1newsletter february 07

Welcome to the first Show Racismthe Red Card UK newsletter 2007.The aim of this newsletter is to provide our sponsors,patrons and supporters with a brief update of our plansand reports on recent work.

We are now in the process of finalising our AnnualReview for 2006 and it will be available in an electronicformat in March. Our Guide for Councils working withthe campaign has now been completed and is due forlaunch at Hampden Park, the Scottish NationalStadium on 23rd February. Also at this event we willlaunch our new campaign film, which aims to promotehow our organisation works throughout the UK. Wehope that these new resources along with theforthcoming “Guide for Football Clubs” will increaseboth the number of organisations working inpartnership with us, and the efficacy of our work.

If you would like to reserve your copy of anyof these resources, please contact PaulKearns our UK Office Manager on -tel: 0191 291 0160 or email: pkearns@btconnect.com

In the North East of England we work with anumber of partner councils who fund ourwork and receive our free schoolcoaching and education service. NorthTyneside Council have agreed to fundthis scheme to the tune of £15,00in 2007.

This year’s school competition hasalready surpassed last year’s registrationtotals in both England and Wales and we arelooking forward to our most successfulcompetition ever. Schools can register for thecompetition until 28th February 2007 andthose who wish to do so should contact our

Campaign Worker for England - Gavin Sutherland onemail: gav.sutherland@btconnect.com

Our new Campaign Co-ordinators for Wales andScotland are now in post and an excellent addition tothe Show Racism the Red Card Team. Our Welshworker - Sunil Patel, can be contacted via telephoneon 01443 228873 (ext 19) or by email atsunil@fawtrust.org.ukIn Scotland Billy Singh can be contactedon 0141 332 8566 or by email atcampaign@theredcardscotland.org

Finally, an indication that we are now part of the socialfabric of the UK is that we are receiving more and morerequests from TV programmes to include our footballclub and anti-racism schools posters displayed on theirsets. Several television programmes have used the

posters to establish authenticity; including ‘TheBill’ and ‘Byker Grove’. We have also made

it onto the set of the Oscar nominatedfilm ‘Notes on a Scandal’ which

is set in a London schooland stars DameJudi Dench.

by Ged Grebby

Newsletter February 2007

Show Racismthe Red Card

Introduction

2 newsletter february 07

Campaign in WalesHere in Wales, the campaign is gathering momentum with moreand more schools registering their interest in our annualSchools Competition. We have had interest from schoolsaround the country, including a significant number of Welshspeaking schools. Final stages of negotiations for the prizegiving ceremony venue are underway and we are hopeful that adate will be confirmed with the Millennium Stadium shortly.

Show Racism the Red Card Wales held a very successful eventat Cardiff City at the end of last year and will hold events in thecoming weeks at Swansea City and Wrexham football clubs.We are also planning events with clubs from the Welsh PremierFootball League including Cwmbran FC and Porthmadog FC,and also with Newport FC who play in the English League.

SRTRC Wales will be involved in the ‘UN Elimination of RacialDiscrimination Day’ on 21st March 2007. During that week, wewill be working with clubs and various organisations inconjunction with the Commission for Racial Equality in Wales topromote awareness of the day and hold activities around thecountry, for further details about the day, please visitwww.croesoproject.org

In the coming months we will be producing more posters inWales and will be working with other areas of sport such asRugby and Cricket. Activities are also planned with morepartners such as Cardiff University and the Valleys RaceEquality Council.

Events already confirmed

• SRTRC Football Day - Porthmadog FC v The New Saints (3rd Feb’07)

• SRTRC event at Wrexham FC (14th Feb’07)

If you would like to be involved with the campaign in Wales,please email me at sunil@fawtrust.org.uk

STOP PRESS

United atNewcastleUnitedShow Racism the Red Card and PartnersTogether Educating Against Racism at StJames’s Park Tuesday 6th February.

Newcastle United FC players will attendthe event alongside players fromNewcastle Women’s FC, NewcastleFalcons.

In a landmark event, organisations fromacross the North East are comingtogether to educate young people on thedangers of racism and prejudice.

