UK Coaching has today signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, committing to a global framework for advancing gender equality in sport. This took place at an event for high-performance female coaches at Loughborough University.
The event also saw the launch of UK Coaching’s new Women in Coaching Plan. This plan sets out action to attract, retain and progress more women in coaching. In addition, it aims to create a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable coaching workforce.
The Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration was first established in Brighton in 1994 and updated in Helsinki in 2014 by the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG). It is a leading global framework for gender equality in sport and physical activity. Its 10 principles cover areas including participation, high-performance sport, leadership, education and development, research, resources and collaboration.
The IWG is committed to supporting greater representation of women across sport, including coaching, and to creating the conditions that enable women to enter, remain and progress within the coaching pathway. Through the Declaration and its international network, the IWG encourages organisations to address systemic barriers. In addition, it urges them to share good practice and take meaningful action to advance gender equality.
Ahead of the signing, a panel discussion and Q&A brought together Emily Handyside and Dr Adi Fawcett from UK Coaching, Viveen Taylor from the IWG, Emma Brunning, a coach developer, and Emma Springham, a British Paralympic Coach. The panel explored the experiences of women in coaching. Furthermore, it discussed the practical changes needed to create more equitable coaching environments.
The signing of the declaration and launch of the new plan comes in response to growing evidence of the challenges facing women in coaching. UK Coaching’s Coaching in the UK 2024 survey of over 30,000 coaches in the UK found a 6% decline in the overall number of female coaches. There was a steeper 10% decline in the number of female volunteer coaches. While there has been positive progress in some areas, including at international level, the overall figures highlight the challenge of ensuring women are able to enter, remain and progress within coaching.
Women in Sport’s Reimagining Sport Coaching: Designing a System That Works for Women research, published in 2025 by Leeds Beckett University, highlighted the systemic barriers facing women in coaching.
The research found women continue to face significant barriers in coaching. These include limited progression opportunities and unequal access to leadership roles. It also identified misogynistic workplace cultures where female coaches’ expertise is undervalued. As a result, their competence is more likely to be questioned, and they experience higher levels of bullying than male counterparts.
These findings make it clear that systemic change is needed to create workplace cultures, working conditions and leadership structures that support women to enter, remain and thrive in coaching.
UK Coaching’s new Women in Coaching Plan is a response to these concerns and focuses on three key areas:
- Building a culture that attracts more women into coaching – We will promote and amplify women’s voices and visibility in coaching, so they feel valued and able to see coaching as a positive opportunity.
- Creating the conditions to retain women in coaching for longer – We will collaborate with organisations and leaders to build systems that are safer and fairer for women coaches.
- Providing equitable opportunities for women to enter, develop and progress in coaching –. We will make it easier for the female coaching workforce to connect and access learning and development opportunities.
Emily Handyside, Coaching Lead at UK Coaching, said:
“The decline in female coaches, particularly female volunteers, is a clear signal that we need to act. Recruitment alone will not address the challenge — we must focus just as strongly on retention, creating coaching environments where women feel welcomed, valued, supported and able to sustain their involvement over time. That means tackling the barriers that cause women to leave. Meanwhile, we must also ensure they have genuine opportunities to develop, progress and thrive.”
“Our Women in Coaching Plan is about turning the evidence into action: creating cultures that attract women, conditions that enable them to stay, and equitable opportunities for them to progress. Signing the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration reinforces that commitment. Moreover, it gives us a framework for continuing to drive meaningful change.”
Viveen Taylor from IWG’s UK Steering Committee, said:
“Women should be able to participate, coach, lead and thrive in sport, and organisations have a critical role to play in creating the conditions that make that possible.
“We are delighted to welcome UK Coaching as a signatory. Its Women in Coaching Plan is an important step towards creating more equitable pathways and ensuring women are supported not only to enter coaching, but to build fulfilling and sustainable coaching careers.”
View and download UK Coaching’s Women in Coaching Plan here
To find out more about UK Coaching’s support for women in coaching visit the UK Coaching Women in Coaching Hub
