Bristol Rovers Community Trust welcomed the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ team to the Memorial Stadium this week. (Wednesday November 24)
The national organisation that campaigns against racism in football, hosted a free educational event for over one hundred Primary School pupils.
Children from Emerson’s Green, Shield Road and Glenfrome Primary School’s were guests taking part in a wide range of workshops, aiming to educate pupils on discrimination, racism, hate crime and how we can all tackle racism together.
For the community trust with recent events in football and a surge in racist incidents, both nationally and locally, this could not have been more timely.
After recent incidents, including abuse of England players during their Euro 2020 qualifier against Bulgaria in Sofia, alleged chanting by Bristol City fans at Luton, and Haringey Borough players walking off against Yeovil Town, racism within football is very much in the spotlight.
The message of challenging this, raising awareness, and educating young football fans, is seen as vital by campaign groups such as ‘Kick it Out’ and ‘Show Racism the Red Card.’
have taken upon themselves to be proactive about this, and teamed with Show Racism the Red Card for a day of events with young people.
The Trust were joined by Bristol Rovers first-team players Tyler Smith and Victor Adeboyejo who sat alongside Steve Jenkins from (SRTRC), Assistant Manager Joe Dunne and Councillor Helen Godwin, the Cabinet Member for Women, Children and Young People for a ‘Question and Answer’ session on their opinions and personal experiences with racism.
Show Racism the Red Card provide educational workshops, training sessions, multimedia packages, and a whole host of other resources, all with the purpose of tackling racism in society.
Established in January 1996, the organisation utilises the high-profile status of football and football players to publicise its message. Across Britain, Show Racism the Red Card delivers training to more than 50,000 individuals per year.
Workshops are designed to be interactive and to help break down barriers and perceptions in society. Pupils learn about what racism is, how to report a hate crime and the importance of respecting individuals regardless of ethnicity, religion, nationality and culture.
Community Trust CEO, , said: “We were delighted to be help to educate Bristol’s children on the importance of recognising the negative impacts of racism and discrimination.
“With recent racist events in football it is now more important than ever to educate all those within our community.
“We stand united with organisations like (SRTRC) and ‘Kick It Out’ to tackle all forms of discrimination within football and society,” he added.
Bristol Rovers striker Tyler Smith, who is on loan from Sheffield Utd, was in attendance on the day. He said: “It’s important for us to work together and stamp out racism and events like today can help educate the next generation. As a squad we are all happy to support organisations and events like this and I’m happy to have been able to help today.”
To find out more about Show Racism the Red Card visit here
