Kick It Out and Sky extend partnership to champion inclusion and combat discrimination
Following its initial £3m investment, Sky is pledging an additional package over the next year through a mix of cash and value in kind support; Sky is funding this through its £30m commitment to accelerate action on racial injustice and to invest more in inclusion
Thursday 19 October 2023 12:04, UK
Sky is extending its partnership with anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out, pledging an additional £1m investment over the next year.
Following its initial £3m investment in 2021, Sky is pledging this additional package over the next year through a mix of cash and value in kind support.
The partnership has supported several initiatives crucial to driving inclusion in football and tackling discrimination in all its forms, including a scholarship for students from under-represented backgrounds to enrol in a Football Industries MBA.
The extension of this partnership will help create additional educational content for clubs and fans, and boost annual transparency and insight reports on a range of issues relating to diversity, discrimination, and inclusion in sport.
Sky is funding this through its £30m commitment made in June 2020 to accelerate action on racial injustice and to invest more in inclusion.
Stephen van Rooyen, UK & Ireland CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, Sky Group, said: "Sky is football's biggest partner in the UK which means we have a responsibility in helping the clubs, players, fans, and industry become more inclusive.
"Extending our partnership with Kick It Out for another year means that we will be able to develop new initiatives aimed at addressing discrimination in sports and continue to deliver campaigns that make a difference."
Tony Burnett, CEO of Kick It Out, said: "We are delighted to extend our partnership with Sky in our 30th anniversary year and hope to build on the work already achieved which has enabled us to provide under-represented groups with educational opportunities, support minority communities to make a career in the sports industry and establish a valuable platform to drive inclusion.
"We can now look forward to delivering further exciting new initiatives which include creating space for dialogue about discrimination and continuing to drive fair representation across the game.
"Kick It Out is committed to tackling discrimination in all its forms and creating a welcoming environment for all, and we'd like to thank Sky for joining us on that journey."
