18 February 2025
Towards an athlete-led approach: Paralympian advocacy and campaign training
As the National Paralympic Committee for Great Britain, ParalympicsGB seeks to inspire a better world for disabled people through sport. We know the more allies we have supporting in us in our mission, the closer we will get to our goals. So last year we joined forces with the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK), which helps campaigners and changemakers understand more about how social change happens, and how to design their campaigns to have the best chance of success.
SMK worked alongside the Community & Social Impact team at ParalympicsGB to develop a bespoke training package called PACT: Paralympian Advocacy & Campaign Training, to help Paralympians develop a range of campaigning and social change skills. The aim was to equip Para athletes with the confidence, knowledge and skills to consider how to use their platform for social change and causes that mattered to them most.
A snapshot of PACT
A cohort of eight ParalympicsGB athletes from a range of backgrounds took part, working together with SMK and ParalympicsGB to identify a range of subjects, that, when it comes to campaigning, they wanted to know more about. SMK brought links to expert campaigners and its own evidence-based analysis of how change happens, including real-world campaigning case studies and opportunities for hands-on learning. ParalympicsGB wanted to empower athletes to talk publicly about their first-hand experiences and help them discover how to be more involved with the wider campaigning community.
Together we designed a two-stage programme. Stage one focussed on building foundation knowledge and skills amongst athletes; stage two centred on an athlete-led approach, with opportunities for advanced-level skills development. The course was designed for those who are currently competing as well as retired athletes, offering insights into grassroots or community driven change and also how to deliver wider change on a bigger scale.
It was essential that all sessions and content were designed in fully inclusive formats following best practice guidelines from ParalympicsGB. This included on-line and in-person events, one-to-one mentoring, micro skills development sessions and campaigning clinics.
A Paralympian Advocacy and Campaign Training session
What did Athletes have to say about PACT?
Athletes told us that their confidence and skills had increased as a result of the ‘building knowledge & skills’ on-line event and that their confidence and skills had increased as a result of the ‘towards an athlete-led approach’ in-person event.
Athletes said:
“I loved all the aspects to the course, doing online, mentor and in person was just brilliant. It’s a shame it’s over!”
“It opened up a bit of clarity for me about what campaigning and advocacy can look like, and how to start building campaigns and expanding existing work.”
“The guest speaker was fantastic and exactly the kind of positive and galvanising note we needed to finish on. The whole event was very friendly and made it easy to ask questions and contribute… It was a great introduction.’
“The day was honestly brilliant. I loved being in a room with so many passionate people and learning from everyone. The only thing I’d want in future is a longer, two-day course!”
“It was wonderful that all the speakers were involved in the entire day as it allowed us more time to ask questions.”
Paralympian and PACT participant Roy Turnham said:
“(Since completing PACT) … I’ve just founded a community interest company called Vision Through Action, which is based on the issues I wanted to campaign for, that is, improved sports and fitness opportunities at grassroots level, which transfer into day-to-day situations.”
The success of PACT’s pilot has led to ParalympicsGB and SMK joining forces again to deliver an enhanced version in 2025 - providing increased mentoring, resources and networking opportunities.
Nicci Bailey, Athlete Community & Social Impact Manager, ParalympicsGB said:
“We recognised a gap in training that addresses Paralympians’ unique experiences and contributions. Athletes were eager to use their platforms for causes they care about, but often lacked guidance. Collaborating with SMK, we co-created a programme tailored to their needs, giving back to those who’ve given so much to the Paralympic Movement.
ParalympicsGB aims to harness the power of Paralympic athletes to inspire change in attitudes towards disability and drive equality in sport, education, and society. The more athletes we empower, the closer we get to achieving this mission.”
Applications for PACT 2025 are now open to ParalympicsGB Paralympians. If athletes would like to apply or have enquiries about the course please email athletecommunity@paralympics.org.uk.
Alternatively, you can sign up to our Athlete Community programme to receive the latest on all our upcoming opportunities.
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