THE period between Christmas and New Year is a strange time as we look back and reflect, sometimes with pleasure and at other times with relief, on how we got through it all in one piece.
It is also a time to look forward and make plans regarding, for the majority of people, lifestyle changes. However, I am not sure that this is really the best time of year to make these decisions and, once made, how many of us actually manage to see these plans through?
For me, my reflections on 2017 mean remembering the help and support I have received throughout the year to ensure that Scottish Women in Sport continues to make a difference, challenges inequality and champions all those who support parity in sport.
To be honest, without this support, there would be no SW/S. It comes in the form of the amazing work of Brand-Oath, who have shown strong belief in SW/S and invested their own time and money in re-branding the organisation as well as branding the fabulous #GirlsDoSport project, to the University of the West of Scotland, our partner in #GirlsDoSport, as well as GoGlasgow Urban Hotel whose staff ensured that our awards dinner was, once again, a spectacular success.
To be fair it is not so much about the organisations per-se, as the people within it, who make the difference.
Another group of people who lend their support to SW/S are the trustees: basically, volunteers who want to make a change; make a difference.
Exciting times lie ahead for SW/S because in 2018 we will see changes in the make-up of the organisation as we look forward to bringing some new trustees into the fold.
With so many changes surrounding the work of charities, this is not an easy task and, with the pressure of work falling heavily on most people’s shoulders, it can prove to be a difficult search to ensure the right fit – not just for the organisation but for the Trustee also.
Every sporting organisation needs these stalwarts to help progress their strategy and formulate their business plans, ranging from the local club to the top national governing body – basically, “Your sport needs you”!
My hopes for next year as I look forward? Well, I don’t think I’ll be alone in this, but my hope is that we can encourage some strong investment in sport – in particular for women and girls in sport – and, of course, in SW/S itself.
This is an area that we need to focus on. Whether it is commercial or statutory funding, we need to understand the benefit that sport brings to so many areas of society and ensure that funding is there to assist.
Four years down the line, SW/S has established itself within Scottish sport as it gives a voice to those who still remain under-represented in the many different areas and disciplines of sport, but strong financial support is required to enable us to continue. We remain, as ever, hopeful that things will improve in 2018.
In terms of sport itself, we have a lot to look forward to this year and, from SW/S itself, we still have a few programmes in our #GirlsDoSport series, funded by Awards for All, to air: #GirlsDoHockey, #GirlsDoSquash and #GirlsDoAthletics.
You can catch all the previous programmes online as they are available to view, whenever you choose, through our website, scottishwomeninsport.co.uk.
For the armchair fan we also have a few major events looming on the horizon with the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast, and the 2018 European Championships for starters, as well as all the regular domestic competitions that keep us going.
I hope that each and every one of you has a great start to the new year, spending it with friends and family and, as we progress through 2018, those plans and even those dreams come to fruition.
We all live in hope things will change for the better and whatever your change is, whatever your dream is, I sincerely hope you can achieve it. So all that’s left to say for now is, let’s keep the momentum going, let’s continue to champion change, diversity and equality in all areas of sport. Happy New Year everyone.
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