Levelling the playing field: demystifying and highlighting the business positives of EDI strategies

Dave Messenger is the EDI Lead for Watford FC and has been with the club for 8 years in various roles including Supporter Liaison Officer and Disability Access Officer. Dave has been an integral part of the club’s continued success in achieving the Advanced Level of the PLEDIS (Premier League's equality, diversity and inclusion standard) and leads the club’s work to tackle all forms of discrimination, as well as developing the club’s internal EDI strategy.

Recently appointed EDI Sector Lead for CIMSPA, Catherine returns to the sport, fitness & physical activity sector, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience around EDI strategy, governance and implementing progressive change from her role in professional football, through working with football clubs, in an equitable manner, to achieve a more inclusive fan experience and working environment. Catherine has also previously held, a number of advisory roles within the sport, fitness and physical activity sector, which enabled organisations to carve out tangible and sustainable frameworks, into becoming more inclusive.

Catherine is a trustee for Merseyside Sport Partnership, where she is enjoying combining her passions around exercise and physical activity and equality, to create a more accessible and inclusive environment for people to participate.

Tim joined ukactive in March 2020. As the Lead for EDI at the trade body for fitness and leisure, his remit includes developing the sector towards greater inclusivity. ukactive supports its members through standards, programmes, campaigns and interventions to deliver it’s mission of ‘more people. more active, more often’. Tim is passionate about the role of Diversity and Inclusion as a key function to deliver ‘Vision 2030’ – developing the sector to be more inclusive and engaging with 20% of the population.

Tim was previously working at Premiership Rugby. During his time at the executive body running professional rugby union in England he developed and delivered an Inclusion Strategy involving campaigns, programming and policy for each of the 9 ‘protected characteristics’. His notable work included a ‘Commitment to Accessibility’ which was shortlisted for a BT Sport Industry Award in 2018, and the ”Project Rugby’ programme which was shortlisted for a British Ethnic Diversity Sports Award and was a two-time award winner at the Sport Business Awards.