Stonewall's rainbow laces campaign is underway

Hampshire FA Celebrates the Rainbow Laces Campaign

We are proud of the engagement from the local community throughout this year’s campaign.

Throughout November and December, Hampshire FA took part in the 2022 Rainbow Laces Campaign. We celebrated our LGBTQ+ communities by echoing that hatred and discrimination have no place in our beautiful game.

We've asked the local football community to amplify this message across the county. Over 800 pairs of rainbow laces were donated to local clubs and colleges! Clubs are taking responsibility to create an inclusive and welcoming environment by lacing up and speaking up.

Stoneham Lane Football Complex rainbow laces 

During the campaign, clubs and colleges shared pictures on social media using the hashtag #RainbowLaces. We wanted to recognise some of the activities that clubs have done.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) Team, choose their friendly match against Unity 101 FC, to promote the campaign. HIWFRS are proud members of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions scheme. Ben Taylor, spokesperson for the event said:

“We were honoured to join the Rainbow Lace Campaign at our Charity Football Match against Unity 101FC, which raised money & awareness for The Firefighters Charity and CALM. The Rainbow Lace Campaign is a great way to remind everyone that we strive to be an inclusive service for all! We wore the laces to recognise the importance of visibility for our LGBTQ+ members of staff and for the LGBTQ+ members of the communities we serve.”

 

The Portsmouth based coaching academy, Soccer Scholar Academy (SSA), ran the Rainbow Laces campaign for their U7-U10 programme. SSA’s Director, Jack Moore spoke about the campaign:

“The rainbow laces campaign helped us to bring visibility to the LGBTQ+ community at Soccer Scholar Academy. Our players loved showing off their laces in training and matches whilst demonstrating equality to all participants”.

 

While there is still work to do, the Rainbow Laces campaign is a powerful reminder of how far football has come in supporting LGBTQ+ communities. It is a testament to the positive impact that we can achieve when we come together to support each other and promote inclusion.

Want to take part in our next EDI campaign or want help planning your own event? Get in touch with alienor.chartier@hampshirefa.com or Tariq.Al-Maskriy@hampshirefa.com.