The Gloucestershire FA recently welcomed members of our community to a Black History Month event at Oaklands Park.

We reviewed the GFA’s new strategy, which launched earlier this week, before Anwar Uddin (The FA Diversity and Inclusion Manager) provided an update on the state of play nationally. 

We then hosted a panel of experts who welcomed questions from our audience:

• Leroy Rosenior – former professional footballer
• Abdoullah Kheir - FA Coach Developer (EDI Lead)
• Hamsa Hassan – Phoenix NextGen and BBC SPoTY Unsung Hero (West) winner 2023
• Ahmed Ismail – grassroots volunteer with Phoenix NextGen

“We are grateful to all of our panel members for giving up their time,” said Sam Myatt, GFA Equality and Workforce Development Manager. “A healthy attendance of coaches, referees and volunteers shows that our grassroots community shares our ambition for a fairer and more diverse game.”

Earlier in the day, Leroy had provided the GFA with training to reaffirm the importance of being “anti-racist” and proactively calling out everyday discrimination. Leroy, who played for Fulham, West Ham and Bristol City among other clubs in an illustrious career, delivered several thought-provoking exercises encouraging staff to reflect on our own backgrounds and privileges and to consider the importance of both actions and language.

In the coming weeks, the Gloucestershire FA will launch our new Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), outlining how we will continue to strive to deliver football for all.