Show Racism the Red Card, CSV –Community Connections, PositiveImages, the North East Refugee Serviceand Save the Children will all berepresented alongside sporting heroesfrom the four main sporting clubs inNewcastle

Over one hundred young people fromNorth Tyneside and Newcastle schools,will experience awareness raisingworkshops throughout the morning. Theafternoon will be kicked off by Ex-Newcastle star John Beresford, before“Drummed Up” a West African drumminggroup based in Newcastle provide aninteractive performance for the youngpeople.

The main event will follow with youngpeople watching the Show Racism theRed Card DVD before posing questionson racism to a panel consisting ofplayers from all four sporting clubs.

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It’s been a real rollercoaster ridehere since I started in December2006. On my first day we had aphoto shoot with avid supporters ofour campaign, Billy Bragg andRangers and Scotland captain BarryFerguson. Day three is spent withBarry’s older brother and formerRangers and Hearts star DerekFerguson delivering our ‘A SafePlace’ workshop on asylum seekersand refugees to primary schools inEdinburgh. Day four I meet with oneof our committee advisors DerekKirkwood within the inner sanctumof the Scottish Football Associationat Hampden Park. But it’s not allglamour. On my way to the recentOld Firm derby I notice the BNPselling their propaganda outside thestadium. It was a busy wee spot!The recent race furore with regardsto Big Brother and the constantnegative attitudes towards Muslimsand our new citizens from the EUreinforces my belief that we mustnever be complacent. I believe thatracism changes according to

political and social conditions andthat racism operates along at leastthree axes. First, it is characterisedby derogatory stereotyping, hatredand violence. Second, it sets inmotion cycles of disadvantage.Third, it negates and evenobliterates the culture, religion andlanguage of the groups concerned. Iam looking forward to the challengethat lies ahead but saddened by thefact that in 2007 we still need tofight the scourge that is racism inour society.

In the coming year we plan to holdstadium events at all 12 ScottishPremier League Clubs and 12 in thelower leagues. We are at advancednegotiations with Dundee United,Hearts, Aberdeen, Rangers andCeltic to hold events in Februaryand March. We also are looking toexpand our work with amateur andjunior clubs. Recent additions to ourposters include Stranraer, St. Johnstone, Kilmarnock andAberdeen with Motherwell,

Dunfermline, St. Mirren, Falkirk andInverness Caledonian Thistle in thepipeline. Our Schools Competitionis in full flow and the closing date is23rd February with the prize giving

ceremony at Hampden Park on 19thApril. We have just completeddelivering our Safe Place (asylumseekers and refugees) workshopsto over 90 schools in three councilareas. East Ayrshire Council inpartnership with Kilmarnock FC isabout to embark on the scheme.Most of our educational work is withchildren and I have a personal goalto expand our work in Scotland totarget adults who are the mainperpetrators of racist abuse. We willdo this by working with supportersclubs/trusts and negotiating withemployers to deliver our message inplaces of work. Onwards andupwards.

Further info: www.theredcardscotland.org

Campaignin Scotland

Billy Singh,Scottish CampaignCo-ordinator

Billy

Sin

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Pictured above members of the Telugu Association of Scotland supporting Show Racism the Red

Card campaign.

4 newsletter february 07

Report on events held so far in 2007Plymouth Argyle FC17th January 2007

Show Racism the Red Card’s veryfirst event with Plymouth FC wasorganised in conjunction with theclub and Plymouth City Council. 60young people were invited to HomePark, from local city schools andhad the opportunity to tour theground, before the main eventbegan.

In attendance from Plymouth ArgyleFC were Marcel Seip and ChernoSamba. Marcel is a former under-21 Dutch International who playedfor Heerenveen and joinedPlymouth in August, as did ChernoSamba, who had spent theprevious two seasons playing inSpain with Cadiz and Malaga. Tworepresentatives from Plymouth CityCouncil were also on the panel, CllrAllan Weekes, Cabinet member forSocial Care and CommunityCohesion; and Bronwen Lacey,

Head of Childrens Services.Completing the top table line-upwas Gary Bennett who wasrepresenting SRTRC in addition toSunil Patel and Gavin Sutherland.After short introductory speeches

from Allan Weekes and BronwenLacey, we screened the latest ShowRacism the Red Card film, whichwas well received by both theaudience and panel. After this avery good Question and Answersession took place, the players andpanel members answering somevery well thought out questionsfrom the audience. Thanks to

Plymouth Argyle FC, Gary was ableto choose his three favouritequestions to receive a prize. Theclub had donated a signed shirt,ball and match tickets as prizes.After the Q&A, there was anopportunity to get autographs andphoto opportunities with theplayers. Media coverage of theevent was high, interviews takingplace with BBC TV, 2 radio stations,the Club’s TV station and an articleappearing in the Plymouth Herald.

