Mark Thomas


FEATURE Show Racism the Red Card


BY HAJERA BLAGG Find outmore HERE


No divisions in this game Twenty years on the need to fight intolerance is greater than ever


Show Racism the Red Card,which Unite has long supported, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The charity goes out into communities, classrooms and football clubs and educates roughly 50,000 schoolchildren each year throughout Great Britain about racism.


It enlists the support of professional footballers, as well as musicians, comedians and writers, to act as role models for the kids. It also works with trade unions, including Unite, to combat racism in the workplace.


As Show Racism chief executive Ged Grebby notes, the charity has expanded its work over the years and now also focuses on fighting anti-immigration sentiment, Islamophobia and most recently, homophobia.


“We have got a diverse set of work we do to combat racism and other forms of discrimination in the UK because the problem is he explained.


itself very diverse,”


But despite reaching out to hundreds of thousands of children over the years and


playing a major role in stamping out the racism that’s blighted communities across generations, Show Racism the Red Card, like so many charities, faces an uncertain future because of government cuts.


The charity’s government funding was stopped in March, and is yet to be renewed.


Pictured are Unite general secretary Len McCluskey with legendary manager Lawrie McMenemy at one of the charity’s many events celebrating its 20th anniversary in May. MPs played against retired professional football players at the Den, home to Millwall FC, to highlight the need for government support.


McMenemy coached the team of MPs, from a cross-section of parties.


But despite his contribution the opposing team of ex-professional footballers, including Anwar Uddin, Britain’s first mainstream professional Asian player and Watford and Wimbledon FC’s Marcus Gayle, trounced the MPs 6 to 2.


McMenemy said the charity match was an 21 uniteWORKS Summer 2016


exemplar of the power football possesses in bringing people together.


Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, who presented the trophy at the end of the match, agreed.


“Football is a fabulous medium to tackle racism that millions and millions of our people enjoy, in particular the kids,” he said.


“You’ve got to see some of the sessions that Show Racism does with hundreds of kids in classrooms or football clubs, splitting them into workshops, talking about the issues of racism and listening to what the kids say,” he noted.


“It’s absolutely staggering when you hear kids say, ‘Well I’ve heard my dad say that word.’ And it’s amazing that the kids themselves then feel empowered to go home and challenge their own parents.”


But there is still much to do. Grebby added, “There’s been an 18 per cent increase in hate crime in the UK over the last year alone. The need for our work has never been greater.”


To find out more see www.theredcard.org; phone 0191 257 8519


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