Race and Ethnicity

Last Updated on Monday, 20 May 2013 14:01

Definition

Race includes colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin. Netball action photograph

Latest news

Kick It Out (16 May 2013)
Kick It Out releases statement on five match ban minimum for discrimination
Kick It Out has released a statement after The Football Association announced players found guilty of discriminating against an opponent will be suspended for a minimum of five matches earlier today (16 May).

A second offence will lead to an automatic minimum ban of 10 matches, in addition to any financial penalty. European body UEFA last month proposed 10-game bans for those found guilty of racial abuse during its competitions.

Kick It Out has released the following statement: "The new five game threshold is an improvement, though one which will stir debate, particularly amongst those on the receiving end of any form of discrimination.

"Provided UEFA follows through on its proposals for longer bans of 10 games, it is at this point that the game must review, and look to synchronise its efforts.

"The proposed educational element, too, is encouraging; offending players need to understand what is and isn't acceptable under the regulations of the game in this country.

"Kick It Out has been calling for the strongest deterrent for this type of abuse for many years."

The new disciplinary measures, which were agreed at The FA's annual general meeting on Thursday, will start from next season....
View the full news item

Kick it Out (3 May 2013)
AIFF launches new project to highlight South Asian football community
Grassroots leader Butch Fazal is heading up an exciting new documentary recently launched by the Asians in Football Forum (AIFF) to highlight the legacy of the South Asian football community in England.

Butch, chair of AIFF and member of the National Race Equality Advisory Group, has overseen a number of campaigns and initiatives which aim to encourage the Asian community into football and has been a proactive equalities campaigner in the area of South Asians participation for over 30 years.

Butch said: “Our aim is to go up and down the country looking to film the real heroes of the South Asian Football Legacy. The mistake people make is they judge our legacy on the embarrassingly low amount of players playing professionally. However, our legacy runs deeper than that and this documentary will celebrate and acknowledge the south Asian contribution to football.”..........................................................................................................

Butch wants to hear from anyone who would like to make a contribution to this project. Please contact him on 07720 311 520 or via: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

View the full news item

Football Unites Racism Divides (1 May 2013)
Football: A Shared Sense of Belonging? final conference
Save the date! On Thursday 20th June 2013 (World Refugee Day), FURD will present the ‘Football: A Shared Sense of Belonging?’ research project final conference in Sheffield.

As part of the Big Lottery Research Programme, FURD has spent three years examining the role of football in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers.

This free conference represents the culmination of this process with the presentation of our findings and recommendations. We will be joined by leading academics and practitioners to help contextualise the role of sport within the wider dynamics of forced migration and the notion of belonging. Refugees and asylum seekers involved with the research will also provide more personal perspectives.

It will be particularly relevant to front line staff, students and academics with an interest in sport development, community cohesion or refugee support.

Further details will follow. Meanwhile, to reserve a place, or for more details, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 0114 2587787 or 0114 2589601 using the details at the beginning of this news item.
Source of information

Kick it Out News, May 2013 - available to view

Sporting Equals (23 April 2013)
New report - The role of ethnic media in delivering sport to BME communities as part of the post Olympic Legacy
The Sporting Equals Ethnic Media Campaign was launched in February 2012 with the aim of engaging and brokering relationships more effectively with the ethnic media and the sports sector. The purpose was to facilitate sustainable working partnerships to take the promotion and coverage of sport to new audiences and many of the currently untapped markets to enable increased participation in sport.

In this exclusive report we look at how we can continue driving forward the ethnic media network to increase sports coverage. We look at progress to date, achievements and impact in light of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy. Through consultation with ethnic media the research aims to identify key issues affecting the sector alongside key challenges and opportunities for 2013/14 to help inspire a new generation of Olympian representatives from all communities.

Headline Findings
2013-14 brings new challenges to the sector in continuing the visibility of ethnic media sports coverage. There are clearly defined mutual benefits for the sports sector to utilise ethnic

media to reach those communities who are hard to access to help grow participation and interest in their sports. The research findings and consultation with ethnic media providers has demonstrated that the Sporting Equals Ethnic Media Campaign has: .........
View the full news item and access the report

Kick it Out News, April 2013 - available to view

Kick it Out reports (15 April 2013)
‘Sidelined-to-Sidelines’ aiming to develop Asian coaches
The Zesh Rehman Foundation (ZRF) has announced the start of its unique ‘Sidelined-to-Sidelines’ programme which is being funded by the Premier League and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).

