This award recognises anyone involved with sport or physical activity in Lincolnshire who has made a significant impact on people from under-represented groups, reducing inequalities & increasing diversity within physical activity. This may be either through a specific dedicated project, or an approach to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in their wider work, or anything that may fall in between.

Take a look at our 2026 finalists for the award below.

Finalists

Lincoln United LGBTQ+ FC

Lincoln United LGBTQ+ FC is much more than a football club – it is a welcoming community where everyone has the opportunity to play, belong and be themselves. Throughout the 2025/26 season, inclusion has remained at the heart of the club, with players of all abilities, genders, sexual orientations and backgrounds welcomed into a safe, supportive and respectful environment.

The club has shown that inclusion and sporting success can go hand in hand. This season, they became Lincolnshire Ability Counts League Winter League Championship Division Champions, won the Nottinghamshire Pride in Football Tournament, received two Fair Play Awards, reached 4th place in the Lincolnshire FA County Cup Finals and achieved 3rd place in the Football v Homophobia Grassroots Awards. Beyond the results, the club actively celebrates diversity, challenges discrimination and brings disabled players, LGBTQ+ people, allies and the wider community together. Through its football, social media and community engagement, Lincoln United LGBTQ+ FC continues to demonstrate that football really is for everyone, creating a club where diversity is celebrated and everyone can feel they belong.

Wheelie Able Doubles Tennis League

The Wheelie Able Doubles League is creating genuinely inclusive opportunities in tennis by bringing wheelchair and ambulant players together as equal teammates. Launched as a pilot in late 2024, the league pairs a wheelchair player with an ambulant player to compete in doubles, with wheelchair tennis rules ensuring that skill, teamwork and communication take centre stage rather than disability.

The league challenges traditional perceptions of disability in sport. By playing together competitively, wheelchair players are recognised for their ability and expertise, while ambulant players develop greater understanding, communication and tactical skills. The result is a more inclusive sporting environment where everyone is simply seen as a tennis player. Designed by someone with lived experience of wheelchair tennis, the league places accessibility, safeguarding and wellbeing at its heart, creating a safe and welcoming space for participants. Despite its relatively small size, the initiative has gained wider recognition through the LTA Bulletin, regional television and events such as the Lincolnshire Show. Most importantly, it is breaking down barriers and demonstrating that tennis can be a sport where everyone plays together.

White Eagle Cultural and Development Centre CIC

White Eagle Cultural and Development Centre CIC has spent the last five years using physical activity to promote inclusion, equality and stronger communities across South Holland. Its approach is simple: nobody should be excluded from being active because of their income, nationality, language, age, health or personal circumstances.

The organisation brings together people from Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and local British communities, as well as children, families, older people and those experiencing poor mental wellbeing or living with cancer. Rather than creating separate activities, White Eagle uses shared experiences to build friendships, understanding and a sense of belonging. Free and subsidised opportunities, including holiday activities, yoga, Zumba, cycling, walking and wellbeing sessions, help remove financial barriers, while multilingual communication ensures language and culture are not obstacles to participation. Its work also creates opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to become volunteers, instructors and community leaders through training and leadership programmes. By embedding equality, diversity and inclusion across everything it does, White Eagle is creating a community where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to take part.

The winners for all award categories will be announced at our Award Ceremony on 12 November. View all our 2026 award finalists here.