UK Ultimate - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Fundraising to support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee projects

Update: August 2021

Thank you for all the generous donations during the initial campaign, which helped us raise £1946 for the DEI committee! These funds have helped secure many logistics for our first project: MESH. Our new target will aim to replenish the committee fund, as well as ensure the MESH project is sustainable and can continue in the long term. 

MESH (Minority Ethnic Showcase) is a new project that has been established by UK Ultimate and its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to highlight the talent amongst minority ethnic groups in UK Ultimate. We want to show young athletes from minority ethnic groups that they have a space to achieve amazing things.

MESH has engaged with players from minority ethnic backgrounds and is looking to provide high quality training sessions which will provide accessible coaching from elite players and leaders, and will create a supportive community for development whilst helping to forge new bonds.

In 2021, the first year of the project will culminate in a mixed gender showcase game involving a variety of players from across the country, at different stages of their playing careers. This game will be held in London and will be open for everyone to attend and watch, including the public. Entry will be free for anyone under the age of 18 and we will encourage those from the local community to come along, watch, and be inspired! The game will also be filmed with footage being shared in schools and university sports fairs in September to encourage more young people to take up Ultimate.

Many of our captains and players have come through the junior and university programmes. Many of these streams are unrepresented by minority ethnic groups. Based on their feedback, we believe there is more we can do as a community to celebrate the talents of players from minority ethnic backgrounds and make Ultimate a more visible space. We hope that together we can inspire, accommodate and support the next generation of players.

This project is being run by volunteers, and the current budget has been fundraised via the DEI committee, but larger funds would ensure a much greater impact and secure the longevity of this project.

Any profit made from the showcase game will be cycled back into the project. We aim to provide specific events for junior players particularly in areas accessible to those from minority ethnic backgrounds with little/no costs to those attending, as well as coach education for our volunteers. We hope that through this we can inspire young minority ethnic athletes to engage in Ultimate.