Sky Sports and Kick It Out Renew Their Partnership

Sky Sports and Kick It Out have reaffirmed their dedication to creating a more welcoming football environment by extending their partnership for an additional year. This one-year extension marks the sixth year of their collaboration, with a £1m investment in a combination of financial support and value-in-kind contributions to combat discrimination and foster career opportunities in football. Over the past year, Sky Sports has supported various Kick It Out initiatives, including the launch of the 'Football United' strategy, a partnership with Guinness 0.0, and the online education platform The Academy, as well as the Raise Your Game programme, which provides opportunities for young people from underrepresented communities to break into the football industry. Kick It Out's 'Football United' strategy was unveiled in September, with Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville in attendance. Sky Sports News presenter Bela Shah hosted the launch event and mentored two Raise Your Game delegates, Elliott-Jay Henry and Razaq Folarin, who co-hosted a show for the first time after meeting Bela at Sky Sports Studios. The partnership between Sky and Kick It Out also involves showcasing initiatives such as the partnership with Guinness 0.0 to make pubs more welcoming, with Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison attending the launch event. Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth hosted Kick It Out's Media Raise Your Game event, which included a workshop by producer Maryam Chaudhary and reporter Chris Reidy. Additionally, Sky Sports produced a documentary about Kick It Out founder Lord Herman Ouseley to educate younger audiences about his impact on the organisation. The film was shown on Sky Sports and at England's game against Latvia, coinciding with what would have been Lord Ouseley's 80th birthday. This investment is part of Sky's £30m commitment to addressing structural inequality. Sky's multimillion-pound investment in Kick It Out has supported several initiatives, including a joint scholarship programme with the University of Liverpool Management School, which has enabled eight candidates to graduate with an MBA in Football Industries. It has also invested in Kick It Out's digital learning platform, The Academy, which has provided educational content on equality, diversity, and inclusion to nearly 5,000 people. Hollie Varney, COO of Kick It Out, stated that the partnership with Sky has grown over the past six years, providing unique education and development opportunities for underrepresented communities in football. David Carrigan, Group Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at Sky, said that extending the partnership reflects Sky's long-term commitment to tackling structural inequality in football. Sky Sports is dedicated to creating a safe and respectful environment for comment and debate on its social media platforms, free from abuse, hate, and profanity.