EQUITY and BELONGING

Equity And Belonging is a commitment to always doing the best I can to help people feel welcome in my space and company. Saying that everyone is welcome is not the same as people actually feeling welcome, especially when it comes to people with multiple marginalisations or trauma triggers. I’ve often been frustrated with spaces that claim inclusivity but refuse to make a clear statement of what that means to them and what to do if they fail to uphold their own values.

This page used to be about my “Inclusivity” but my views have evolved on that word and I no longer use it to describe what I aim for, as to be “included” in a space, you first have to be considered to be OUTSIDE of it which further others marginalised people and turns “inclusivity” into another way to reinforce power imbalances. This is why I now use the terms Equity and Belonging, words that have come through conversations with my clients about this topic.

So, with that in mind, this is my statement of Equity and Belonging.

If you have any feedback to help me be a better support to all communities, I would be very grateful if you called me in by going to my Contact Page and filling in the form at the bottom of the page.

Content Warning: This page will contain references to a variety of marginalisations, including references to weight, race, gender identity etc.

My commitment

  • I am a fat positive Coach.

    • By this, I mean that BMI or weight is not a useful measure of health

    • I firmly believe that diet culture is harmful. A healthy diet is not the same as going on a diet.

    • No one coming to me for personal training will be compelled to lose weight.

    • People who wish to lose weight or need to for the sake of access to health care will find safe, judgment free advice free from fast fixes.

    • I will do my best to avoid discussion of diet and related topics unless explicitly asked for it.

    • I can’t control how the spaces I work in communicate about weight and fat, but I aim to be your advocate in working to make sure any space I bring my clients into is as fat positive as possible.

  • I am a disability inclusive Coach.

    • As an abled person, I know I can never truly understand what your disability is like to live with and it is my responsibility to listen and learn.

    • If you have a disability or a chronic condition that requires adaptations to the training plan, I will educate myself on the condition and work with you to create sessions that work for you.

    • If I find that I am unable to give you the support you need, I will let you know and help you find someone who can.

  • I am an anti-racist Coach.

    • Racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and islamophobia have no place in my spaces.

    • Intent is not an excuse for racist abuse. Jokes, micro-aggressions and assumptions/ assertions based on ethnicity/ culture will not be tolerated.

    • As a white person, I acknowledge that I’ve internalised aspects of white supremacist culture and I am committed to fighting racism not just from others, but also from within myself.

    • If anyone - including myself - in the spaces you train with me subjects you to racist/ xenophobic abuse, I am committed to confronting said person to whatever level you are comfortable.

  • I am a class-inclusive Coach.

  • I want to provide an accessible space.

    • All pictures and videos on this site will have image descriptions/ closed captions.

    • The spaces I work in will always be assessed on their level of accessibility, and I will provide as much and as detailed information as I can about this to clients and participants to classes.

    • When assessing accessibility, I look for:

      • Street level access for mobility aids/ wheelchairs

      • access to gender neutral changing rooms

      • wheelchair accessible changing rooms

      • Lifts in case of multi-level spaces, and the presence of an EVAC chair and people trained in the use of them (I am personally trained in this)

      • Sound levels (music, general noise level)

      • Availability of quiet spaces in case of overload

      • Ease of navigating surrounding streets

      • Nearby bus routes

    • This is not a guarantee that all spaces I work in will always be accessible, sadly, but it’s a promise that I will provide all the relevant information I can and that if the spaces I provide are not suitable I will work with you to try to find a solution.

    • In some cases, I am able to train clients in their homes, though this depends on location and times.

  • I am always learning. I welcome any chance to grow.

    • I acknowledge that I am a work in progress and challenge myself to grow daily. I will make mistakes, and I hope that when I do, I am pulled up on them.

    • I welcome feedback in all forms, and I don’t ask for your patience or a gentle tone, only your honesty. If my behaviour is worth criticising, you can do so in person, in public or in private. The responsibility is mine, and I do not ask for patience or a civil tone when taking feedback.

    • If I fail to live up to my own standards or I am missing an aspect of inclusivity in this statement, I actively wish to know and learn to be a better community member to those around me.

    • If you wish to leave feedback, please find the form at the bottom of my Contact Page. You only fill in as many personal details as you are comfortable and you can be completely anonymous if you like.