Annual Report 2021
Momentous
That’s how we would describe 2021.
2021 started with gyms, pools, and sports premises still being closed. Nonetheless, we were excited to have received our S88 tax-exempt charitable status just a few weeks before.
2021 marked a new milestone in our funding support. New partnerships were also formed with sports organizations, venues, and other NGOs.
Thank you to everyone who was part of our 2021. Whether you donated financially, volunteered, supported our committees, gave us goodies, or offered a space to us, we are grateful to you.
Moving forward step by step
As a new charity, one of the first things we did was grow the capacity of the organization. We expanded our Board and formalized new Committees. Cecily Radford joined as our part-time program manager.
With a new structure, some of our highlights include:
- Online discussion to explore the body image experiences of female athletes. We need to dispel any misconceptions that prevent girls from joining sports. Body image can influence girls’ perception of their abilities (and consequently, motivation) to engage in sports.
- An IG takeover by individuals of diverse backgrounds to share a day in their life. Some stories include a foreign domestic helper who trail runs, a trans man who plays football, a below-the-leg amputee yoga teacher, and a refugee who uses sport as part of their healing.
- Women’s Adventure Film Festival showcased the feats of individuals who are challenging the status quo in all areas of sport. From climbing to running to surfing to cycling and more, these films showed us that women can surpass mental and physical limits.
Throughout the year, we spoke about inequalities in sports. It’s crucial that all people take part in narrowing the gender gap in sports. Of note is a phenomenal talk that Cecily on “Overthrowing gender inequalities in sport” and a talk that Alicia gave on the sport divide.
New programs launched
2020 was the year we reviewed our strategy and thought about who we wanted to be. 2021 gave us the space to work toward our new direction. Our focus is now to deliver activities that support underserved individuals and families.
We launched our bi-monthly Wellness and Engagement (W.E) Families activities in partnership with Grassroots Future to their members from the refugee and asylum seeker community. Having fun, strengthening family bonds and gaining exposure to different forms of physical activity are core values. We are delighted to see their big smiles. The mothers tell us that the exercises help them change their thoughts and give them something different to do at home with their children.
More activity like this is good for killing boredom and for kids, especially because of this pandemic need more challenge for them to mingle with friends and it is good for their social life. As a mother, I can have the time that friends can have to each other when they are together. It is not only physically and mentally and get new knowledge.
mother from W.E (Families) program
From July to August, in partnership with IBEL, we held our Active Body, Active Mind, and All Girls (A.C.E) program to encourage Commitment and Enjoyment in sports. A group of teenage girls representing different ethnic minority groups joined us. Over five weeks, we played rugby and football, visited a sports brand, heard from women in sports,s and learned about their careers and journey. We also discussed and ideated solutions to dispel gender stereotypes in sports. Lastly, our participants applied what they learned by leading warm-ups with some of our family participants! A takeaway from these activities includes giving an all-girls environment for sports.
The final program we launched from October to December was our Sports, Health, and Empowerment (S.H.E) program. Over ten weeks, our mentors working across different industries and our mentees studying in other tertiary education institutions participated in boxing, partner workouts, and strong woman. We held mental health, resilience, nutrition, and sports workshops to support personal and career development. Our goal was to strengthen our participants’ understanding of the grit of their minds and body and experience the necessity of lifelong sport participation.
Impact
There’s no bigger impact than to see the positive associations to the sport that girls, young women, and families form from joining our activities. Women and girls who don’t have a habit of participating in sport are likelier to believe sport isn’t for them. They are less likely to have been in situations where they felt supported in sports. Consequently, they hadn’t formed a positive relationship with sports.
We also saw our participants learning that sport goes far beyond physical participation. Sport supports us to build confidence and that’s one of the driving factors for us in our work. We need to educate about the benefits of sport.
The (S.H.E) program expanded my perspective on sports and exercise … and really catalysed a lot of personal and sports-related growth!
Samhita
Growing the community of women in sports is crucial to us. It’s in our ethos to raise the visibility of women in sports. Whether these women are elite or amateur athletes, representing different sports, they have a story to share. We learn from and are inspired by their experiences. This past year, 38 women spoke at our activities and social media campaigns. And 19 different individuals coached our sports activities. Strong networks foster women’s participation in their community, which in turn, raises their value and recognition.
Stepping into 2022
In 2021 we organized a drive to collect used sports apparel and equipment, which we distributed to our participants and NGO partners. We continuously welcome such donations.
That’s it for our recap of 2021! We’re thrilled to continue our work and use sport to build a world where women and girls can thrive.
You can help us keep building on our momentous 2021. Here are ways you can support us.
- Donate to support our program and activities. HK$1,500 provides one hour of sports activity to six families!
- Organize a fundraiser on our behalf! Need ideas on how to get set up? We have some!
- Host the events that we plan to have in the future!
- Volunteer your time or skills!
We look forward to working with you in 2022.
All the best,
WISE team
#SportsForABetterHK