Anya Brentnall (She/Her)
Intention
Understanding and removing barriers to sport by identifying underrepresented student demographics. Ensure cost is not a barrier to sport by improving financial signposting, lowering club participation costs, promotion of hardship support.
Interventions
Financial Support Signposting: Research and promote existing financial assistance pathways (Money Services, Hardship Funds, CFS) and publish transparent fee breakdowns for sports across SU channels.
Club Sponsorship and Cost Reduction: Support student committees in securing external sponsorship to lower membership fees and ease financial burdens on club operations. Touchpoints for committees in term one to re-engage with their finance training and new sponsorship support package as a key enabler.
Demographic and Inclusion Analysis: Utilise SU data dashboards (available Jan) to track participation rates among specific demographics (disabled, commuter, and UWE Carers students) aligned with the Anti-Racism Strategy and Disabled Students' Commitment. Connect with DOE and Opps Manager objectives on understanding what ‘good engagement looks like’ to make strategic plans to address this – linked to the sports and SU strategies.
Broaden the definition of university sport beyond traditional club competition by embedding accessible pathways like MOVE, non-competitive events and spectator engagement into everyday campus life.
MOVE & Non-Traditional Activity Promotion: Continue to partner with the Sports Exec Communications Officer to attend monthly MOVE sessions and showcase free, flexible physical activities across all campuses.
Give It A Go (GIAG) & Centralised Event Promotion: Get more students involved and knowing what is going on! Establish a central MS Form to help clubs easily schedule and host ad-hoc GIAG/open taster sessions outside traditional training schedules, and feed these into a unified sports calendar displayed across SU digital screens, accommodation, and venue hubs to maximise visibility for fixtures, taster sessions, and spectator events.
Varsity Spectator Experience: Upgrade the spectator journey at Varsity by working with partner venues, external sponsorship, and interactive activation stalls to foster campus unity. Work with Sports Exec Varsity Officers, UWE Central Student Comms and CFS.
Support student-athletes and sport participants throughout their sporting journey by offering specialised health interventions, supporting their academic-sport balance, and maintaining their sense of community through setbacks like injury and academic stress.
Injury Support and Return-to-Play Framework: Partner with the Glenside Injury Clinic (GIC) to pilot structured injury support groups, promote rehabilitation services, and make visible the clear Return-to-Play protocol that keeps injured athletes engaged in their sports community.
Tailored Mental Health & Athlete Support: Promote mental health resources tailored to athletes, such as tracking hydration and wellbeing via the Wisdom Wellbeing App, and map social prescribing pathways into university sports.
Academic Balance and Protected Time: Lobby for institutional recognition of student-athlete timetabling challenges by working with Rachel Cowie and Timetabling to review the commitment to Wednesday afternoons through the expression of block teaching.
Create a lasting institutional legacy by co-drafting UWE’s long-term Sports Strategy to embed the three principles outlined in this document, while empowering the Sports Exec committee as a critical vehicle for driving operational change and representing the student voice in the sporting space.
UWE Sports Strategy Co-Creation: Lead student voice engagement to co-draft and establish UWE's long-term Sports Strategy, embedding core principles around financial accessibility, inclusive participation, and holistic athlete wellbeing to hold the university accountable for systemic improvements.
Sports Exec Support, active-mentorship, and work alongside the 9-member Sports Exec committee, across participation, comms, campaigns, and Varsity roles, to strengthen student representation, capture club feedback, and drive operational decision-making.
Email: vpsports@uwe.ac.uk Instagram: @VPSportsHealth Facebook: /VPSportsHealthatUWE