March 2020—A collective of women in the fitness industry have joined forces to launch RISE; a group dedicated to engaging and empowering every woman in the fitness industry—to rise to her fullest potential.
RISE is collaborating with industry organisations CIMSPA, Sport England, IHRSA and ukactive. The first success is to deliver the largest research study on employment in the industry and is inviting everyone in the industry to take part.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support we received from many leading organisations,” said Elena Lapetra, RISE Founder and Chairperson. “RISE are delighted to be joining forces, to achieve our shared goal of removing the obstacles faced by women, in particular, at major points of career development. Therefore, enabling career progression to allow everyone to reach their full potential”
Entitled “Career progression in the fitness industry—Is it a level playing field?”, the research study launches on March 11t h and is managed by Aston University, for ethical oversight, data analytics and data protection.
The purpose of this research is to define where support is needed to enable women and leaders in the industry to capitalise on the talent, expertise and streng ths that are under-valued by many organisations today.
RISE hypothesise a requirement for:
- Development of clearer pathways to senior roles
- Training opportunities
- Guidance and support at key stages e.g. returning to work from maternity leave
The intention is to support best practice development and implementation, while recognising the challenges and practices that are unique to the fitness industry.
Everyone in the UK Fitness industry is invited to take part in the research:
- Click here to complete
- Share with friends and colleagues in the fitness industry
- Join LinkedIn.com/RISE to join the movement and stay connected
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chair of ukactive, said, “In order to address gender inequality and drive change within sport and physical activity, we must look at the boardroom as well as the grassroots. The physical activity sector has some of the most inspirational female leaders in the world, but we want to see far more women choosing this career path and being given the opportunity to flourish. ukactive is proud to support this research study so that together we can build a clearer picture of employment conditions, and ensure a level playing field for all.”
“On behalf of IHRSA, the Global Industry Association for health clubs and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and industry suppliers. I am delighted to be working with and supporting the RISE Females in Fitness Collective group and look forward to the results of this research study in helping to make a difference", said Kilian Fisher, International Public Policy Advisor & UFIT Global Industry Lead, IHRSA, International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.
“CIMPSA is pleased to support RISE in their work to understand more about opportunities for women in our sector and look forward to seeing the first set of results from the research study,” said Tara Dillon, CEO CIMPSA.
For further information, please contact Dawn@actionpr.co.uk or by phone 020 3879 1440.