Clubs and groups across the region are being asked to pledge to stand together as anti-racist organisations and deliver plans to help rid sport of racist behaviour.
The call to sign up is being led by the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group, which is made up of: Active Humber, Bradford Council, North Yorkshire Sport, Rotherham United Community Sport Trust, Sheffield City Council, StreetGames, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Yorkshire Sport Foundation.
Each organisation that makes the pledge will be committing to have its own plan, working alongside its local community to:
- Be open and responsible
- Be strong allies
- Create the change locally
- Enable communities
- Develop the workforce
- Deliver inclusively
Organisations can sign the pledge online.
Nigel Harrison, Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group and Chief Executive of Yorkshire Sport Foundation, said: “As a group, we want to stand with community sports organisations in a commitment to being and becoming anti-racist.
“As organisations, and the individuals within them, we recognise we must do much more to address racism and racial inequalities within community sport and physical activity. The commitment we ask from organisations is that they will have a plan to tackle this problem.
“We want to challenge the racial inequalities that prevent or discourage people from leading active lives and enjoying the benefits of sport and physical activity as participants, volunteers, coaches, working with or cheering from the touchline.
“The group came about when the three Active Partnerships of Yorkshire and the Humber – Active Humber, North Yorkshire Sport, and Yorkshire Sport Foundation – challenged ourselves as to what we could do in the region. The first six months were spent listening and learning with internal work such as training and outlining processes for reporting hate crime in sport and physical activity. We are now asking other organisations to sign up and get involved with this work.”
An online event is being hosted on Wednesday 7 June at 6pm by the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group to launch the commitment, and you can register now.
The event will feature speakers including Paul Cummins, Director of Recreational Cricket for the Yorkshire Cricket Board, and Mo Hussain, Equality Diversity and Inclusion Manager from Yorkshire County Cricket Club, talking about the experience in the community game. Charles Dacres from Bradford Hate Crime Alliance will share his personal experience of racism in ice hockey. Rotherham United Community Sport Trust and Broughton Road Community Centre will also talk about steps they have taken within their organisations.
You can report racism and other instances of hate crime at https://www.yorkshiresport.org/report
