British Dodgeball is proud to announce that we have signed the Proud Pledge in support of the Rainbow Laces campaign, reaffirming our commitment to fostering inclusion and belonging across our sport. This pledge is an important step in ensuring that dodgeball is a welcoming space for everyone.
Who Are Stonewall and the Rainbow Laces Campaign?
The Rainbow Laces campaign is led by Stonewall, a UK human rights charity dedicated to fighting for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer+, and other marginalised communities. Stonewall campaigns, supports, and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in the UK and internationally.
Vision: A world where everyone, everywhere, has equal rights.
Mission: To work until every person who is LGBTQ+ is living free from discrimination, prejudice, and inequality, creating a safer, fairer, and more prosperous future for all.
Values: Stonewall is a diverse and inclusive organisation, guided by values that have driven decades of life-changing impact for LGBTQ+ people.
Over the past 35 years, Stonewall has helped transform lives through public campaigns, policy change, and supporting over 3,000 LGBTQ+ organisations across the UK. Their work spans campaigns, programmes, and policy advocacy, focusing on creating deep, sustainable change through collaboration and conversation.
Stonewall also provides guidance to parliamentarians and policymakers, ensuring that legislation and public policy promote equal rights. In a world where LGBTQ+ equality still faces challenges, Stonewall continues to advocate firmly for the principle that everyone, everywhere, deserves equal rights.
Stonewall is a registered charity (Charity Registration Number 1101255) and raises funds through grants, donations, sponsorship, and fundraising events, receiving no core government funding. They are also an active member of the Equality and Diversity Forum, a network of organisations committed to progress on age, disability, gender, race, religion, belief, and sexual orientation.
Why British Dodgeball Signed the Proud Pledge
British Dodgeball is committed to creating a visibly welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. Signing the Proud Pledge reflects our dedication to standing alongside LGBTQ+ players, officials, and fans, and to ensuring that everyone feels valued and included in our sport.
Celebrating Inclusion at the Rainbow Laces New Season Open
To mark this pledge, the 2026/27 New Season Open will be rebranded as the Rainbow Laces New Season Open. This event offers a visible opportunity for British Dodgeball and our members to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to inclusion.
We encourage all participants to show their support by wearing Rainbow Laces, which are available for purchase from the Stonewall Online Shop. Together, we can make dodgeball a sport where everyone feels welcome, safe, and celebrated.
British Dodgeball is proud to take this step forward and will continue to work with Stonewall to ensure that inclusion and equality are at the heart of everything we do.
