8:00pm Thursday 4th March 2010
By Alex Willmott
AN ANTI-racism football project, piloted by Burnley FC, is now being rolled out across the UK.
Derby County FC and Millwall FC are following in the footsteps of the Clarets to promote anti-racism and multi-cultural education thro-ugh football for local school children.
The SCARF project was launched in Burnley in 2003 in a bid to develop and deliver anti-racism education within the citizenship curriculum in schools between five to 16-year-olds.
SCARF, which stands for schools, citizenship, anti-racism and football, has been hailed a great success in Burnley, with youngsters from different ethnic backgrounds remaining friends since being introduced seven years ago.
Prince Charles gave the scheme his backing when he visited the town two years ago.
Louise Spencer MBA, head of the Community Sports Trust in Burnley, said: “The majority of the schools in Burnley and Pendle have at some stage been part of the delivery process and our statistics have demonstrated that through the programme their understanding has drastically improved.”
Burnley is now looking at developing it further with enterprise activities so that community cohesion and business-to-business activities are an integral part of the communities’ development.”
Jane Richmond, teaching advisor for cohesion and diversity, who founded the project, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that the course is being carried out in Derby and Millwall.
“I went down to both clubs and trained the leaders to teach the course.
“And those kids who were on the first course in 2003 still talk to each other on the phone.
"I want it to be carried out in every club in the UK.”
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