We work with National Governing Bodies & the Human Rights sector to create sweeping reform for better athlete welfare within the sport of Gymnastics. Our work contextualises the widespread physical, psychological and sexual abuse suffered by athletes within all gymnastics disciplines as a form of gendered oppression. As such our work is led by four guiding principles.
ADVOCACY
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By collaborating with gymnasts from around the globe we seek to amplify the voices of those who have experienced abuse, and embed their message of ‘do no harm’ into a new ethical vision for the sport. We want to be a part of ushering in a new era of gymnastics which prioritises safety, as well as access and diversity.
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Our campaign seeks to provide a safe space where athletes can speak about their trauma and gain support to begin their healing journey. We are working alongside a team of psychotherapists and psychologists who have first-hand experience of abuse in gymnastics, to provide the therapeutic resources that have been missing to date.
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For the current and future safety of the sport it is essential that both British Gymnastics (BG) and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) recognise the seriousness of the allegations that have been made, take accountability for their failure to protect athletes and ensure perpetrators do not live with impunity so that no further gymnasts are harmed by our wonderful sport.
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We work alongside professional researchers as well as coaches and experts who have the creativity to let new ideas in, with the aim of identifying best practices in terms of athlete welfare. Our goal is to create a hub where gymnasts and their supporters can share and develop ideas about building a positive future for our sport.
Survivor Led Campaigns
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THE WHYTE REVIEW 2022
In July 2020, a significant number of gymnasts in the UK made public allegations about mistreatment within the sport of Gymnastics in following the release of the film Athlete A, on Netflix. In response to the issues raised, UK Sport and Sport England (the commissioning organisations) appointed Anne Whyte QC to undertake an independent review into the culture of gymnastics in all four home nations.
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REFORM 25
On Tuesday 18th October 2022 British Gymnastics released their strategic response to the Whyte Review; Reform ‘25. Two main policies caught the attention of the press. “Banned coaches to be named” & “BG to take ‘zero tolerance’ on abuse”. Read more about the truth behind the hollow headlines and why a ‘zero tolerance policy’ is not enough.
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International Reviews Find Abuse Normalised within the sport
To date, the Governments or National Sports Governing Bodies of Australia, Holland, New Zealand, Switzerland & the United Kingdom have all conducted reviews into the culture of Elite Gymnastics and have found abuse to have been normalised within the sport for decades. Their investigations support the voices of gymnasts who have spoken out about their lived experience in the sport, yet meaningful reform has still not been implemented.
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FRUstrated Redress
Since the release of Athlete A, gymnasts around the world have resorted to using legal action as a way to get national governing bodies to address the culture of abuse within our sport. Eloise Jotischky, the first British gymnast to win her claim in Gymnasts for Change’s group legal action against British Gymnastics, discusses the frustration of realising that despite BG accepting full liability for the psychological harm her training caused her, the coach responsible was still selected to coach for Great Britain and remains working as a Choreographer in a British Gymnastics registered club. In this webinar, Eloise discusses her experience of seeking redress alongside Tanni Grey-Thompson and a panel of athletes rights campaigners.
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A CALL FOR CHANGE
A Call For Change is a working document that was written during the summer of 2021 on behalf of 40 British Gymnasts. The policy demands & principles outlined in this document were arrived at following a series of 5 workshops in April & May 2021 with over 60 current & former athletes, coaches & parents. The workshops were hosted by Gymnasts for Change and the document has been used to form the basis of our on-going discussions with British Gymnastics.
READ OUR CALL FOR CHANGE