There are currently no suitably qualified coaches working in the Premier League or Football League originating from South Asian (Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan) backgrounds. Given that South Asians make up over 50% of the UK’s non-European population there is a clear under-representation within British football......

The ‘Sidelined-to-Sidelines’ is a coach education and mentoring programme which will see the ZRF link with the Chelsea FC Foundation and QPR in the Community Trust to give 50 young participants the opportunity to gain football related qualifications, learn from professional club coaches, acquire the necessary skills to act as role models and help develop provision in predominantly Asian areas.

Simon Morgan, head of the Premier League Charitable Trust said: “The Premier League is fully aware of the under-representation of British Asians at all levels of the game.

“We have worked closely with the ZRF to develop Sidelined-to-Sidelines and are confident this programme will offer viable coaching pathways for young people from minority communities......
View the full news item

Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD), 22 April 2013 - The 2013 edition of FURD's newsletter, 'Unity', is now available to download

Runnymede Trust (15 April 2013)
Save our curriculum
The latest review of the National Curriculum by the Government proposes that no BME cultures or individuals are learned about until pupils are 11 years old.
Read our response to this proposal

Football Foundation (15 April 2013)
New U-Mix sports centre opens [new home for FURD]
Former Sports Minister, the Rt Hon Richard Caborn officially opened The U-Mix Centre in Sheffield last week. The £2.6m project was partly-funded by the Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity.......

The centre will also allow Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD) to develop its sporting and youth work programme at their new home. The FURD project worked in partnership with the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA to secure a £350,000 grant from the Football Foundation.....

Clive Betts, Chairman of the All Party Football Group and MP for Sheffield South East, said: “I am delighted that this excellent facility is now open. I hope that it brings children together from communities across Sheffield and helps FURD build on its excellent work in the city.

“At a time when football has never had so much money more should be given to the Football Foundation to invest in grassroots facilities.”

Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, said: “I’ve worked with FURD for many years and seen the powerful work they do, using football to bring young people together to challenge racism. It’s not just a great local project, but has won international recognition......
View the full news item

Also, view the FURD news item

BBC Sport (10 April 2013)
Uefa proposes 10-match ban for racist abuse
Players and officials found guilty of racist behaviour face 10-match bans as part of new plans proposed by Uefa.
Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino also revealed clubs could be forced to close part or all of their stadiums if fans racially abuse players.
Infantino said: "It's still a scourge on the game. We have to have sanctions.

"What we are proposing is that if a player or official is found guilty then they will be suspended for 10 matches."

Speaking at the Soccerex event in Manchester today, Infantino added: "If supporters are found guilty then there will be a partial closure of the stadium.

"This means the section where offence took place will be closed. If there is a second offence by the club's supporters there will be full closure with a minimum 50,000 euros (£42,700) fine."........

The Uefa executive committee will vote on the new anti-racism proposal in London in May and, if passed, the ruling could apply to all Uefa competitions from as early as July. Uefa is also asking all of its member associations to apply it to their own domestic competitions with the plans going to a vote of the congress in May.

The FA said it welcomed Uefa's comments and pointed out its own sanctions were being reviewed. It added: "This is ongoing and takes place in full consultation with the leagues, clubs, managers, players and match officials.
"We remain committed to tackling all forms of discrimination including racism".......
View the full news item

Came across this in April...

Sporting Equals
Age UK - Supporting Impact and Change Project
Sporting Equals were commissioned by Age UK to deliver the ‘Supporting Impact and Change Project’ in June 2012. This project is an extension of the existing Age UK fit as a fiddle (faaf) cascade faith and community strand which was delivered by Sporting Equals in 2010/11 for black and minority ethnic (BME) older people (55+) across England.

The Supporting Impact and Change project focuses on key interventions for target audiences which include the South Asian, Polish and Chinese communities. The projects objective is to help support BME older people from these communities to become more active and to lead healthier lifestyles.

