Sunderland AFC today showed its support for Kick It Out’s ‘Call Full Time On Hate’ initiative as centre back Papy Djilobodji visited a local school in the city.
The defender joined over 60 local schoolchildren at East Herrington Primary School to help raise awareness of the scheme, while also signing autographs and taking part in a Q&A session before giving away tickets for the youngsters to attend Sunderland’s forthcoming home game against Burnley.
This Saturday’s game will see Sunderland give their backing to the #CallFullTimeOnHate campaign and in addition to its support at today’s event, both teams will wear Kick It Out t-shirts, while the Black Cats will be supporting the initiative across social media, as well as through other resources such as posters, t-shirts and LED board advertisements inside the Stadium of Light.
Speaking at Thursday’s event, Djilobodji said: “It’s important that we can raise awareness of the really important work that Kick it Out do in football. Any form of discrimination has no place in football and the whole game needs to do everything they can to stamp it out of the game at all levels.”
Over the last year, Lord Herman Ouseley, Chair of Kick It Out, has reiterated with all the football authorities his concerns on behalf of the organisation around rising levels of hate in society and believes support from professional clubs is an important step in tackling the issue.
“Our anti-hate initiative aims to build on existing positive education and awareness-raising projects supported by clubs and their Foundations in their local communities. Football is at the forefront of helping its fans, players and young people in their local communities to understand the damaging effects of prejudice and discriminatory abuse.”
Throughout the 2016/17 season, Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation aims to utilise and engage the collective force of football to tackle discrimination and hate incidents at every level of the game. Since 1993, Kick It Out has worked throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change.
The #CallFullTimeOnHate campaign aims to utilise and engage the collective force of football to tackle discrimination and hate incidents at every level of the game. The initiative also seeks to highlight the positive messages of inclusion echoed by the football authorities, clubs, players, managers and supporters’ groups.
Djilobodji was attending a special course ran by the Foundation of Light.
