For the 2018/2019 Season, Worcester City FC will be working closely with the Fans for Diversity campaign in an attempt to make the Club as inclusive and welcoming as possible.

Since its launch in 2014 Fans for Diversity, run by the Football Supporters’ Federation and Kick It Out, has delivered on that aim with a huge array of activities which have inspired participation from communities who might not otherwise have got involved with the beautiful game.

An example they are especially proud of within that is the explosion of LGBT-led supporter organisations in recent years. Fans for Diversity was instrumental in the creation of Pride in Football, the umbrella network for LGBT fan groups. There are now 30+ LGBT groups across the Premier League and EFL which the campaign supports.

They support disabled fans, a good example of that being September 2017’s Southampton’s Accessibility Day organised by Southampton Disability Supporters Association and supported by Fans for Diversity. The event provided over a 1000 disabled and nondisabled fans the opportunity to mix, see behind-the-scenes and meet club ambassadors

But that’s not all Fans for Diversity is about. The initiative has also worked with West Ham-supporting senior citizens thanks to Sporting Memories and Any Old Irons, new female fan groups such as Lady Imps, and a whole host of organisations via their Fans for Diversity hub at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road. Visitors to The Hub include junior O’s supporters, local hospices, Dementia Friends, Cancer Research UK, Disability Coordination Disorder, White Ribbon Campaign, Headway East (brain trauma centre), ELHAP (children with disabilities) and many more.

Due to the rise of Fans for Diversity the Football Association have extended their relationship for a further 4 years and have a new member of staff who will work exclusively with non league clubs, with this in mind Fans for Diversity will shortly meet with myself to discuss campaigns that could get more of our local community involved in the beautiful game and watching City.

First Team players next season will also wear Fans for Diversity tshirts and jumpers in pre match warm ups in a bid to raise awareness at both home and away fixtures