October is a time for celebrating both Black History Month and One Game One Community Weeks of Action. The Weeks of Action this year run from 14th-26th October and are part of European Action Week Against Racism and Discrimination in Football. FURD is involved in the following activities:
Saturday 16th October: Sheffield United v Burnley: Every football club takes part in anti-discrimination activities at a home game during the Weeks of Action. FURD workers and volunteers will be handing out free anti-racist football resources such as posters and stickers to fans before Sheffield United's match against Burnley. Additionally, the club will showcase the work of FURD's Soundkickers music project, screening a video of the project on the big screen and giving away CDs featuring the group's music.
Tuesday 19th October, 7.30pm: 'Walter Tull 1888 -1918 Officer, Footballer': Showroom Cinema, Paternoster Row, Sheffield. As part of the Off the Shelf festival of reading and writing, Phil Vasili will read from his book on Walter Tull, who was both war hero and football hero. A black pioneer (alternately praised and abused) on both sporting and battle fields, he became an officer in the British Army leading his men with distinction and dying on the Somme in the First World War. Phil is the author of ‘The First Black Footballer’ and ‘Colouring over the White Line’ and is currently writing a play about Walter Tull. The evening , which is being co-ordinated by Ralph Hancock, will include stories and poetry with a football theme from members of Sheffield Conversation Club, which is a group for refugees and asylum-seekers to practise their English by chatting with English-speaking volunteers.
Wednesday 20th October: Footballing Question Time Video Conference: In conjunction with FURD, Yorkshire and Humberside Grid for Learning (YHGFL) are hosting a Video Conference session for schools which promotes inclusion and the building of partnerships centred around football. The Video Conference will follow the format of ‘Question Time’ and will be made up of a panel of experts which will include ex-professional footballer Earl Barrett , author and football historian Phil Vasili and Director of Football Unites, Racism Divides Howard Holmes. Other members of the panel have still to be announced.
Curriculum resources are available from YHGFL and schools can develop work around History, Geography, Personal, Health and Social Education and Citizenship. Themes that teachers could look at with students could include researching black footballers in the UK, how Kick It Out and FURD have changed attitudes over the past 15 years and the impact of the World Cup on South Africa. Students could produce a podcast, Comic Life storyline or produce a short video.
Schools can book online at http://www.yhgfl.net.
Saturday 23rd October: Sheffield Wednesday v Bournemouth: Members of the Soundkickers group will be giving away copies of their CD at the match.
Sunday 24th October: Songs of Praise: FURD is being featured on the BBC1 television programme Songs of Praise. Football Development Officer Desbon Bushiri will showcase FURD's football coaching work and how it is helping to unite young people from diverse backgrounds.
Wednesday 27th October 6-9pm: 'One Game Sheffield' forum: FURD, alongside Sheffield Wednesday, Kick It Out and Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA, is taking part in 'One Game Sheffield', a free evening forum for grassroots clubs and community groups taking place at Sheffield Wednesday FC. The event will include a panel discussion with key decision makers within the game, presentations around addressing local community needs through sport, an awards ceremony for local projects, and help with funding, volunteering and running football activities. For more information about this forum or to book a place, contact Kevin Coleman at Kick It Out on 0207 684 4884 or email kevin@kickitout.org.
FURD has a large library of literature relating to Black History and Anti-Racism themes, including exhibitions, posters, DVDs and books, that are available to borrow free of charge. A new A3 poster version of the South African Footballers in Britain exhibition is now available to borrow. Contact Ruth Johnson on 0114 255 3156, visit the FURD office at The Stables, Sharrow Lane, Sheffield S11 8AE, or see http://www.furd.org/default.asp?intPageID=17 for details.
For more information about the Weeks of Action, follow the link below.