Swim England
Clean Water Sports Alliance wins prestigious SJA honour
12 December 2024The Clean Water Sports Alliance, of which Swim England is a founder member, has been honoured with the prestigious Sports Journalism Awards (SJA) Sport for Change Award 2024.
The award recognises the importance of collective efforts across the sporting industry to champion environmental stewardship.
The Clean Water Sports Alliance, comprising of 15 UK and water sport national governing bodies, came together to share expertise, resources and knowledge to campaign for clean water.
The Alliance has endeavoured to raise awareness about the importance of clean water for their participants and athletes.
However, it is also driving tangible change in the way water companies and the UK Government think about the use of blue spaces for recreational use.
The Alliance began with seven founding organisations, and with the addition of our new members, it has now grown to 15.
These new members have significantly strengthened the Alliance’s efforts to tackle water pollution and promote clean water initiatives across the UK.
This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the small yet mighty teams and leaders within each member organisation.
As well as Swim England, the other organisations that form the Alliance are: Angling Trust, British Rowing, British Triathlon, GB Outrigger, Paddle UK, Royal Yachting Association, Surfing England, British Kitesport, British Sub-Aqua Club, British Dragon Boat Racing Association, RYA Cymru Wales, Paddle Wales, Welsh Triathlon and Welsh Rowing.
Award citation from SJA
The judges for this award said they were incredibly inspired to learn how so many organisations are using the power of sport and physical activity to create a positive impact.
The winner of this year’s SJA Sport for Change award, sponsored by Altair Ltd is, is not one but several sports’ governing bodies who have come together during 2024 to take much-needed emergency action around environmental sustainability.
Judges said that the Clean Water Sports Alliance’s collaborative approach to tackling poor water quality and pollution could and should act as a blueprint for other sports to follow as we seek to increase the positive impact of sport on people and the planet, influence key decision-makers and drive positive change.