Shortly before the summer holidays The Paul Canoville Foundation worked with the PFA (Professional Footballers Association) to arrange a visit for Paul Canoville, author Patrick Hutchinson and Simone Pound – Head of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion for The PFA – to Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford.
Back in February 2023 there was a racially motivated attack outside the school which received national news coverage. Two girls and a woman have recently been charged in relation to the incident.
In the months since February, the school have implemented a number of initiatives to help promote inclusion and tolerance.
The visit, organised by Simone at the PFA, comprised a special program delivered to students, utilising Paul and Patrick’s lived experiences to highlight the impact of racist abuse and the importance of allyship.
Simone talked about the Equality Workshops that professional football players receive and the reporting lines and sanctions in place to tackle discrimination in the game.
It is only through engaging with young people during sessions like this, that we can #EducateOutRacism.
Many thanks to Simone for organising and to Patrick for joining Paul.
