Gay football group Justin Campaign receives £2,000 grant

The Justin Campaign, a group set up to tackle homophobia in football, has won a £2,000 cash injection.

The campaign, named after the late gay football star Justin Fashanu, was awarded a development grant from Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion campaign, and the Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sports charity.

The funds will be used by the Brighton-based charity to hold a series of coaching sessions for the town’s large lesbian and gay population.

The Justin Campaign is one of 13 initiatives sharing a £20,000 pot of funds given out by Kick it Out this year.

Darren Ollerton, director of the Justin Campaign, said: “The project aims to increase visibility of the community within football and help establish new role models. This is very important for young people developing their own identity. The project will also provide support for existing coaches and players from the gay and lesbian community.”

Piara Powar, director of Kick It Out, said: “The high number and range of applications indicate a real thirst from under-represented communities everywhere to get engaged in the game.

“The money has been issued to some very ambitious projects that try to encourage new communities in coaching, managing and playing football.”

Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “We are delighted to once again support Kick It Out’s development grants programme, with funding worth a total of £90,000 [in the last three years].

“It is very exciting to see the wide range of different communities across the country that will become engaged in our national game, particularly in a World Cup year.”

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