25 September 2024
Precisely one 12 months in the past, Badminton England launched ‘Badminton – A Sport for Everybody’ – the brand new 10-year technique for badminton in England.
The technique is the centrepiece of our imaginative and prescient for badminton to turn out to be essentially the most accessible and inclusive sport in England.
The primary 12 months of the implementation of that technique has been a busy, formidable and difficult one through which we have now delivered in opposition to two key strategic priorities: younger individuals and inclusion.
Our collective concentrate on participating younger individuals signifies that 421,400 younger individuals are actually taking part in recurrently, a rise of 30,000 from the earlier 12 months and 70,000 because the pandemic.
Now we have relaunched the Nationwide Colleges Competitors, deepened the impression of the Growth Fund and expanded our Younger Chief Academy and Nationwide Youth Voice Discussion board to permit the subsequent technology to take an lively position within the badminton neighborhood. And we’re specializing in our subsequent technology of younger proficient athletes, who’re making good progress on the worldwide stage.
There stays a lot to do, however there may be clearly a wholesome urge for food for badminton amongst younger individuals with our flagship junior programme Shuttle Stars launching subsequent 12 months.
Shuttle Stars will see members aged 5-11 take pleasure in a enjoyable collection of programs to develop and enhance their badminton expertise
Now we have positioned inclusion on the coronary heart of every thing we do and now 35% of our affiliated golf equipment welcome disabled individuals, in comparison with 22% in 2023-24.
The Incapacity Junior Nationwide Championships had been delivered in Could 2024, delivering a brand new construction to underpin our pathway, with eight regional incapacity coaches supporting that construction, whereas 311 new disabled juniors and adults have tried badminton for the primary time.
As a part of our GB position, we submitted our Range & Inclusion Motion Plan (DIAP), aligned with our EDI Technique, which is able to inform our supply over the subsequent few years.
In March 2024, we celebrated the 125-year anniversary of the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships, the oldest prime degree badminton event on the planet.
England’s prime gamers have proven an actual dedication to giving again to the neighborhood, with Annie Lado paying a particular go to to Westgate Badminton Centre
Our dedication to the dual pillars of younger individuals and inclusion had been encapsulated by the improved Birmingham Legacy challenge and significantly the Racket Pack Pageant, which engaged ten colleges and 1000’s of kids from the native space.
The Commonwealth Video games Legacy Venture allowed us to increase ‘No Strings Badminton’, funded by Sport England, into new and under-represented communities. The challenge initially targeted on the West Midlands however expanded into quite a lot of different areas and 365 new periods had been delivered.
It has additionally, in fact, been an Olympic and Paralympic 12 months with Dan Bethell and Krysten Coombs each coming back from Paris 2024 with Paralympic silver medals – an achievement we’re extremely pleased with.
Reflecting on the previous 12 months, Badminton England Chief Government Sue Storey stated: “I’m completely delighted with the progress we have now made over the past 12 months, working carefully with our neighborhood we actually have put our thriving neighborhood on the coronary heart of every thing we do.
“We knew our plan was formidable and we knew we must work arduous to realize, and I’m immensely pleased with everybody; workers, athletes, coaches and the broader neighborhood, who’ve labored so arduous on our technique. Badminton – a Sport for Everybody, and we’re displaying how a lot progress will be made after we work collectively, thanks to everybody who has made this primary 12 months so particular, I can’t wait to see what we are going to obtain within the subsequent 12 months and past.”
