England Squash prioritising diversity with new appointments

As part of a drive to accelerate inclusion and diversity within squash and engage new and diverse audiences, England Squash has appointed Community Engagement Manager Asma Ajaz-Ali and partnered with Calder Squash Community.

England Squash has teamed up with Calder Community Squash, a community-based not-for-profit organisation in West Yorkshire, committed to making positive changes within society through health and wellbeing. Calder Squash will work alongside England Squash to bring community-focused programmes to more squash clubs and venues, and enhance the diversity of the sport.

Aron, founder of Calder Community Squash has first-hand experience in making squash more accessible with projects such as Squash from the Mosque. This initiative saw Aron approach the local mosque and invite Muslim children along to a taster session in the mosque car park before transitioning sessions over to the club.

Aron will support squash clubs and venues in Yorkshire and Great Manchester initially to engage their local community and break down the barriers to play, and create accessible and inclusive opportunities for more people to get involved in the sport.

Aron said: "We’re so excited to be working with England Squash. The partnership will not only enable us to widen our reach, but to help us in realising our vision for the future. The more clubs, coaches and sporting facilities we can educate on the importance of community and inclusion, the more the game can thrive.

In May, Sport England awarded England Squash £200,000 to create innovative and accessible opportunities to engage with disadvantaged communities, enabling people from all backgrounds to take part in sport and physical activity.

Asma Ajaz-Ali has been appointed as Community Engagement Manager to drive this initiative in Birmingham and the West Midlands where inequalities mean that activity levels are often below the national average. Asma will collaborate with a range of local partners and take a community-led approach to growing the game, capitalising on the noise around the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to leave a lasting legacy.

Asma has already started taking squash to new communities such as local youth centres, faith centres, local events and festivals.

Asma said: "Everyone has been so welcoming. I'm passionate about growing the game and bringing it to more diverse audiences. There is already a lot of appetite and interest from the communities I've been engaging with around Birmingham and the West Midlands."

Jo Rowbottom, Head of Partnerships and Communities at England Squash said: "It's a pleasure to have Asma and Aron on board with England Squash. Asma and Aron both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. Birmingham 2022 provides a unique opportunity to inspire new people to get on court, and Asma will be working locally to ensure the opportunities are in place for diverse communities to have a go and fall in love with squash.

“Aron will impart his passion, knowledge and experience to other clubs and venues to help them reach more diverse audiences through programmes such as Squash form the Mosque and Mixed Ability Squash 57. We're looking forward to seeing his love for helping other people drive bigger and better experiences in squash."