More Than a Win: How SRtRC’s School Competition Is Empowering Young Anti-Racism Champions

“Winning the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ Competition is an incredible honour. It stands for something so important — unity, respect, and equality for everyone. This competition is a great initiative because it gives young people like me a powerful platform to speak out against racism and promote positive change through creativity and education.”

JM Allotey-Babington, Winner in Year 7-9 Creative Writing Category 2025

Every year, Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) hosts the largest equalities-themed School Competition across England, Wales and Scotland. Beyond the recognition and awards, it’s a platform for young people to challenge racism through creativity and education.

Opening Another Door for Change

For students like Oliver, who won Joint 3rd Place in the Year 7-9 Artwork Category, the competition was a chance to turn passion into impact:

“This was my opportunity to help spread the messages of Show Racism the Red Card, so I worked really hard on it and it was so exciting to win an award and take part in the ceremony at Nottingham Forest’s stadium”

The competition isn’t just about recognition – it’s about empowering young people to lead. As entries grow year after year, it’s clear: this generation isn’t just talking about equality- they’re shaping it. MP Mark Ferguson saw this first-hand when he visited Oliver’s school, celebrating his achievement and the competition’s role in fostering dialogue.

Why It Works

For many schools, the competition is a gateway to discussing anti-racism in an engaging, student-led way. Without a structured curriculum, we understand that teachers may feel unsure where to begin – but through art, writing, and creative projects, students explore these themes in ways that resonate with them. As we continue to campaign for anti-racism education to be a must on the National Curriculum, SRtRC encourages schools to get involved and make the most of the opportunities this FREE competition can provide for their students.

More Than a Ceremony

While the awards events at prestigious venues are unforgettable, the real impact happens after the competition closes. Schools like Croft Community School (2nd Place, Additional Support for Learning) use the experience to fuel ongoing discussions, proving that the contest is just the beginning.

“We had the best time, the effort and kindness to show we are all united as one was truly incredible, and you should all be so proud of the fantastic ceremony you all made happen. Our children are over the moon and can’t wait for our school event.”

In addition to registering and taking part in the School Competition, Croft Community School: 

• Used the Education Hub to deliver lessons on Black History Month in October 2024
• Inspired by this, they named SRtRC as one of their charities of the year and have donated profits from their pupil-run tuck-shop to raise funds for SRtRC – they raised £300!
• On Thursday 19^th June, SRtRC visited the school and delivered an assembly to years 7, 8, 9 and 10, along with a fitness fun session for the year 10’s who had been running the tuck shop. On this day, we were presented with the cheque and had the opportunity to thank all of the pupils and the school for all of their efforts
• On Friday 27^th June, we are back at the school delivering The Bench Workshop to a cohort of year 9 and 10 pupils 

North East Education Manager, James Kingett, reflected on his visit to Croft Community and shares:

“We have been so inspired by the fundraising efforts of the young people, teachers and support staff at Croft Community School and were thrilled to be invited to collect the cheque. The school raised an amazing amount of money from their tuckshop – enough to provide a full day of anti-racism education for a school in the North East. Croft Community School is clearly a really inclusive and welcoming place, where children are given a voice and an opportunity to invest their energies in issues that are important to them, and it was evident from the displays throughout the school and the wide range of initiatives that they have undertaken that the school values and proprieties educating the children in their care about the importance of diversity, equality and kindness.”

Speaking of investing energies in issues that matter, the Overall Winner of the Competition in England, Neriah, has gone on to read aloud her winning spoken word in the garden of No 10 Downing St in front of the Prime Minister. In her own words:

“This event has opened doors I didn’t know could open for me and has encouraged me to continue writing poetry. Applying to Show Racism the Red Card [Competition] was the best decision I could’ve made.”

Neriah’s determination and dedication to spreading this important message not only inspires SRtRC but also motivates us to continue with our anti-racism work.

As JM put it:

“[This Competition] encourages us to stand together, challenge discrimination, and build a more inclusive world where everyone feels valued, no matter their background. I’m proud to be part of something that truly makes a difference.”

And that difference? It starts with young voices like these.

Registration for School Competition 2026 will open later this year – don’t let your school miss out!