This month, Sport Welfare Officers from the Yorkshire and Humber Sport Welfare Team joined up with Badminton England to deliver an online ‘A Community in Motion’ Bystander Workshop.
The free session was designed to give participants the knowledge, awareness, and practical tools needed to challenge racism and help create safer, more inclusive sporting environments.
What the workshop covered
The training took participants through four key areas:
- Recognising racist behaviour - spotting both obvious acts of racism and more subtle ones, such as microaggressions and unconscious bias.
- Exploring hate crimes - understanding how news, current affairs, and media can fuel prejudice and increase incidents of hate crime.
- Understanding the role of bystanders - learning that a bystander is never neutral. You are either active (taking action) or passive (choosing not to act).
- Practical tools for action - gaining approaches to safely support others or challenge harmful behaviour when it arises.
The importance of the bystander role
- A bystander is someone who knows what is happening and can act. We are never neutral, only passive or active.
- Everyone has a role in responding to racism or discrimination: stepping in, supporting those affected, or challenging attitudes.
- Using these skills helps prevent harm, educates others, and builds safer, more respectful sporting communities.
Moving from passive to active
The session showed how awareness can be turned into action. We explored strategies for moving from passive to active bystanders, whether that means speaking up in the moment, checking in with someone afterwards, or challenging attitudes in everyday conversations.
Importantly, being active doesn’t always mean confrontation. Action can be subtle, supportive, and safe but still make a real difference.
What participants said
Feedback from attendees highlighted just how valuable the training was:
“I have to say what a superbly done presentation, loads of information within the hour, and all extremely relevant to the welfare officer role.”
“Top job from the two presenters, who stuck to the facts but at the same time provided very thought-provoking material around attitudes, microaggressions and bias. Please give them my thanks for this evening.”
