Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan
SHROPSHIRE
Shropshire, also called Salop is a county covering over 1,346 square miles, making it the largest inland county in England. The county's population and economy is centred on the main towns of Telford, Bridgnorth, Market Drayton, Newport, Oswestry, Ludlow and Shrewsbury which is the administrative centre.
The geographic county is bounded to the north by the county of Cheshire, to the east by the county of Staffordshire to the southeast by the county of Worcestershire, to the south Herefordshire and to the west by Wales.
In 1998 Telford and Wrekin became a unitary authority. Prior to 2009, the former administrative county of Shropshire was divided into a further five administrative entities: the districts of Bridgnorth, North Shropshire, and South Shropshire, the borough of Oswestry, and the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham, these areas then became the new Unitary Authority of Shropshire. The County therefore has 2 Unitary Authorities.
About Shropshire FA
As the Governing body of the game in Shropshire, the associations is responsible for setting the standards and values to apply throughout football at every level; it belongs to, and should be enjoyed by, anyone who wants to participate in it.
The Shropshire FA’s commitment is to promote inclusion and to confront and eliminate discrimination whether by reason of age, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status or civil partnership, race, religion or belief, ability or disability, pregnancy and maternity and to encourage equal opportunities. The Shropshire FA will ensure that it treats people fairly and with respect and that it will provide access and opportunities for all members of the community to take part in, and enjoy, its activates
Vision - Creating opportunities to empower and inspire people enjoy football
Mission - To lead, promote, develop and support life long community participation through football
Values - Inclusive, Inspiring, Innovative, Transparent, Trusted
11,408 male players
Development Measures
159 players in disability football
481 registered referees 9 3* community clubs
130 quality grass pitches 1,150 registered volunteers 2,173 registered coaches
3,702 female players
Development Measures
16 male and mixed sessional playing opportunities
242 female only sessional playing opportunities
914 male and mixed team playing opportunities
50% of pitches on PitchPower
10 disability sessional playing opportunities
18 disability team playing opportunities
25% of pitches on Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund
98.4% of youth teams with a qualified coach
Development Measures
25% of coaches in the affiliated game completing local coaching CPD
40 referees converted by 2025
103 referees recruited by 2025
329 referees retained by 2025
32 referees progressed
93% of teams in Accredited clubs
Current Position
Shropshire the Geographic county has a total population of around 508,000, this is split between 323,000 in Shropshire and 185,000 in Telford and Wrekin.
Stats Shropshire County by population
*based on 2021 census
Stats Shropshire FA (as of 17th June 2024) *where data does not equal 100%, either not said or small %
Board of Trustees
INSIGHT
WE WILL:
Utilisekeydemographicdataandinsighttoidentifykeyareasforgrowthand ensurewemeettheneedsofdifferentcommunitiesandeffectivelyimprove diversityinthegame.
ForewordbyAndyWeston,CEOatShropshireFootballAssociation: AtShropshireFA,wewanttouniteourdiversecommunitiesthatlivewithinour countyandprovideinclusiveopportunitiesforpeoplefromallwalksoflife regardlessofrace,ethnicity,gender,sexuality,abilityorbackground.Our commitmenttocreatinganequalplayingfieldforallisoutlinedinouractionplan andisreflectiveoftheevolvingenvironmentsinmodernfootball. Itisimportanttonotethatourjourneytoinclusionisstillinprogress,butwithour ambitionstopromotediversityandinclusionthathasbeensetoutintheplan below,wearecommittedtodevelopingandfosteringanenvironmentthatis inclusiveforall.
INSIGHT
Interventions:
•Work with underrepresented groups to understand the needs and requirements for people from diverse backgrounds
•Work with local Inter Faith youth group as a consultancy group to identify the barriers to young people participating
•Keep up to date EDI records of all participants in the game and work to align these with the census demographics of the County
•Utilise external data via Active Partnerships, The FA, Kick it Out, Football v Homophobia and other relevant organisations
Outcomes:
•EDI audits to be undertaken internally on an annual basis to bench mark ourselves
•Provide inclusive opportunities and environments for participants from all backgrounds
•Football is more easily accessible for young people from different backgrounds
•Ensure Shropshire FA is reflective of the communities we live and work in
•Hold consultation events with key groups and develop surveys and utilise feedback to ensure we are continuing to meet our participants needs.
