The collaboration demonstrates the charitable trust’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers that prevent people from accessing their health and fitness facilities across the South of England. Horizon Leisure’s work in this area comes at a crucial time for the leisure sector following the UK Supreme Court ruling in April 2025, which changed how ‘sex’ is defined under the Equality Act 2010 to reference biological sex rather than gender identity, with many organisations grappling with how to balance legal compliance with genuine inclusivity.

Horizon Leisure is determined to address these challenges, as Mike Lyons, CEO, Horizon Leisure explains: 'Quick fixes don’t work for anyone. Simply sticking a label on the disabled toilets saying "non-gender/LGBTQ+ friendly changing room" isn’t good enough, it doesn’t create true inclusion and doesn’t make anyone feel genuinely welcome.

'We want inclusion to be built into the fabric of how we operate our programmes, how we train our staff and how we future-proof our facilities, not as a bolt-on afterthought. By working with Joanne and SEE Change Happen to navigate this ever-evolving legal landscape thoughtfully and responsibly we hope that everyone in our community can access our wellness facilities with dignity and comfort.'

Lockwood, a transgender woman and experienced inclusion consultant, will work closely with Horizon Leisure’s People & Culture team and its new Community Inclusion Officer to develop comprehensive staff training programmes and provide real-world feedback on the accessibility of its facilities across Havant, Waterlooville and Guildford.

'We are passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels they belong,' says Lyons. 'This partnership represents our commitment to genuinely trying to understand and address the concerns of all community members. We want to ensure that no one feels excluded from accessing our services, which are designed to help people live happier and healthier lives.'

The partnership takes a practical approach, with Joanne using Horizon Leisure’s facilities herself as a member, providing invaluable insights from lived experience. She will evaluate everything from changing facilities and staff communications to class environments, helping identify where improvements can enhance the experience for all customers.

Lockwood says: 'I know firsthand how nerve wracking it can be to try something new or visit a new space. For me, as a transgender woman, those feelings are often amplified. For instance, I personally prefer to use gender-neutral changing villages with individual cubicles, which offer privacy and comfort for everyone, not just transgender people, but families, people with disabilities or anyone who values private changing space, but these are often not available. However, uncertainty shouldn’t prevent anyone from improving their health and wellbeing, and so I’m excited to be working with Horizon Leisure, supporting the charitable trust’s mission to meet its diverse community needs through innovative health interventions for people of every age, sex, gender identity, ability and disability status, ethnic background and varying health requirements.'

Beyond enhancing the experience for its customers, the partnership will also strengthen Horizon Leisure as a diversity-focused employer, reinforcing its commitment to supporting its workforce. The internal staff training programme delivered by Lockwood will help develop a workforce culture where every team member feels valued and respected, and will equip staff with the knowledge, confidence and inclusive language to practically support one another. As staff become more informed advocates for inclusion, this mindset will naturally extend to customers, ensuring inclusion is lived and practised by everyone at Horizon Leisure.

Lyons concludes: 'We want all of our customers and employees to feel comfortable and confident, and Joanne’s expertise will help us identify blind spots and implement practical solutions that benefit our entire community.'