Blog
Written by Sally Carr MBE, North West Area Director
In the midst of global sporting excitement surrounding the Olympic Games in Paris, on the other side of the channel in Lancaster we were delighted to be involved in another event championing the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship: the Pride Youth Games. This annual event is a unique residential weekend for 16-25 year old lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, non-binary, queer and other diversely identifying young people. Organised by Pride Sports and Leap Sports, and generously supported by StreetGames with funding from the JD Foundation, this year’s event continued the Games’ tradition of providing a safe, inclusive, and vibrant space for young people from across the UK.
Kindly hosted by the University of Cumbria, this year’s Pride Youth Games saw young people enjoying a varied programme with a mix of sports and social activities across the weekend. Activities delivered by StreetGames included dance, Spikeball, and boxercise, as well as a fantastic ‘Mindful OrienQUEERing’ activity, combining a mindful walk, with an LGBTQ+ quiz and an orienteering course on the Campus. The event also welcomed StreetGames and Pride Activity Network members, Morecambe FC, who delivered football, as well as two Paralympians leading inclusive sessions in wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.
Alongside the activities, the Games also provided a platform for conversations with young people about what would enable them to participate more fully in sports. The attitude of coaches was a common theme, with attendees emphasising the importance of lively, accommodating coaches who are genuinely interested in fostering an inclusive environment. This feedback is at the heart of StreetGames’ Doorstep Sport approach, which – much like Pride Sports’ philosophy – prioritises adapting activities to meet the needs and interests of the audience.
Attendees’ feedback
“I really enjoyed trying out the gym and will give it a go when I get back!”
“I was never allowed to try dance at school as a boy, and so I loved this at Pride Youth Games and want to do more”
“Slow sewing was really calming, and I really felt like I achieved something”
“It’s great knowing you’re in a safe, queer space and can try new things”
“It was amazing to see my whole group of young people trying hard and challenging themselves across the sports they picked”
“I’m going to get back into playing football”
“I am actually better than I thought at some sports”.
Peer Research – LGBTQ+
As part of our Pride Activity Network work, StreetGames gave a number of young people the opportunity to take part in Peer Research Training ahead of the Pride Youth Games. The training demonstrated how to conduct research with peers, gathering information on a certain topic and extrapolating it into digestible data. An LGBTQ+ Youth Club group from Bolton took part in this training and focused their research on ‘barriers to LGBTQ+ young people engaging in sport’.
This group then attended Pride Youth Games and used this an opportunity to conduct this research with their LGBTQ+ peers. They gathered a huge amount of information, and are now in the process of collating this data. This research will then be used to present back to decision-makers in community sport across the country, in the hope of changing the future of community sport for LGBTQ+ people.
Looking forward
The Pride Youth Games 2025 will be held in Scotland, with plans already in place for StreetGames to mobilise a group of young people from across the north of England to attend.
