Show Racism The Red Card

At the start of 2020, Show Racism the Red Card was awarded £10,000 by the Gwynt y Môr Community Fund to run a community awareness programme in schools, football clubs and youth clubs.

Show Racism the Red Card delivered anti-racism training for teachers and support staff in primary and secondary schools in Prestatyn, Towyn, and Rhyl, St Asaph and Colwyn Bay. They also delivered an informal anti-racism workshop at Conwy Borough FC, and more workshops are planned for the football clubs of Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and Prestatyn. The same sessions have been conducted in local youth clubs in Peulwys, Colwyn Bay, Mochdre and Llandudno.

Through their training for teachers and youth workers, Show Racism the Red Card aimed to help them with “developing their own knowledge; recognising and responding to racist incidents; increasing confidence in use of appropriate terminology; and support in using anti-racism resources with young people”. The informal workshops with young people in schools and youth clubs aimed to educate young people about racism (including unconscious racism) and different cultures, give them the confidence to respond to racism by challenging the behaviour.

The aim of these anti-racism education sessions was ultimately to reduce hate crimes amongst young people and the communities of North Wales. Many of the schools and clubs involved in the programme were highlighted by local police school liaison officers, local authority education workers, and parents as ideal settings for these sessions as a result of a racist incident occurring.

The community awareness programme has given teachers, youth workers and young people the tools to adequately respond to these racist incidents when they occur. One participant commented that “For me, the session's really been thought provoking and it's an opportunity for us now to... keep the momentum with this.”