Everton Commit To Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme
Everton Football Club is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to equality and diversity by becoming one of the first football clubs to sign up as a Stonewall Diversity Champion.
Stonewall is Europe’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality, working with more than 750 organisations to help them further strengthen their commitment to the LGBT+ community and ensure they offer an environment where everyone can be themselves.
As Stonewall Diversity Champions, Everton and its official charity, Everton in the Community, will receive expert consultation from Stonewall, and together will review current polices, practices and staff training. Staff will also have access to best practice case studies and seminars, resources and toolkits, and Everton will be listed on the Proud Employers careers site.
Everton recently achieved the Advanced Level of the Premier League Equality Standard (PLES) and signing up to Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme is part of the club’s continuing commitment to ‘All Together Now’, ensuring equality and inclusion for all.
Everton supports Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign each season, where rainbow armbands are worn by team captains, while a Rainbow Laces pitch flag, rainbow-coloured ball plinths, corner flags and substitution boards are used to back the initiative.
Everton and Everton in the Community also take part in the annual Liverpool City Region Pride celebration and the club works closely with Rainbow Toffees, an Everton Supporters Club for the LGBT+ community. The club and its official charity have also recently launched an LGBT+ network for staff.
Kim Healey, People Director at Everton Football Club, said: “As ‘The People’s Club’, we are proud to become a Stonewall Diversity Champion. Everton is a football family that is open to all, and we are committed to embedding inclusivity into everything we do.
“We are looking forward to taking our commitment to the LGBT+ community to the next level by learning from and working with Stonewall, incorporating their best practice into everything we do. We want to continue to ensure that everybody that comes into contact with our Club and charity feels welcomed and can be themselves.”
Robbie de Santos, Stonewall’s Director of Sport, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Everton as Stonewall Diversity Champions. We’ve seen lots of progress on LGBT inclusion from across football with our Rainbow Laces campaign, but to make this last we need organisations to step up and show their commitment to supporting LGBT communities throughout their work. That’s what Everton have done today. We look forward to working with them to help further LGBT equality across football, and help make sport everyone’s game.”
Image: PA Images
