It is essential that all students have access to an excellent offer. Those currently underrepresented in our programme are often the same groups most marginalised by society and therefore have an even greater need for opportunities that support their mental and physical wellbeing. Sport and active participation should open doors not just for those already positioned to thrive, but for every student with the potential to benefit from its physical, mental and long-term career advantages.
Our participant and stakeholder data reveals clear gaps in sports access and participation. The development of the Belonging Strategy is our direct response to those findings; a roadmap designed to close these gaps and ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate, lead, and thrive.
Our vision is bold: to create sports environments that are genuinely safe, trusted and inclusive for students from underrepresented groups not simply improving participation but by putting belonging at the heart of our operations. By 2030, we aim to make measurable, meaningful progress toward a programme that reflects the full breadth and diversity of the student population, recognising the potential for demographic shift over this time and the need to be responsive to that.
BUCS Belonging Working Group
In April 2025, BUCS set up an internal Belonging Working Group to drive forward change within the organisation and to provide a range of perspectives to our Belonging Work. This group has contributed to our internal anti-racist diagnostic assessment, is a key stakeholder in the development of the Belonging Strategy and represents all teams across BUCS.
This group is chaired by the Head of Belonging.
