professional footballer training with young football players from different backgrounds

Inclusion

Football is open and accessible for all

The FA and CFAs 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.

The FA published a new strategy on inclusion, equality and discrimination that will run from 2021 to 2024. ‘A Game For All’ forms an integral part of the FA’s long-term commitment to using their influence across English football to create a game free from discrimination.

A Game For All outlines three key strategic commitments – Lead the Change, Be the Change, and Inspire the Change – which will ensure tackling discrimination remains a core priority for English football for years to come.

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.

A new landmark disability plan that comes under the umbrella of the broader equality, diversity and inclusion strategy, 'Football Your Way'. The launch of the three-year plan, from 2021-2024, outlines the organisation’s intentions to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce from inside The FA and out, and from top to bottom, whilst also growing participation, increasing the number and quality of coaches, developing an inclusive and diverse talent pathway, increasing support for elite players and raising the profile of disability football at every level. 

We have reached phase 2 of the Asian football plan, ‘Bringing Opportunities to Communities’ aiming to grow Asian participation on and off the pitch. This work began back in 2015 and focused on participation, development, role models and Talent ID. The full update can be found here, with details of progress being made against five strategic pillars: The FA and its culture, Pathways, Grassroots football, Women’s football, and Engagement.

The FA’s women’s four-year strategy, titled ‘Inspiring Positive Change’, pledges to create a sustainable future for women’s and girls’ football in England.

You can find out about these and many more on The FA’s website.

 CLICK HERE



Get in touch

Email: Support@GloucestershireFA.com

GFA IAG

GFA Inclusion Advisory Group

Click to download our policy Gloucestershire FA Equality Policy

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