The project aims to tackle health inequalities by designing and delivering bespoke volunteer development packages supporting healthier lifestyle engagement strategies for older BME communities. The projects focus is on the following three core areas:

• Physical Activity
• Healthy Eating
• Mental Wellbeing
...................................................................................................................................................

The project will create culturally sensitive training packages and also support the development of staff and volunteers through ‘train the trainer’ training, to ensure learning and delivery can continue after Supporting Change and Impact funding ends.................
View more details

More for awareness of the campaign...

Rnnymede Trust (28 March 2013)
'End Racism This Generation' campaign - Invitations to Tender (ITTs)
We are inviting ideas and proposals for website design, films, social surveys & project evaluation for our new campaign 'End Racism This Generation'. If you are interested in tendering for any of these, please click on the links below:

Attitudinal Study - deadline 30 April 2013

Campaign Website - deadline 30 April 2013

Films - deadline 29 May 2013

News Platform - deadline 30 April 2013

Project Evaluation - deadline 28 May 2013

About the campaign
End Racism This Generation is a three-year public awareness and advocacy campaign led by the Runnymede Trust. In 2012, racism and racial inequality remain a blight on our society in the UK. The ethnic group which you are born into still has a significant impact on your life chances. This does not have to be true for ever. Racism is constructed by our society and it is within the power of our society to eliminate it. The Runnymede-led campaign, End Racism – This Generation, will:

Inspire individuals and organisations to take concerted action to tackle racial inequality
Support innovative activity/collaboration to tackle racism
Create lasting solutions to racial injustice

This will ensure that this is the last generation in the UK that has to face discrimination and disadvantage on the basis of the colour of their skin, where they were born, or their ethnic heritage.
Source of information

For awareness....

Third Sector reports (28 March 2013)
Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations goes into liquidation
The Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations, the umbrella body representing ethnic minority voluntary sector organisations, has gone into liquidation.

Cemvo registered with the commission in 1999 with the aim of providing a voice for ethnic minority voluntary sector organisations and their communities.........
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Sporting Equals (March 2013)
Swimming participation in a multicultural society
Sporting Equals is working with the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) to support a research project to look at the motivations for swimming and barriers which affect different groups. We would very much like input from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Individuals and Community based organisations to help support the research to ensure a cross section of views are captured.

The purpose of this data collection is to gain a better understanding of why members of the public, from all walks of life, swim. We are particularly interested in BME individuals their swimming experiences, needs and barriers they have faced. This information will help the ASA to better accommodate the public’s motivations to swim and remove barriers that get in the way of them swimming more often.....

The survey can be completed on line

Alternatively, we can send out the survey in hard copy format by sending an e-mail request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text35572 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Source of information

Show Racism the Red Card (March 2013)
No Place for Hate - A new resource from Show Racism the Red Card [launched 25 March 2013]
Show Racism the Red Card has taken delivery of the campaign’s latest educational resource today!

‘No Place for Hate’ has been funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the National Union of Teachers, is aimed at teachers and youth leaders and is packed full of information and activities designed to:

Educate young people about the dangers of racism and how it can lead to extreme behaviours
Explore what makes a person susceptible to racist or extreme thoughts, behaviours and actions
Highlight the dangers of becoming involved with far-right groups and engaging in extremist behaviour
Help young people to think more critically about the information they receive in order to help them reject racism, prejudice and approaches from far-right groups

SRtRC will be launching this resource with the support of the NUT & DCLG at a central London location at 18:30 on Monday 25th March 2013.

Copies of ‘No Place for Hate’ can be ordered from Show Racism the Red Card for £15.00 inc. P&P. Please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details

Source of information

Included this information as sports projects can look to see if they can apply to this funding stream...

Office of the First and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland - Minority Ethnic Development Fund
The Minority Ethnic Development Fund (MEDF) provides support for voluntary and community organisations working with minority ethnic people and groups.
Applications for funding

Applications are now being accepted for funding under the above programme to assist minority ethnic organisations to promote good relations between people of different ethnic backgrounds. Applications are also welcome from local community organisations that are working to promote integration.

