Sallie Leslie-Golding, PR & Marketing Manager for BSPF, SPATA, BISHTA, and PIP, and a member of the Women in Industry Network, introduces the newly formed group and its objectives.

Attracting, developing and retaining female talent: a key challenge for the sector

SPATA and BISHTA are proud to announce the launch of the Women in Industry Network (WIN), a new group established under the BSPF (British Swimming Pool Federation) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiative to support, empower, and advance women working across the UK wet leisure sector.
Formed in March 2026, following an inaugural online meeting, the network brings together women from across roles, disciplines, and career stages with a shared ambition: to create a more inclusive industry where women are represented, heard, supported, and able to thrive.

Why is there a need for a Women in Industry Network?

The network's formation was supported by SPATA and BISHTA through the BSPF EDI initiative, with Amanda Thompson-Smith, SPATA Chair, providing support, and coordination and communications led by Sallie Leslie-Golding and Claire Maguire (Office & Business Development Manager) in their roles supporting member engagement and industry inclusion.
Despite the sector benefiting from talented women across technical, leadership, commercial, administrative, retail, and operational roles, women remain under-represented in many areas, particularly in senior, technical, and decision-making positions. The Women in Industry Network has been established to help address this imbalance, not by competing with others, but by encouraging confidence, capability, and opportunity from this important part of the workforce.

At its heart, the network group is about representation and belief: that the representation of women needs to be at all levels, and the belief that everyone can achieve more with the right support, tools and understanding. As discussed in the founding meeting, diversity and equality are essential, but so too is recognising that women often experience the workplace differently and face distinct challenges that must be acknowledged and addressed.

This will be a Win, a Win not just for the Women in Industry Network, but for everybody!

Core Values and Principles

The Women in Industry Network is founded on several guiding values:

• Equality and credibility - recognising that women are experts in their own roles and deserve to be taken seriously.
• Encouragement over competition - fostering an environment where women are supported to thrive.
• Safe and inclusive dialogue - providing a trusted space where experiences can be shared openly and constructively.
• Education and empowerment - encouraging learning, technical development, and industry qualifications, including participation in ISPE courses, where applicable.
• Understanding lived experience - acknowledging the realities many women face, including work-life balance, childcare responsibilities, menopause, and unconscious bias.

Discussions highlighted that women feel they are required to "work twice as hard" to gain recognition and may be unfairly labelled as "aggressive" when they are being assertive. The group aims to challenge these perceptions and help change the narrative for both women and the wider industry.

A Women-Focused Space, Supported by Allyship

As the network develops, participation and growth will remain focused on women only, ensuring it remains a space where females can speak freely, learn from peers, and build confidence without hesitation.
Male allyship is actively encouraged and recognised as vital to meaningful, lasting change by advocating alongside women. Men already play an important role through their involvement in the EDI Working Group, and there is clear value in men and women working together. This includes participation in specific sessions or discussions where shared understanding is essential, such as family pressures, menopause awareness, and supporting colleagues through life stages that can impact work, as well as the wide range of issues that fall under the broader Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion agenda.

The Women in Industry Network firmly believes that inclusion is not a women-only issue. Many of the challenges discussed, such as parental responsibility, family pressures, or workplace expectations, affect everyone. True progress comes from collaboration, education and empathy across the entire workforce.

What the Network Will Do

The Women in Industry Network will meet quarterly, primarily online, with the intention of moving to some in-person meetings over time. The agenda will remain fluid, responsive, and shaped by the network members.
Proposed and agreed focus areas include:

• Increasing female representation on boards, committees, and in leadership or technical roles.
• Sharing experiences and case studies of women working across different areas of the wet leisure industry.
• Identifying barriers such as unconscious bias, gendered assumptions, and confidence gaps.
• Developing mentoring, buddy systems, and study groups across organisations and seniority levels.
• Supporting education, training, and professional development.
• Providing a safe space for discussion, learning, and having a voice.

There is also a strong emphasis on practical action, setting collective goals, feeding back into the wider EDI working group, and creating resources through SPATA and BISHTA.

Looking Ahead

The Women in Industry Network is about creating access, confidence, and opportunity, not preferential treatment. As reinforced during the founding discussions, roles should always be filled by the most capable individual. Ensuring women feel supported, visible, and genuinely included simply means that talent is recognised, developed, and retained, rather than overlooked or lost.
By investing in women, the industry strengthens itself: improving retention, widening leadership pipelines, and better reflecting the diversity of the people and communities it serves.

SPATA and BISHTA are proud to be spearheading this initiative and look forward to seeing the Women in Industry Network develop into a strong, supportive, and influential voice, helping to shape a more inclusive future for the wet leisure sector.