Arsenal achieves Advanced Equality Standard

Arsenal Football Club has become the first club to receive Kick It Out's Advanced Level of the Equality Standard. The standard supports the development of equality and diversity practice at professional clubs in the UK.

Arsenal has received the honour from football's equality and inclusion campaign after providing detailed evidence on what it is doing to promote diversity and equality. It includes work in the community, engagement with fans and the development of Club policies and processes to create equal opportunities for all.

The award will be handed over by Lord Herman Ouseley, Chair of Kick It Out at an event at Emirates Stadium today which will see a number of equality and diversity groups and members of the football family come together. Arsenal's Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal and England Ladies Captain Faye White and Arsenal supporters and individuals from the local community who are involved in some of Arsenal's initiatives which celebrate the diversity of its fan base will also be speaking at the event.

Lord Herman Ouseley, Chair of Kick It Out, football's equality and inclusion campaign, said: "This is a significant achievement for the Club. They've demonstrated consistent good practice and led from the top. Their commitment to engaging with fans from ethnic minority communities and acting as a fair and equitable employer is something others should aspire to."

Arsenal's CEO Ivan Gazidis added: "This is a great achievement for Arsenal and is something of which the supporters and staff can all be very proud. However, we fully recognise there is a lot to be done to eradicate all forms of discrimination in football and beyond.

"We celebrate receiving this award today and will use it as a platform to continue the good work and engage more people and organisations who can help us contribute to the equality and diversity agenda and reach more people from all walks of life."

One of the key pillars of the Club's work on the equality and diversity agenda has been the Arsenal for Everyone initiative. It was launched four years ago to move from an anti-racism message to a broader programme to encourage diversity throughout the Arsenal family. It formed part of the Club's work towards the Advanced Level of the Equality Standard and encompassed a broad range of initiatives undertaken in the community and at Emirates Stadium.

This includes award-winning work to give disabled supporters an unrivalled matchday experience which includes a half-price season tickets for disabled supporters with accompanying carer, a dedicated matchday commentary service for visually impaired fans, the creation of an audio version of the matchday programme, provision of a disabled supporters lounge and the UK's only guide dog toilet.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/community-news/arsenal-achieves-advanced-equality-standard

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Well done, Arsenal.

Proud. Proud. Very very Proud.

Arsenal - The Pride of London

Arsenal.

Arsenal kicking racism out of football since Chelsea invented it

No coincidence Arsenal announce this after the Terry-Ferdinand affair.

But of course, it's wonderful news.

No matter what country you are from, I respect you.

Samuelj29060 wrote:No coincidence Arsenal announce this after the Terry-Ferdinand affair.

But of course, it's wonderful news.

No matter what country you are from, I respect you.

Spoke like a boss Respect Sam

srigooner wrote:

Samuelj29060 wrote:No coincidence Arsenal announce this after the Terry-Ferdinand affair.

But of course, it's wonderful news.

No matter what country you are from, I respect you.

Spoke like a boss Respect Sam

I am white, but my best friends (in the real world) are from Ghana, Portugal, Iran, South Africa.......

You've got equality spelt wrong...

beatrixasdfghjk. wrote:You've got equality spelt wrong...

Thanks for spotting that. Fixed it now.

GoonerJay29 wrote:

beatrixasdfghjk. wrote:You've got equality spelt wrong...

Thanks for spotting that. Fixed it now.

Now, if the admins just made me a Grammar Policeman ...

Gotta be proud to be a Gooner. Now let's kick it out of the EPL all together, I'm looking at you John Terry...

Respect, thats why we are a classy club.

It always feels good when you see arsenal fans from all over the world. We are class above the rest