English football’s ongoing work to tackle all forms of discrimination and ensure the game is open to everyone has continued unabated.

The nature of this work means that when high-profile incidents occur involving big clubs and personalities, we read about it on the back pages, while the bulk of the positive work takes place slightly under the radar.

Football’s 2013-17 Action Plan is now coming to an end.

Much of work in the original plan has now become business as usual, while many of the task and finish jobs are completed.

The plan has helped change the entire approach of football to inclusion and diversity. However, there is much, much more still to do.

Membership of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board (IAB), has just been updated and approved by the Board. The Board has approved new terms of reference for the IAB and three key work-streams going forward; specifically:

1.       Governance and leadership: Ensuring the next generation of leaders is coming through the pipeline.
2.       Talent, coaching and pathways: Particularly ensuring BAME coaches are supported and have the opportunity to develop.
3.       The Culture of Football: Ensuring inclusion and equality is at the core of everything The FA does; including specific actions on Mental Health and Homophobia.

The new plan will be launched in 2018.

Within this plan will be The FA’s commitments to the criteria needed to meet Sport England and UK Sport’s Code of Governance. The Board has approved a target of a minimum of 30% of each gender on its Board. This will be achieved in 2018. 
 
The Board has also approved other elements of the Code which includes proportionate actions to be taken to support our diversity targets such as developing our leadership programmes in order to move towards achieving gender parity and greater diversity across our decision making structures, including the Board.  
 
When complete, the Board will approve the full action plan which will then be published on the website. It will also approve annual monitoring and reporting.