The application process for Tiers 2 and 3 closed on 11 March 2013. However, the application process for Tier 1 funding is open until 31 December 2014.
Tier 1

Entry level / Pathfinder MEDF – This may include volunteer led groups / relationship building (supporting own community). It will also include project funding. Funding of between £100 - £15,000.

Tier 1 will be open to applications throughout the period of the Fund, with decisions being made on applications on a quarterly basis.

Awards may be for one-off events or for projects lasting up to two years.

Tier 1 Entry level / Pathfinder MEDF will broadly equate to what was previously termed “Project Funding”, although it is envisaged that there will be a spread of awards from £100 up to the maximum.

Application deadline - 2pm on 31 December 2014.

View more details

Kick It Out (25 March 2013)
Recruiting for our new guidance groups
Kick It Out is seeking to recruit a Chair and individual members for each of its new Guidance Groups, to advise and support the campaign’s strategies, objectives and actions.

Members will assist in embedding equality practices and processes across all areas of the game, will have an excellent understanding of the game and will act as a consultative group to Kick It Out.....

The applications process will close at 5pm on Wednesday 3 April 2013. If you are interested in becoming Chair or member of one of the above groups then please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your CV and/or relevant experience.
View the full details

Kick it Out - News, March 2013 - view a copy

United Nations
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21 March - 2013 Theme: "Racism and Sport"
This year's theme was chosen by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to highlight the problem of racism in sports, which remains a disturbing occurrence in many parts of the world, as well as to raise awareness of the role sports can play in combating racism and racial discrimination.

Both sports and human rights share many fundamental values and objectives. The principles underpinning the Olympic Charter, such as non-discrimination and equality, are also the bedrock of human rights. The Olympic Charter notes that the "goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.".....
View the full details

Legislation

Under the Equality Act 2010, It is unlawful to directly or indirectly discriminate against or harass a person because of their race. This includes segregating a person from others on the grounds of race.

For further information on the Equality Act 2010, visit the Legislation page of this Website.

Research

Other resources

New Show Racism the Red Card film is released - December 2012
Show Racism the Red Card now has copies of the new version of the anti-racism educational film and accompanying education pack. The 22 minute film is an excellent introduction to the subject of racism. Featuring interviews with recognisable sporting personalities – such as Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Florent Malouda and Rachel Yankey – in addition to personal accounts of racism from young people, the film is an engaging way to begin talking about the topic with your learners.

The film is suitable for use with young people from Year 4 (Primary 4) upwards. It is accompanied by a 44 page education pack, filled with all new educational activities and discussion points to stimulate debate and promote understanding.

The resource includes a number of bonus features, Chapter sections, an extended version of the film with a section about the Far-Right, ‘refresher’ clips for use in the classroom, film entries from the SRtRC School Competitions and an interactive quiz.

The film and education pack are available for £30 inc. P&P from the SRtRC online store

It is now possible to view a trailer of the new SRtRC film on our YouTube channel

Source of information

Resources 2012 onwards:

Engaging ethnic media: The role of ethnic media in delivering sport to BME communities as part of the Olympic Legacy. Sporting Equals, April 2013 (13 pages)
In this report we look at how we can continue driving forward the ethnic media network to increase sports coverage and their awareness of sporting opportunities. We look at progress to date, achievements and impact in light of the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy. Through consultation with ethnic media providers the research aims to identify key issues affecting the sector alongside key challenges and opportunities for 2013/14.
Download a copy

Kingston Race Equality Scorecard: Technical Report - Phase 1. Runnymede report. Runnymede Trust, 8 March 2013 (28 pages)
Runnymede’s Race Equality Scorecard project is an innovative way of collecting and monitoring data on racial inequalities in 7 key areas, including employment, criminal justice, education and health. The Scorecard will enable local partners and stakeholders to hold service providers to account for racial inequalities in their areas.
Download a copy

The following toolkit from the CAAN in Northern Ireland isn't dated but it was received in late January to add to this website:

