Barrow Borough Sports Council

Kick It Out message supported by local clubs

Last year Barrow Raiders, Barrow AFC and Cumbria Cricket Board signed up to the local Kick It Out campaign. 

The aim was to build on the work of the national Kick Racism out of Football campaign to include all sports at a local level.  Barrow Borough Sports Council agreed to fund the local campaign,

including supporting work with the professional clubs, in schools and with amateur clubs.  Barrow's Sports Equity Officer Lis Stephenson says this has been very successful in many ways but there is still much more to do.

"Racist behaviour at professional games has now almost disappeared.  But attendance at games in Barrow remains almost 100% white British. By the professional clubs being part of our campaign, they are saying to everyone, 'come and watch our team, everyone is welcome'."

Participation levels in sport amongst the non-white British community is also low. 

Lis explained that the Kick It Out campaign is also trying to encourage wider active participation.

"We recently asked local Charter Standard and Clubmark Clubs and the Council's Leisure Centre to put up banners and display boards to support our campaign.  The response was very positive.  This will spread the message that racism is not acceptable in sport at any level.  Hopefully, it will also show the local black and minority ethnic community that clubs are serious about being open to everyone."
Clubs and facilities who have agreed to put up permanent Kick It Out displays are;

Football Clubs
Barrow AFC, Furness Cavaliers, Hawcoat Park Juniors and Dalton Ladies and Girls

Rugby League Clubs
Barrow Raiders, Dalton, Barrow Island, Askam

Cricket Clubs
Dalton, Barrow, Duddon, Furness and Lindal

Basketball Centre
Hoops

Leisure Centre
Park Leisure Centre

Other clubs or facilities wishing to display either the boards or banners should contact Barrow Sports Council on 407575. 

The boards and banners are provided free from the Sports Council’s Kick It Out fund.

Barrow Island Under 7’s showing off their new Kick It Out banner in their new kit sponsored by Barrow Sports Council

Kick it Out aims to remove racism in sport and to increase the participation in sport by the black and minority ethnic community.

Kick it Out will achieve this primarily by focussing on four objectives;

Professional sports clubs
Working with the professional clubs to remove all aspects of racism and improve their links with minority communities including making all sports grounds a safe and welcoming place for the whole community.

Amateur sport
Working at grassroots and amateur levels to tackle racial abuse and harassment in sport.

Ethnic Minorities and Sport
Capacity building ethnic minority communities to engage with professional and amateur clubs and to take part in sport at whatever level they choose.

Young people
To develop and deliver a programme of educational activities to raise awareness of racism in schools and colleges.

Junior Raiders perform the Haka as part of our campaign

Barrow Sports Council is working closely with Barrow AFC, Barrow Raiders and Cumbria Cricket Board to achieve the above objectives.   

We have developed an Equality Action Plan which is monitored by a sub-group of the Sports Council.  This is chaired by Bob Qazi, who is also the Chair of the Furness Multi-cultural Forum. 

We welcome the support of any clubs, schools colleges or other organisations.  If you want to help spread the Kick It Out message, get in touch with us and we'll see if we can help. 

To read our Equality Action Plan, click here.

Our banner at the opening of Furness Multi-cultural Forum's Community Centre.

 Kick It Out at Furness Heating Components Stadium, Craven Park 

Feel free to use our logo!

The logo is available to any local clubs and projects supporting our aims.  If you want to use it on any promotional materials, please feel free to copy it from our site and let us know so we can see if we can help.  Help us spread the message - there is no place in sport for racism or discrimination. 

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