A big thank you is due to the club,in particular to Mark Rivers and theCommunity Team and RickCowdery for their organisationalhelp before the event and on theday. Also to Plymouth City Council,especially Darin Halifax for hisassistance in organising the eventand to Allan Weekes and BronwenLacey for taking part on the day .Thanks also to Gary and Sunil for alltheir help.

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Newcastle Eagles event19th January 2007 report by Derek Gardner

The launch of the Newcastle Eaglesseason 2006-07 posters, took placeat the home of the Eagles, theMetro Radio Arena prior to theirhome game against London United.Twenty young people fromAshington Community High Schoolplus young volunteer Lewis and hismum, distributed over 1000 postersof the Eagles and 1000 poster offootball teams involved in thecampaign.The poster celebrated the mostsuccessful season in the Eaglesclub history with all four of thetrophies won by the club during the05-06 season.

Pictured here are the young people from

Ashington with the team at the end of their

winning game

Newcastle Falcons RFC22nd January 2007

Newcastle Falcons again let SRTRCuse their Kingston Park facility foran event to promote the anti-racismmessage and Newcastle Falcons

poster to school pupils from latestpartnership council, North Tyneside,and from Northumberland Council.Around 60 young people were inattendance to take part in aQuestion and Answer sessionfeaturing four players fromNewcastle Falcons. Joe Shaw,Micky Ward, Tim Visser and EniGesinde, who joined SRTRCrepresentatives Kieron Brady andGary Bennett on the panel. GedGrebby was able to speak on behalfof the Campaign and informed theaudience of some of the historybehind the organisation.

Unfortunately, a technical hitchmeant that we were unable to showthe latest Show Racism the RedCard film and so were able to enjoyan extended question and answersession. The players handled the

young people’s questions very welland the Q&A session wasentertaining as well as supportingthe SRTRC message strongly. Anopportunity for autographs and atour of the stadium for the audiencetook place at the end of the event.

Our thanks to Newcastle Falconsand the staff there, in particular toMark Foster for his help inorganising the day. Thanks also toJo Stewart from North TynesideCouncil for organising the NTCschools involvement and to DerekGardner for his help in ensuringpupils from the Northumberlandarea were present.

Sunderland AFC Poster Launch23rd January 2007

The 2007 Sunderland AFC posterwas launched in conjunction withSunderland Council at the CouncilChamber on the 23rd January2007. The young people fromAshington, South Tyneside andSunderland had the opportunity totour the Stadium of Light earlier inthe afternoon, which was enjoyedby all and set the atmosphere forthe main event.

Mayor of Sunderland Cllr TomFoster introduced the event, andthe young people then had the

Pictured above a young winner with match tickets,given away at the Newcastle Falcons, Kingston

Park event. Players from left to right Tim Visser, Joe Shaw, Micky Ward and Eni Gesinde.

Pictured here are the young people who attended the Newcastle Falcons, Kingston Park event

6 newsletter february 07

opportunity to watch somehighlights of the SRTRC DVD.Followed by a performance by anti-racist hip-hop group “The Word”who performed 2 songs andshowed some extracts from theirnew DVD.

There was an excellent Questionand Answer session between theyoung people and a panel whichincluded Nyron Nosworthy andCarlos Edwards from SunderlandAFC, Project Coordinator GedGrebby, Kieron and Gary. Thanks toSunderland AFC we were able todistribute match tickets and asigned Sunderland AFC shirt to theyoung people who asked the bestquestions.

Our thanks go to Les Platt atSunderland Council and LouiseWanless at Sunderland AFC fortheir help in organising this event.

