Sport Birmingham Joins Global Movement for Gender Equity Ahead of IWG Summit

Sport Birmingham has become the latest organisation to sign the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration. By becoming a signatory, Sport Birmingham joins a global network of over 700 organisations committed to advancing gender equity across movement, physical activity, and sport. 

The official signing took place on 11th June – one month before the world is due to come to Birmingham for the 2026 IWG Global Summit. 

The organisation’s ongoing commitments to gender equity span school and youth sport, participation, leadership, and workforce development. Through collaborative partnerships across the city, Sport Birmingham aims to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and ensure support is shaped by lived experience and local understanding. 

Mike Chamberlain, Chief Executive of Sport Birmingham, shared the urgency and ambition behind the commitment: 

"We have seen some progress in gender equity, but not near enough and not quick enough! Significant gaps still exist across participation, workforce, leadership and governance, and this is simply wrong. 

“Signing the declaration publicly will anchor our commitment to gender equity through a deliberate plan which will discipline us to narrow and close any gaps, and sustain the progress we aim to make". 

A key example of this commitment in action is Girls of Brum, a flagship initiative created to tackle the barriers preventing girls from participating in physical activity, particularly during the transition to secondary school. Alongside this, the newly launched Girls of Brum Leadership Forum unites leaders from sport, business, education, health, and the community sector to collectively drive long-term change. 

By bringing together insight, cross-sector expertise, and community role models, Sport Birmingham continues to create more inclusive and consistent opportunities for women and girls across the city. 

Annamarie Phelps, Co-Chair of the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG), added: 

“We are thrilled to welcome Sport Birmingham to our global network of signatories. With the IWG Global Summit arriving in Birmingham next month, there is no better time for them to make this vital public commitment to gender equity. We look forward to seeing how this pledge supports their ongoing efforts to drive long-term, sustainable change for women and girls across the city.”