•Greater collaboration with existing and new partners to address barriers
PARTICIPATION
WE WILL: IMPROVE AND GROW THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE GAME AT ALL LEVELS
Outcomes:
•Create an Ability Counts Youth League
•Work with Accredited clubs to develop full pathways in the female and disability game
•Utilise the expertise of our Shropshire
Disability Ambassador and Disability Mentor to work closely with grassroots clubs who want to develop their disability pathway.
•Work with Community Trusts and Active
Partnerships to develop alternative offers
•Work with Leagues to improve facilities used by female and disabled play
•Improved playing experience involved Interventions:
•Increase in opportunities for young players in disability football
•18 new disability team opportunities and 242 Female Team opportunities
•Utilising FA disability specialist staff to create increased workforce working within disability provision across the county, and therefore increasing playing opportunities
•New opportunities both in th and recreational game
WORKFORCE
WE WILL: TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNTY FA AT ALL LEVELS HAS A HIGH PERFORMING DIVERSE AND REPRESENTATIVE WORKFORCE REFLECTING THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY
Interventions:
•Establish a Female Coach Development Group
•Deliver specific courses for underrepresented groups including female and BAME only referee courses
•Actively promote FA Fully Funded places
Outcomes:
•More female coaches at a higher level on the coaching pathway
•Increase our number of female referees by 50%
•Increase the number of referees by 7% for underrepresented groups
•12% increase in coaches from underrepresented groups
•Increase representation on committees and decision making groups across the county
•12% Increase in the number of volunteers in game from underrepresented groups
GOVERNANCE
WE WILL: ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE A STRONG, INCLUSIVE AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE ACROSS THE COUNTY IN LINE WITH OUR VALUES, WORKING TOWARDS AND OR MAINTAINING A BOARD THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND ALIGNING TO THE FA’S CODE OF GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENT.
Interventions:
·Drive inclusion and embed within the County FA through our IAG headed by our Board Equality and Diversity Champion. IAG will also consist of external funding organisation, Energise, who provide funding for underrepresented groups.
·Work with the Youth Leadership Academy to increase the voice of young people from underrepresented groups
·Achieve and maintain the FA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard
·Follow and apply the FA Anti-Discrimination standard and share this amongst grassroots clubs and the community.
·Ensure all Senior Leaders and Board members actively create a positive culture across the business.
·All staff and board to undertake annual EDI Training that covers a wide variety of topics, inclusive of those outlined in our Diversity and Inclusion Action plan.
·Create improved awareness of reporting Discrimination across the County in line with FA Discipline processes
Outcomes:
·Quarterly meetings of the IAG and Key Actions developed
·Increase in young people involved and future interventions are led and devised by them
·The County FA continues to meet the standards and is embedded in to the Business
·Review all existing policies to ensure EDI is embedded
·Staff and board to have up to date knowledge and training that will reflect topics that may arise in the ever-evolving game of football across Shropshire and beyond.
·Greater sanction across the game towards Discrimination and people feel comfortable to report
·Ensure we have 30% of each gender on our Board
PROMOTION
WE WILL: DEVELOP A PR STRATEGY TO PROMOTE, CELEBRATE AND RAISE THE PROFILE OF INCLUSIVITY ACROSS THE COUNTY FA TO MAXIMISE AWARENESS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE NATIONAL GAME.
Interventions:
·•Identify role models and actively promote via our digital platforms,
•Raise Awareness and celebrate good practice
•Work with neighbouring professional football clubs and utilise their resources.
•Actively promote all FA and partners initiatives around EDI
•Utilise the FA EDI Calendar for the 24/25 season and facilitate projects that are promoted for underrepresented groups in a timeline that runs alongside these dates.
•Ensure our digital platforms and communications are inclusive
•Deliver high profile events showcasing EDI across the County
Outcomes:
·Greater awareness of diversity within the game
·Widen our network of external partners and increase understanding across the County of the different cultures, beliefs and diversity within the game.
·To work collaboratively with professional football clubs (Shrewsbury Town FC) and non-league (AFC Telford United) and utilise their coaches and facilities to increase number of playing opportunities in the different pathways across the county.
·Greater accessibility to our platforms and resources
·Utilise the power of football to embrace diversity and get people involved from different backgrounds
·Additional and targeted projects that run throughout the season aimed at underrepresented groups across the cou that will lead on to increased participation in the game ac the county.
