#SRtRCSpotlight: Tackling Racism Together with Middlesbrough FC Foundation
At Show Racism the Red Card, our work is only as powerful as the partnerships that help us deliver it and our long-standing relationship with Middlesbrough FC Foundation is one we are incredibly proud of.
This academic year, we have once again been delighted to collaborate with the Foundation on a series of Premier League Primary Stars events that have brought together wonderfully diverse groups of young people for days of education, reflection, and inspiration. To date, we have delivered four sessions this academic year, welcoming a total of 350 pupils through the doors, and with two further events planned before the end of the year, we are on course to surpass 400 pupils reached. That is a milestone we are genuinely excited about, and one that reflects the growing scale and ambition of this partnership.
With participants spanning a range of backgrounds and abilities, and many attending this type of provision for the very first time, the reach of these events continues to extend to new audiences.
The feedback from across this year’s sessions has been outstanding. An impressive 94% of participants said they enjoyed the events, 93% felt welcomed and included, and 75% left feeling inspired around the topic of racism. Crucially, 65% of pupils identified learning that racism is wrong or reinforced their anti-racist values, exactly the kind of meaningful impact we exist to create.
Workshops, stadium tours, and the opportunity to engage with players, staff, and guest speakers were among the highlights praised by participants, with inclusion and respect emerging as consistent themes in their feedback.
What has made this year’s programme particularly special is the calibre and diversity of the guest voices who have joined us to lend their support.
We were thrilled to be joined by Bionic (Matty Campbell) from the hit television series Gladiators, a proud Middlesbrough local and Boro fan who brought enormous energy and warmth to the day. Matty’s passion for the cause was clear from the moment he arrived, and his presence resonated strongly with the young people in the room, proving that anti-racism advocacy reaches far beyond the football pitch.
From within the game, we have been fortunate to welcome players from both Middlesbrough’s men’s and women’s first teams, as well as representatives from the club’s youth teams, who stepped forward to lend their voices and their platforms to the programme. Hearing from players at different stages of their careers, from Academy prospects to established first-team figures gave pupils a powerful and wide-ranging perspective on what it means to stand against racism in football and in life.
We were joined by Boro locals David Wheater and Ella Baker. David is a former academy graduate is proud supporter of Show Racism the Red Card. David uses his platform to help educate young people and stand against racism in football and beyond. He made over 150 appearances for Middlesbrough in the Premier League and Championship before moving to Bolton Wanderers, where he went on to make 236 appearances and helped the club win promotion to the Championship. He was also called up to the full England squad on several occasions. Ella part of the current Middlesbrough Women’s first team also shows her fantastic support and insight in continuing the fight against racism and discrimination both in women’s football and society at large.
Among the standout appearances was USA international Aidan Morris, who attended one of our earlier sessions this year to share his personal perspective on racism and how it can be confronted and challenged in society. As a player who has experienced football across different cultures and environments, Aidan’s contribution added a thoughtful, international dimension to the conversation that clearly left a mark on the young people present.
The Team Behind the Work & Looking Ahead
None of this happens without exceptional people behind it. The Middlesbrough FC Foundation team received well-deserved recognition from participants for their high-quality delivery, warm facilitation, and genuine commitment to supporting every young person in the room. After several years of working alongside this team, we can say with confidence that their dedication to this programme never wavers.
We look forward to continuing and expanding this partnership, with further events planned before the end of the academic year, including an exciting opportunity to extend the programme’s reach into secondary schools for the first time.
Together, we are making a difference one young person at a time.
For any enquiries on our anti-racism workshops in the North East, please complete the enquiry form below: