British Water Ski and Wakeboard has signed up to an international declaration with the aim of ensuring waterskiing, wakeboarding and all associated disciplines are accessible to everyone.

BWSW has signed IWG’s ‘Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration’, joining hundreds of other sporting organisations including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

BWSW is focusing on providing opportunities and additional resources for more women and girls to enjoy the sport following on from research data which highlights a clear gender gap, with more than two-thirds of waterski and wakeboard participants being male. 

To address this, BWSW has teamed up with the British Media Company to host and fund Women and Girls taster sessions, aiming to encourage more female participation in water sports. By offering these sessions around the country, in partnership with member clubs and facilities, BWSW intends to make these activities more accessible and less intimidating, hoping to inspire a new generation of women and girls to enjoy the sport.

Working with clubs, volunteers and coaches, BWSW is nurturing a supportive community where women and girls can learn, improve and enjoy these dynamic sports in a welcoming environment, as part of its continuing commitment to closing the gender gap in the sport.

This initiative aligns with the IWG Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration principles and, by becoming a signatory to the Declaration, BWSW has shown a belief and a commitment to developing a culture that enables and values the full involvement of women in every aspect of sport and physical activity.

The signing of the Declaration took place at a Women and Girls Taster Session at Thorpe Lakes in Surrey. BWSW Chair Martin Winter, BWSW Equality, Diversity & Inclusion lead Cathy Hughes and Charlotte Hill of Thorpe Lakes Water Sports signed the declaration alongside Lisa O’Keefe MBE, Secretary General of IWG (International Working Group on Women and Sport).

Signing the Declaration at Thorpe Lakes

Speaking after the signing, Lisa said: “I’m really pleased to be able to welcome BWSW as our latest Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration signatory. This is a great example of a small Federation that has not only recognised the need to take proactive steps to tackle the current gender gap but has also worked with its members and centres across the country to develop a solution.

“It was fantastic being at Thorpe Lakes and watching the women and girls take part and enjoy the activities in such a welcoming environment. This is a sport heavily reliant upon dedicated volunteers and it was a pleasure to meet some of them today. I’m pleased we can help share BWSW’s story with our network and I look forward to supporting them where we can in the future.”

Martin Winter, BWSW Chair, said: “Like in many sports, male participation in waterski and wakeboard dwarfs the female participation and we want to change that by giving more women and girls the opportunity to participate in our fantastic sport. We’ve had a great summer of running these taster sessions and now we can evaluate how that’s gone and take lessons from it to move ourselves forward.

“Signing the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration underscores what we are trying to achieve in terms of gender equality. We are only a small organisation but we are determined to make a difference and, in doing so, demonstrate to other Federations the impact dedicated gender equality plans can have.”