Roots and Rekindle Collaborate for Anti-Racism Workshops with Sheffield Wednesday
Earlier this month, we partnered with Rekindle and Sheffield Wednesday FC’s Community Programme to deliver a series of interactive anti-racism workshops for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. These sessions formed part of the club’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Community Day.
Hosted at Hillsborough Stadium, the workshops created a safe space for young learners to explore topics such as race, ethnicity, allyship and respect. Together, we used sport as a launching point for meaningful dialogue – inviting pupils to reflect on how they treat others and how they can actively support fairness in their communities.
This collaboration grew out of Roots’ wider outreach with football clubs – part of an emerging strand of work exploring how the shared lens of football fandom can open up conversations about identity, belonging and respect. Partnering with Sheffield Wednesday showed how naturally these values can be explored through community and education settings alike.
It was an honour to join Sheffield Wednesday on their EDI Day and show how powerful it can be to have open, honest conversations with young people about difference and allyship. The pupils quickly grasped new ideas and took the role of being a good ally seriously – it was inspiring to see.– Cara Kennedy, Community & Partnerships Lead, The Roots Programme
This work also supports Rekindle’s teacher training in anti-racism, emphasising just how aligned our organisations are in their commitment to connection, compassion and critical thinking. Together, Roots and Rekindle are bringing these values to life in classrooms, community spaces and beyond.
