Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racism educational charity established in 1996. We work in schools throughout the North East and East and South East of England delivering anti-racism workshops to more than 10,000 young people every year and in most local authority areas we are funded to do this free of charge.

Our team of educators and ex-professional football players can visit your school for a whole day educating young people from year 5 up to year 11 against racism.

Workshop Aims

• To educate young people about the causes and consequences of racism and to explore the various forms racism can take.
• To empower young people to challenge racism in the communities in which they live, providing them with relevant knowledge and information to enable them to do this.
• To help young people prepare to play an active role as citizens in an increasingly multi-cultural society.
• To enable young people to develop good relationships and respect the differences between people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, culture or nationality.

Workshop Structure

Our DVD and guidance are sent to the school ahead of the visit to allow students to undertake preparatory activities. Schools also return a pro-forma to highlight any particular issues that they wish to be covered.

Our workshops are fully participatory and interactive. Students take part in a range of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic activities designed to build empathy and understanding and to encourage discussion and critical thinking. Participants work independently and in groups to fully explore the issues. Initial workshops provide an introduction to the subject of racism. We also deliver workshops which educate against prejudice towards Asylum Seekers and Refugees, people from Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities and Islamophobia.

‘Football and Fitness’ sessions are delivered alongside the classroom workshops by ex-professional footballers. The sessions take place in mixed groups with an emphasis on teamwork and supporting each other. Young people wear Show Racism the Red Card bibs and prizes are given out for enthusiasm and participation. We have found that the football sessions and presence of ex-professional footballers increases the enjoyment and participation of the young people and their engagement with the anti-racism message.

The team can also deliver a closing assembly which includes a question and answer session with the Show Racism the Red Card football coaches and Education Workers; this helps consolidate learning and leaves pupils empowered and ready to take action.

Copies of our DVDs and Education packs are left with the school to allow teachers to continue working around the theme of combating racism and racist bullying. The education pack contains 21 pages of activities and discussion points proven to stimulate debate and promote understanding, complete with learning outcomes, age group suitability and curriculum links.

Teacher Training

Show Racism the Red Card aims to empower people with accurate information and knowledge enabling them to tackle racism and challenge racist attitudes. The impact of this message on pupils can be compromised if teachers and school staff are not themselves, fully informed and confident dealing with these issues. In addition to our direct work with young people we are able to offer teacher training, either full day inset or twilight sessions.

The facilitators create a safe and supportive environment for teachers and school staff to express concerns and receive coaching and support in challenging racism.

We are funded to deliver workshops for free in most of the North East’s schools and many schools in London and the East and South East of England.

You can call Wendy on 0191 257 6200 or email info@theredcard.org for North East and rest of England enquiries and bookings.

Our South East office can be contacted on 01702 567 166 or email steve@theredcard.org for all enquiries and bookings for the London, East & South East.

Our Welsh office can be contacted on 02920 351 616 or email wales@theredcard.org

And our Scottish office can be contacted on 0141 222 2058 or info@theredcardscotland.org.

As our workshops involve participation and discussion we prefer to work with individual classes and visit a school for a whole day; however we are happy to speak at a whole school assembly in addition to this if appropriate.

If your school is in a local authority area which doesn’t fund our service, a full-day working with up to 3 classes of young people is £540 (excluding travel). For this price each school will receive:

• Show Racism the Red Card workshops
• Fun football fitness sessions delivered by ex-professional footballers
• Football team posters, magazines and stickers for each pupil
• A DVD and education pack

This format is flexible as we look to tailor our work to the needs of the school, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

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