Toolkit to Success: Creating accessible websites and publications. Venture Outdoors - Creating Healthy Communities, Countryside Access Activities Network Northern Ireland, no date – received January 2013 (20 pages)
This ‘Toolkit to Success’ has been compiled by Venture Outdoors - Creating Healthy Communities in conjunction with a range of experts in order to highlight how to create websites and print publications that are accessible to underrepresented communities wishing to avail of information on outdoor recreation.
This toolkit will focus on 3 underrepresented communities; people with disabilities, minority ethnic and disadvantaged communities.
Download a copy

2011 Census: First Results for Ethnicity, National Identity, and Religion for Wales. Statistics for Wales, Welsh Government, 17 December 2012 (14 pages)
Results for Wales from the 2011 Census.
Download a copy

Ethnicity and religion: Social Indicators page. Standard Note 2655. House of Commons Library, October 2012 (single sheet)
A useful statistical sheet on the make up of the population in the UK in terms of religion and ethnicity - figures from 2011. The sheet will be next update in spring 2013.
Download a copy

Racism in Football. Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Second Report of Session 2012–13 Volume I. House of Commons, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, September 2012 (63 pages)
The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee says that football authorities at all levels of the game, supporters' and players' groups need to take responsibility for pro-actively tackling all forms of discrimination, including racism, but it is the Football Association that must take the lead and set a strong example for others to follow.
The atmosphere experienced by those attending football matches has changed hugely since the 1970s and 80s when racial and other forms of abuse were common. Match attendance has become much more of a family-friendly activity and clubs continue to introduce measures to try to improve the standards of behaviour at matches. However, there remain significant problems ranging from homophobic abuse to what is often described as "laddish behaviour" on the terraces. Transparent and consistent methods for reporting criminal behaviour including racism are still lacking, in particular at grass roots level. There is also a clear need to encourage more candidates from ethnic minorities to train as coaches and referees to ensure that clubs and boards can select from a more diverse pool of recruits from within the football pyramid.
Download a copy

Volume II of the report – 32 pages – download a copy

Fit as a fiddle: Engaging faith and BME communities in activities for wellbeing. Age UK and Sporting Equals, July 2012 (36 pages)
This guide aims to provide general advice and guidance on how to engage older people from faith and BME communities in physical activity, healthy eating and mental wellbeing activities. This guide draws on learning and best practice from the Sporting Equals delivery of the Fit as a Fiddle faith and community cascade training programme.
Download a copy

Club Membership Insight Paper. Sporting Equals March 2012 (25 pages)
This insight paper seeks to identify levels of engagement of BME communities in sports clubs and the perceptions and barriers preventing individuals from such communities becoming members of clubs. The research provides insight into
what BME communities want from sports clubs and what actions sports clubs and NGBs might take to better engage this target audience in order to drive and sustain growth in sports participation.
Download a copy

Older resources:

A Systematic Review of the Literature on Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in sport and physical recreation. Summary. UK Sport , July 2009 (11 pages)
The Carnegie Research Institute was commissioned by Sporting Equals and the Sports Councils to conduct an independent systematic review of the literature on participation in sport and recreation by Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. The brief was to focus on UK material from the past ten years, to compile an electronic, bibliographic database and use that evidence to assess the policy significance of existing knowledge in the drive to widen and increase participation.
Download a copy

Sport England guidance on how national governing bodies of sport could deal with incidents of racial abuse in competitive sport settings. Sport England, April 2009 (8 pages)
Sport England has produced guidelines on how governing bodies of sport should deal with incidents of racial abuse in competitive sport settings.This guidelines, produced at the request of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, were produced after consultation with governing bodies.
Download a copy

A website resource for media exchange in sport:

Council of Europe - MARS - Media Against Racism in Sport
This is a European media network diversity and intercultural dialogue. Building upon standards set by various Council of Europe bodies on media pluralism, expression of diversity and non discrimination and the outcome of the 2008-10 CoE’s anti-discrimination Campaign, the MARS – Media against racism in sport – EU / CoE joint programme aims at considering non discrimination and expression of diversity as an ongoing angle of media coverage. Through this approach applied to sport coverage, MARS wants to encourage innovative modes of media production that could be reproduced in all media sectors and used by any form of media coverage.
Visit the site

Useful websites

Show racism the red card

Equality in Sport