Before hockey shorts, my aim was to change the government’s school uniform policy guidance.
A gin in one hand, my crutches in the other, I had just had ACL surgery and I finished my dissertation on the impact of gendered uniforms on girls PE participation. It’s Friday 23rdApril 2021, I’m having a fake ceremony in my garden to celebrate my diss and my mum asks me to say a few words…
Emotively, passionately, I say, “This dissertation is a representation of me, of those who came before me, and those who will come after me, because this will make change. I promise you this will make change.” – that video is in my favourites.
In that moment I made a promise to myself to not stop until it was done. This felt like the thing I had to do. 1659 days later, it’s happened.
The academic in me: “This paper finds meaningful ‘choice’ as the number-one policy improvement needed for schoolgirls in sport today…This paper advocates for the evolution of school sport uniform policy to promote inclusivity, comfort and greater female sport participation”.
The reality: a long road of convincing people and the government that PE kit matters, to have choice matters, and that girls feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable in PE kit isn’t their fault. That it’s a public health issue that can be solved fast with good policy.
The campaign lead with choice, logic and keeping girls active. An honest story of a GB hockey player wanting choice in my own sport, and choice for every girl in their school. I published my dissertation, entered the media, and kept pushing.
The international hockey policy changed in 2023. And I ran out in shorts at the Olympics in 2024. But school policy remained the same.
I have been campaigning for change in the government school uniform guidance for four years now. I’ve had incredible mentors and support, and we’ve kept banging that drum.
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In January, Inclusive Sportswear wrote a ‘submission’ to the government’s Call for Evidence for how activity can be increased for girls. I wrote there needed to be an addition to the PE kit policy guidance:
Specific language of choice, inclusion, and sports bras needed to be added to the government’s PE kit guidance.
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/133917/pdf/
We partnered with Youth Sport Trust to create guidance for schools and to keep campaigning for choice in PE kit. We conducted extensive research and created the Schools Guidance on the Inclusive Sportswear Community Platform.
We partnered with Bristol University and Dr Alice Porter to keep putting pressure on the government to listen to what the evidence is saying. Their brilliant research backed up the call for choice in PE. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyrl5y645go
Together we wrote a policy brief and sent it to over one hundred MPs and Lords. The headline: “Schools should offer more choice over PE uniform to increase girls’ engagement in PE.
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/policybristol/policy-briefings/girls-physical-activity-school-uniform/
We partnered with ASICS to create the Undropped Kit Campaign, telling the real of PE kit in schools across the country, and the difference choice in kit matters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Pt_Zt9tZk
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This is an incredible win for all of us who have campaigned. And it’s proof that a logical argument for change can get through.
It matters because 1/3 of girls who drop out of sport do so because of kit. It matters because 3 in 4 girls feel unconfident in their PE kit. Choice is the number 1 kit policy that can support engagement in sport.
To those who have been on the journey with me from the very start, thank you – we did it. Each moment mattered.
Next: There is no doubt anymore that choice is needed in PE kit, so I want to see every school in the country offering choice.
How do you do it? Fix the Kiton Inclusive Sportswear for free.
Join the Inclusive Sportswear Community Platform today.
Let’s finish this!
There are too many moments and people to thank:
- My mentor and friend, Suzy Levy, for always beingthere
- Wendy and Mandy at the Youth Sport Trust for believingand working so hard
- Simon and Lou for the passion
- Alice for her work
- My mum and family