Some are taking their first steps. Others are looking to build on existing progress and create lasting change.Inclusive Futures is here to support Sport England delivery partners to strengthen inclusive leadership, develop impactful Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans, and make meaningful progress that reflects their organisation, people and communities.Wherever you are starting from, we are here to help.

inclusive futures, by iRO

Our Purpose

Many organisations care deeply about inclusion but can find it difficult to know where to focus, how to prioritise action, or how to keep momentum going. Inclusive Futures provides structured support, honest reflection and practical guidance to help you take your next steps with confidence.

This programme is here to help organisations make inclusion feel clearer, more practical and more achievable.

Our offer is designed to support a more inclusive sport and physical activity sector. We offer bespoke, practical support to help you connect your inclusion ambitions with everyday leadership, governance and decision-making.

Our Offer

We align with Sport England's strategy and programmes, including "Leading the Movement" and "Moving to Inclusion" and the Code for Sport Governance and funding requirements:

  • We are aligned with Sport England’s priorities
    We support the shared ambition to create a fairer, more inclusive and representative sector.

  • We focus on real progress
    We help organisations move from good intentions to clear, practical and achievable action.

  • We support how you work
    We work with partners to strengthen Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans so they feel focused, owned and deliverable.

  • Our programmes support leaders
    We support boards, senior leaders and teams to understand their roles in creating inclusive conditions.

  • Our guidance considers your needs
    Every organisation is different. We meet partners where they are and tailor support accordingly.

  • We will showcase your achievements as part of wider sector learning
    We capture and share learning so progress can benefit the wider system, not just individual organisations.

Our Approach

We know that organisations are starting from different places. Some will already have established plans. Others may be working out what good progress looks like. Wherever partners are starting from, Inclusive Futures offers support that is constructive, respectful and focused on movement.

Five Principles
Five Principles
We recognise that every organisation has its own history, pressures, strengths and challenges. Our support begins with understanding your context.
We help translate inclusion commitments into clear actions, realistic priorities and manageable next steps.
We work with boards and senior leaders to build confidence, clarity and accountability for inclusive leadership.
We offer honest feedback and thoughtful challenge in a way that supports learning, trust and progress.
We create opportunities for organisations to share experiences, learn from one another and build confidence across the sector.
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Every organisation is on its own inclusion journey. This quick health check is designed to help you pause, reflect on where you are today, and identify where support or focus could help.

Three Phases
The programme has three distinct phases
We begin by helping each organisation explore its current position, including leadership readiness, DIAP maturity, governance context and opportunities for progress.
We provide tailored support to help partners refine their priorities, improve their DIAPs and build confidence in the work ahead.
We focus on implementation, accountability and learning so that inclusion becomes part of how organisations lead, decide and improve over time.
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Your Journey

Diagnostic review

A supportive review helps you understand where your are now, what's working well and what needs further attention.

DIAP check and challenge

We provide constructive feedback to help strengthen your Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans to be clearer, more focused and easier to deliver.

Leadership coaching

Senior leaders are given space to reflect on their role, responsibilities and influence in creating inclusive organisational change.

Governance support

Boards and leadership teams explore how inclusion connects to decision-making, accountability, culture and organisational performance.

Masterclasses

Focused sessions offer practical insight into inclusive leadership, accountability, culture change, psychological safety and implementation.

Peer learning

Partners come together to share their experiences, test ideas and learn from others facing similar challenges.

Leadership workshops

Facilitated workshops help your teams explore their context, identify barriers and agree practical next steps.

Digital resources

Simple tools, prompts and materials designed to support reflection, planning and action between sessions.

Our Team

We offer experience across EDI, leadership development, governance, coaching, facilitation and organisational change. We'll work alongside you with care, curiosity and practical expertise, offering support that is tailored to your needs.

Programme Lead

Heather David

  • Business Psychologist

  • Inclusive Leadership and Organisational Development

Heather leads Inclusive Futures, bringing together her experience as a business psychologist, consultant and doctoral researcher specialising in inclusive leadership, organisational culture and equity-focused change. She works with warmth, care and rigour to help leaders understand what supports progress, what gets in the way, and how organisations can create the conditions for people to thrive.

Programme Delivery Coordinator

Sarah Nolan

  • Talent Development and Learning Design

Sarah is a Talent Development Consultant and Certified Project Manager with over 20 years’ experience in programme management, learning design and inclusive leadership development. She brings a thoughtful blend of operational rigour, human-centred design and warm coordination to complex programmes, helping partners and associates stay connected, supported and clear about what happens next.

Governance Lead

Valerie Todd CBE

  • Executive Coach EDI

  • Governance

Valerie brings significant senior executive and board-level experience across public, private and third sectors. Her work has advanced equality, diversity and inclusion across major organisations including Siemens, Crossrail and Transport for London. She supports leaders with strategic insight, values-led challenge and practical experience of embedding inclusion at scale.

Leadership and Performance Lead

Roy White

  • Executive Coach

Roy brings extensive experience as a senior HR leader, coach and facilitator, following a 25-year career with Sony Corporation in the UK and internationally. He supports senior leaders and boards through change, helping them align strategy, performance and people while sustaining their own effectiveness in demanding leadership roles.

Coaching Lead

Claudine Charles

  • Executive Coach

  • Facilitator

  • Learning Designer

Claudine is a triple-accredited executive coach, facilitator and learning designer with deep experience across diversity, inclusion and belonging, leadership development, team coaching and blended learning. She creates supportive, practical spaces where leaders can reflect, build confidence, work through complexity and translate learning into meaningful action.

Digital Engagement Lead

Lennox Thomas

  • Leadership and Organisational Development Consultant

Lennox brings more than 15 years’ experience helping organisations strengthen leadership capability and deliver strategic change. He is an experienced and engaging facilitator who supports boards, executives and senior teams to engage openly with complex challenges, align around shared priorities and turn strategy into practical action.

Digital Engagement Support

Georgina Thomas

  • Leadership and Organisational Development Consultant

Georgina brings strong experience in governance, strategic development and programme delivery. In partnership with Lennox she helps to translate vision into practical action, strengthen organisational confidence and ensure complex initiatives move from concept to implementation with care and clarity.

Your Outcomes

Outcomes

Participants feel clearer, more confident and better supported to lead inclusion in their own role.

  • Greater confidence in inclusive leadership
  • Clearer understanding of personal influence
  • More confidence to have honest conversations
  • Stronger ability to challenge constructively
  • Better understanding of what helps people belong

Organisations leave with stronger plans, clearer priorities and more confidence to act.

  • Stronger, more practical DIAPs
  • Clearer leadership accountability
  • Better understanding of organisational readiness
  • Improved governance conversations
  • More focused implementation priorities

The programme helps build shared learning across the sport and physical activity sector.

  • Shared insight across partner organisations
  • Stronger understanding of what enables progress
  • Greater consistency in DIAP quality
  • Better alignment with sector priorities
  • More confidence across the system
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We are here to help.

Contact

Whether you have a question about the programme, need support with participation, or are unsure who to speak to, please get in touch and we will guide you to the right person.

inclusive futures, by iRO
Sport England's vision is to transform lives and communities through sport and physical activity, driven by Uniting the Movement, a 10-year strategy of change.

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Thank you

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