Bradford City FC has nominated this Saturday's (10 February 2018) Sky Bet League One game with Bury at the Northern Commercials Stadium as its dedicated fixture to the work of Kick it Out, footballs equality and inclusion organisation.
Since 1993, Kick It Out has worked throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change.
To celebrate the diversity of the fan base at the club and raise awareness of a number of initiatives run by the club and the community foundation the concourse of the main stand will host an exhibition for over twenty supporters groups and partners who we work with whose primary focus is increasing inclusion as well as a number of players from our football teams including the first, youth, ladies and disability players.
The mini exhibition is also a highlight on the Bradford’s LGBT History month programme and we will feature a number of groups form the LGBT community with attendees from our own LGBT supporters group, Just a Ball Games, West Yorkshire Police are sending their LGBT Lead in Bradford and Councillor Richard Dunbar will also be there.
Anwar Uddin, representing Kick it Out and Fans for Diversity commented "Its been a pleasure working with Bradford City and more significantly their fans, they are a great example of how fans can come together to promote equality and look at every strand of diversity and ways of creating a fantastic match day experience for everyone.. They have been superb advocates of the Fans for Diversity campaign and I am proud to see the success we have made together and look forward to doing much more."
As well as some of our regular groups we will also have a number of new groups you can find out about that are being run by Bradford City FC community Foundation that will be featured including the One City Project targeting increasing the number of BME fans, the newly launched Veterans project for ex-forces and Man V Fat an new initiative for health and inclusion coming in April.
It’s clearly a busy time at Valley Parade but as part of the clubs continuing commitment to access and inclusion the fixture will also be the official launch of Bradford City FC’s Inclusion Advisory Group (IAG) a steering committee of committed individuals and representative of inclusion groups will strive to improve positive engagement with traditionally underrepresented groups of fans. The IAG will include core representatives from Bradford City FC, Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Police, any groups/individuals are able to apply to be equality champions.
Equality Champion application forms are available on the day and will be being accepted from February 10th to 25th with successful applicants being invited to an inaugural meeting to launch the group in March.
If anyone would be interested in a discussion or more information on the IAG please contact Jaimie Dorward on 07818 515639 in the first instance.