Category Archives: Inclusion

Building Bridges – Chelsea FC

Building Bridges is Chelsea FC’s campaign to promote equality, celebrate diversity and make everyone feel valued throughout our club, stadium and wider community.

Through Building Bridges, we work with everyone from children and young people in schools and grassroots football clubs through to community groups and our senior men’s and ladies’ teams, to create a club where everyone feels welcome, regardless of who they are and where they come from.

Since the campaign launched in 2010, Chelsea FC is proud to have been awarded the Advanced Level of the Premier League Equality Standard – one of only two professional clubs to do so – in recognition of our ongoing commitment to inclusion and to tackling all forms of prejudice and discrimination.  More

Oxford University puts up more portraits of women

Oxford University is revealing the identities of more than 20 people whose portraits will be put on display to try to “promote greater diversity”.

It wants to redress the balance from the university’s walls being lined with pictures of “dead white males” by adding more women and ethnic minorities.

The portraits include broadcasters Dame Esther Rantzen and Reeta Chakrabarti.

Oxford’s head of equality Trudy Coe said it was “sending a signal”.  More

Should pupils have to learn sign language?

“When I meet hearing children who can sign, I feel happy and confident,” says Emmanuel, seven.

“I want to teach everyone British sign language – the whole world.”

Faiza, 11, says: “If children learnt more sign, it would mean I’d try to play with them more. Communication would be easier.

“If my hearing friends didn’t sign, I would feel lonely and sad.”

For these deaf children at Blanche Nevile School in north London, helping hearing peers learn British sign language (BSL) is a chance to break down barriers and make new friends.  More

United Partner with LGBT Inclusion Charity

Manchester United has become the UK’s first football club to partner with leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) charity, Stonewall.

The ground-breaking initiative will see the club work alongside Stonewall, helping to tackle LGBT issues in sport and society, while looking at best practice and ways in which inclusion and equality can be improved in football.

Through the partnership, United have become an official member of TeamPride, helping to form opinions, share best practice and influence behaviour by using the power of sport to harness the message of equality within the LGBT community and wider society.  More

And the Academy Award goes to… diversity

You might have missed it amid all the hubbub, but a film about a gay black man just won the best picture Oscar.

Not only that, but one of Moonlight’s stars – Mahershala Ali – became the first Muslim actor to win an Academy Award.

And best supporting actress Viola Davis, star of Fences, made history as the first black woman to win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony for acting.  More

Burnley: Older mascots to walk out with players for FA Cup game against Lincoln

Burnley have replaced their child mascots with pensioners for Saturday’s FA Cup fifth round match against Lincoln City at Turf Moor.

The mascots are aged from 69 to 85 and Burnley say the gesture is to repay their “lifetime support”.

It is thought to be the first time an English club has had older mascots.

Last year Swedish club AIK paid tribute to their older fans by walking out with 12 supporters – all aged between 81 and 96 – before a league game.

“We wanted to make the gesture to give back to the lifetime of support they have given to the club” said Neil Hart, Burnley’s community chief executive officer.  More

Highly paid part-time roles on the up as employers embrace job shares

More than 770,000 high earners now work part-time, according to a report that shows how employers are becoming more open to using job shares in senior roles.

The number of part-time staff on salaries over £40,000 has increased by 5.7% in the past year, said flexible-working group Timewise.

A survey of 200 managers showed that two out of five would consider hiring candidates for a senior role as part of a job-share.  More

Disabled access: Premier League clubs may face sanctions over lack of improvement

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Premier League clubs are prioritising finance over improving access and should face legal action if they fail to meet the needs of disabled fans, according to a new report.

Several clubs including Liverpool, Chelsea and Watford are likely to miss a deadline on meeting basic standards.

The Culture, Media and Sport select committee says it is unconvinced the league would punish clubs itself.

However, the Premier League says it is “working extremely hard” on access.  More