The University of Oxford and Active Oxfordshire have signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration , joining a global movement committed to advancing equality and equity for women and girls in sport and physical activity.
The University of Oxford and Active Oxfordshire formally signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration at St Hilda's College on 3 September 2026, marking a shared commitment to help create more inclusive opportunities for all women and girls in sport and physical activity.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey, signed on behalf of the University, alongside Josh Lenthall, CEO of Active Oxfordshire . The signing was overseen by Annamarie Phelps, Co-Chair of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport.
The event brought together representatives from across the University, sport and community organisations to recognise work already taking place across Oxfordshire and consider how partners can continue to address inequalities faced by women and girls.
Turning commitment into action
First established in Brighton in 1994 and strengthened in Helsinki in 2014, the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration is a global framework for advancing gender equality in sport and physical activity.
Its ten principles cover areas including opportunity, leadership, resources, education, research and representation. By becoming signatories, organisations publicly commit to putting these principles into practice and join an international network committed to creating lasting change for women and girls.
The Declaration is led by IWG Women and Sport , the world's largest network dedicated to advancing equity and equality for women and girls in sport and physical activity, and is backed by more than 700 organisations worldwide.
For Oxford and Active Oxfordshire, the commitment builds on existing work to widen participation and develop leadership through sport. Active Oxfordshire's Girls Coach Academy supports teenage girls to develop leadership and coaching skills. At the University, programmes include Oxford Young Sport Leaders, which creates sport-based development opportunities for young people across Oxfordshire, and the VC Sport Ambassadors Programme, through which University student volunteers work with primary schools in East Oxford. These programmes are designed around a character-based skills development framework, using sport to develop skills including teamwork and adaptability.
Professor Alexander Betts, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement, Sport, and Community at the University of Oxford, said: 'Sport has a powerful ability to bring people together, build confidence, and create opportunity, but barriers to participation and leadership remain for too many women and girls. We are committed to ensuring that women and girls' experiences are central to how we think about all aspects of Oxford Sport.
'Signing the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration strengthens our commitment to work with partners across Oxfordshire to widen opportunity and create lasting impact through sport and physical activity.'
Sal Culmer-Shields, Head of Healthy Active Children at Active Oxfordshire, said: 'There is already fantastic work happening across Oxfordshire through community and partner organisations to open up opportunities for women and girls to become more active and develop as leaders, but inequalities remain.
'The Declaration gives us a shared framework to build on this progress, learn from one another and create more inclusive opportunities for all women and girls across the county.'
The signing reflects the University's wider approach to sport and wellbeing, working with schools, clubs and community organisations to reduce barriers to participation and use sport to strengthen confidence, connection and wellbeing. It also supports the University's Strategic Plan 2025-2030 and its focus on Leadership through Partnership, including working with communities to make a positive difference within Oxfordshire.
Annamarie Phelps OYL CBE, Co-Chair of the International Working Group on Women and Sport, said: 'We are delighted to welcome the University of Oxford and Active Oxfordshire to our global network of signatories. By joining the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, they are connecting local action with a global movement focused on creating lasting change for women and girls in sport and physical activity.'
The signing marks a shared commitment to continue working across the University and Oxfordshire, using the Declaration to support collaboration, share learning and widen opportunities for women and girls to participate, lead and thrive through sport and physical activity.
