THE CITY CONTRIBUTES TO THE FUTURE COMMUNITY FACILITIES PROJECT – News

Huddersfield Town are working with British Future and Brentford FC on the Shared Goals project

– British Future acts on Shared Goals research findings
– Huddersfield Town contributes to the integration think tank
– Research shows that clubs can play a key role in local communities

New research for the Shared Goals project by the integration think tank British Future, which the Club contributed to, found that professional football clubs have the ability to promote a shared sense of pride in their local community across different social groups .

Launching the research in Westminster, HR Manager and Equality Lead Zoe Shackleton and COO David Threlfall-Sykes represented the club at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Inclusion.

The event, chaired by Kim Leadbeater MP for Batley and Spen, focused on research undertaken through the Shared Goals project and allowed participants to discuss the important role that football clubs play in bridging the divides between different groups of people and facilitating a better integrations and social connections. .

New research on common goals finds:

– Almost six in 10 (57 per cent) UK adults support a football team and almost four in 10 (37 per cent) support their local club
– Club soccer spans ethnic divides, with 55% of Asian adults and 70% of black adults supporting a team. Support also varies across political divides and includes people with different views on migration and diversity
– Football clubs can contribute to creating a common sense of identity. 80 per cent of those who attend live matches see their local professional football club as an important part of their local identity and almost four in 10 (37 per cent) who do not regularly attend games agree. Similar percentages across ethnic groups see their football club as a strong part of their local identity
– Seven in 10 people who attend live matches and 44% of armchair fans agree that “I would feel more in common with someone if I knew they supported my local professional football club”
– Seven in 10 people (71%) agree that “Football clubs bring people from different backgrounds together in the towns or cities they are based in, around a shared pride in their team.” Responses were equally positive among people from different ethnic backgrounds

Zoe Shackleton, Huddersfield Town’s equality leader, commented:

“We are grateful to have been selected to take part in the research project with Brentford Football Club and to be able to positively influence perceptions of football with the benefit of feedback from local fans and other members of our community.

“During the event we heard many perspectives on the role of football and the potential of clubs to enhance social cohesion. Not every club has an EDI leader or team and often this activity is covered by people who have other roles. At the end of the event, another delegate asked me about my role and I explained that I refer to both HR and EDI and that for me both aspects are inextricably linked. As someone who has lived and worked in Kirklees all my life, I feel very lucky to try to give something back and encourage others to celebrate the things we have in common, as well as individual and collective. diversity.

“Football has the power to bring people together with a shared passion and we can do much more to harness that power. The Shared Objectives report highlights the importance of inclusion for our fans and the sense of pride they have in the club, and through our Terriers Together strategy, we are determined to continue and step up our efforts to ensure Huddersfield Town remains a club firmly rooted in the community and a safe, welcoming, inclusive and respectful environment for all.”

Jake Puddle, researcher at British Future, who led the new research, said:

“Football has a unique power to bridge the divides in our diverse society, uniting people around a common identity and pride in where they live.

“Clubs have become strong voices against racism and it is important that this work continues. But a more proactive approach, which promotes social contact between people from different backgrounds, can go further – building common ground and reducing prejudice.

“Some people will say clubs should just stick to football, but a football club is more than 11 players on the pitch. At their best, clubs embody the spirit of a city and its people – and that should include people from all backgrounds.”

CLICK HERE to download the full report from the British Future website and CLICK HERE to read more about Huddersfield Town’s EDI work through the Terriers Together initiative.