The Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group recently held a conference on combatting racism in sport.
The conference, hosted by Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) at Headingley, brought together leading organisations across the county and industry experts from sports and policy to discuss the prevalence of racism in sport as well as the role sport can play in combatting racism in the game and wider society.
Also in attendance at the conference were delegates from local government, education, healthcare, and religious sectors to provide further context and perspective from society more widely, on Wednesday, 6 November.
The Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group (Y&HARSG) includes Sport England’s regional active partnerships Active Humber, North Yorkshire Sport and Yorkshire Sport Foundation and representatives from sport and physical activity, including Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Nigel Harrison and Lou Walker, opened the conference on behalf of the group, followed by Sanjay Patel, CEO for YCCC, who welcomed everyone to Headingley and reaffirmed Yorkshire Cricket’s commitment – alongside Y&HARSG – to leading the way in the fight against racism in any place where sport and physical activity is played.
The ‘Time for Action on Racism in Sport’ conference featured a number of keynote speakers, presentations and a panel discussion covering many different key areas concerning racism in sport.
Chris Grant OBE, one of the UK’s leading facilitators of organisational change and former CEO of Sported, was the first keynote, and covered diverse workplaces and the importance of removing barriers.
Pictured, Sanjay Patel, CEO for YCCC, who welcomed everyone to Headingley.
The first club presentation was from Claire Graham and Wan Abdullah from the inspirational Holbeck Moor Football Club – who outlined the extraordinary story of how the Club has become the UK’s first Women’s Club of Sanctuary.
Following this Bashir Siraj, Said Mir and Ayosola Odunsi from Welcome House Hull spoke about how the charity is dedicated to helping Hull continue to grow as a recognised place of welcome and safety for people seeking sanctuary.
There were also a number of break out discussions covering many different key areas concerning racism and sport including acknowledgment about what people are experiencing and feeling, how to identify and deal with barriers and blockers and steps to building a culture that lets fairness thrive.
Pictured from right to left: Claire Graham and Wan Abdullah from the inspirational Holbeck Moor Football Club.
The penultimate presentation, led by the Islamophobia Awareness campaign, highlighted the importance of Islamophobia Awareness Month in the UK, this month, which is all about making people aware of discrimination against Muslim people and the Islamic faith.
This was followed by an inciteful panel discussion, covering some of the practical steps individuals, leaders and organisations can take in supporting equity, diversity and inclusion and being anti-racist.
The final presentation was from education professional and football referee Wayne Niles. Wayne spoke about his lived experience in football and the work he has done to support young people in sport.
As part of the conference, hosted by YCCC at Headingley, there were a number of break out discussions allowing delegates to discuss the prevalence of racism in sport as well as the role sport can play in combatting racism in the game and wider society.
Nigel closed the conference, thanking all speakers and partners for their time and efforts to use sport as a force for good and highlighted the importance for organisations to sign the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group’s pledge – the Commitment to tackling Racism and racial inequality in community sport.
The pledge has so far been signed by more than 150 organisations across Yorkshire and the Humber.
Mo Hussain, YCCC’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, and committee member for the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group, said: “We were proud to welcome delegates to the wonderful city of Leeds and to Yorkshire County Cricket Club for hosting this year’s conference.
“As an organisation we are dedicated to being proactively anti-racist and collectively our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion has never been more important.
“Our sports clubs should be a reflection of the communities we serve, and I believe sport can lead the way in tackling wider societal problems.
“To those involved in last week’s conference I say all power to you; harness your platform and your influence to create real and meaningful change for the sport we love, the societies we represent and the inclusive future we all wish to see.”
Mo Hussain, EDI lead for YCCC (with microphone), pictured answering a question from the audience, as part of a special Q & A panel at the conference.
Nigel Harrison, CEO for Yorkshire Sport Foundation, said: “We are proud to support the positive message that the Yorkshire and Humber Anti-Racism in Sport Group stands for. We are uniting as organisations to combat racial discrimination in grassroots sports and in society.
“We all want Yorkshire and the Humber to be the kindest, friendliest and most inclusive region to play and take part in sport.
“It’s on all of us to create a culture within community sport that ensures everyone can enjoy being free of racism or discrimination. We hope this conference sparks a ripple effect for sports organisations across the region to make this happen.”