Dagenham & Redbridge FCEvent 30th January 2007

SRTRC’s first event with Dagenham& Redbridge FC was also our firstevent with a current Conferenceteam. The club made us feel verywelcome and we enjoyed a greatevent. 150 young people of avariety of ages attended fromBarking & Dagenham andRedbridge borough schools. A hostof agencies helped to organise theevent and attendance of the youngpeople and take part in the day;including Barking & DagenhamCouncil, Redbridge Council, SouthEastern Regional TUC, RegionalNUT and The Metropolitan Police.

It was a very impressive panel inattendance too, featuring SRTRCpatron Warren Barton, Dagenham &Redbridge players Anwar Uddinand Danny Foster, Fiona Bevan ofBarking & Dagenham Council, AlanWeinberg Leader of RedbridgeCouncil, Jon Cruddas MP forDagenham, Ed Blissett from theGMB, Stephen Thompson ofDagenham & Redbridge FC andrepresenting SRTRC, Ged Grebby,Kieron Brady and Kim Burns.

The event was chaired by Kim andafter introducing short speechesfrom Jon Cruddas, The Leader ofRedbridge Council and FionaBevan, Ged introduced the SRTRCDVD, which was well received bythe audience. There then followedan excellent Question and Answersession with young members of theaudience asking questions of thepanel about racism. The club hadkindly donated an autographedshirt, which was given away to theperson who asked the “best”question. Kieron had the unenviabletask of selecting the best question.The Q&A helped to ensure thateverybody left the event with apositive anti-racist messagepresented to them. After the Q&A,an autograph session followed andGed did some interviews with localTV, newspapers and radio stations.

After such an enjoyable andeffective event, we hope to organisemore events with the club in futureyears. SRTRC would like to thankall of the people who attended andspoke and the following people fortheir help in organising the event:Stephen Thompson, Chris and Tony(D&R FC), Jimmy Maravala and BillGent from Redbridge Council, FionaBevan, Gillian Perendes andDominic Byrne from Barking &Dagenham Council and LaurieHeselden from SERTUC.

future events:

February• Tuesday 6/2/07 Newcastle

United Poster launch at St James’ Park 1.30pm.

• Tuesday 13/02/07 Liverpool FC: Anfield at 2pm.

• Wednesday 14/02/07 Wrexham FC time TBC.

• Friday 23/02/07 Hampden Park Glasgow launch of Best Practice Guide for Councils at 10.30am.

• Wednesday 28/02/07 Darlington FC at 2pm.

March28/03/07 Crystal Palace FC at 2pm.

April19/04/07 Prize giving ceremony forScottish schools competition atHampden at 2pm.

.May3/05/07 Prize giving ceremony forEnglish School competition. Venueto be confirmed soon.

Nyron Nosworthy and Carlos Edwards from

Sunderland AFC signing autographs at our

SRTRC Sunderland event.

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Our Wales Co-ordinator -Sunil Patel & family on the birthof their son Krish, born on 13thJanuary weighing 7lb. Both babyand mum doing well, dad notdoing too bad either!

WWEELLCCOOMMEE To the new members ofthe Show Racism theRed Card team -Paul KearnsUK Office Manager

Sunil PatelWales Campaign Co-ordinator

Billy SinghScotland Campaign Co-ordinator

The Show Racism the Red Card Anti-Racist SchoolsCompetition 2007, looks as though it will be one ofthe most high profile and widely participated that wehave organised. This year we aim to have one

thousand schoolsregistered to take part andshould be able to confirman extremely special venuefor the Prize GivingCeremony very soon.

We have promoted thecompetition extensivelythrough the production anddistribution of 40,000flyers. Thanks to theNational Union of Teachers,

who included a copy of the flyer with their Januarymailing to schools, every school in England hasreceived a copy of the rules and registration form.

Registration for the competition ends on February28th. If your school has not registered yet thenplease hurry! SRTRC are making every effort toensure that there are some great prizes forwinners and this year we will make all entries in toa permanent display that will be available to publicbuildings in the UK.

For all competition enquiries please contact:

Gavin Sutherland

gav.sutherland@btconnect.com

0191 291 0160

and see the website for more details.

School Competition

Congratulations to:

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