Inclusion
Football is open and accessible for all
Football for all.
The FA and Middlesex FA are here to ensure everyone who is involved in football has a great experience – regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability or disability, faith or age.
Both The FA and the County FAs are working to ensure everyone has the opportunity to be part of the game.
We will all work together on our inclusion priorities over the coming years. These are underpinned by three principles of change:
- ensuring governance and leadership is diverse and modern;
- removing any obstacles to access and progression in coaching, talent development or personal development pathways; and
- enshrining equality, diversity and inclusion in our day to day operations.
In order to make a difference, The FA is running and supporting leadership programmes for women, BAME and young people and will adhere to the Government’s code for governance in sport. We will also examine pathways and promote inclusion and access for coaches, welfare officers, club officials, league officials, players, coaches and tutors; and we will challenge ourselves with measurable targets that deliver on diversity and inclusion outcomes. We will also work with a variety of stakeholders on topics such as mental health and LGB&T to ensure that people feel safe and included in football.
Meanwhile, there also many programmes across football which support our aims as part of The FA and County FAs wider inclusion programmes which we will continue to deliver. Our disability football programmes are some of the best in the world; we have an Asian football plan called ‘Bringing Opportunities to Communities’; our women’s strategy ‘Gameplan for Growth’ aims to double female participation by 2020; and we continue to work to encourage football across different faiths and communities. You can find out about these and many more on The FA’s website.
preliminary level Equality standard
As one of few reciepients of the Preliminary Level Equality Standard, Middlesex FA are recognised for our ability to demonstrate the following:
- Awareness of current external profile and position in terms of equality
- Evidence of a robust equality action plan to advance equality and increase participation. All staff must also understand how this relates to their role
- Board and staff members understand the general principles of equality and how it relates to football
- Recruitment practices and policies seek to advance equality