Anti Racism

Charlton are widely recognised as one of the most successful football clubs in the country at tackling racism.
Leading the club's work in this area is the Charlton Athletic Race Equality (CARE) Partnership.

CARE was established in 1993 by the football club, the supporters' club and Greenwich Council. The club has recently returned to The Valley and there were concerns that there might be attempts to use it as a vehicle for racism in the aftermath of the Stephen Lawrence murder in nearby Eltham.

Its mission was clear - to make The Valley a safe place for everyone to attend without any form of fear.

Working closely with Charlton supporters was paramountand the education process began, closely followed by a flagship annual event, the Red, White and Black day.

This is used to underline the club and its supporters' firm stance against any form of racism.

Many fans signed up to actively opposing racism within the groundand their signatures are proudly displayed at the entrances to the west and east stands.

More about CARE

The CARE Partnership has been tackling racism and social exclusion in the borough of Greenwich for nearly 10 years. CARE addresses these issues through education and fun-based arts and sports activities. Many of CARE's activities are aimed at primary and secondary school pupils, disadvantaged young people, adults and community groups.

CARE runs nationally accredited sports courses, including football and basketball. The courses are particularly targeted at young people from the black and minority ethnic community. Those who achieve qualifications are helped to gain employment, both through CARE's community coaching programme and the Charlton Athletic Community Scheme. Students study a module on equalities and diversity, to encourage a greater appreciation of diversity and respect others.

CARE also works in partnership with secondary schools and youth clubs in South Greenwich, helping young people to discover new skills, whilst working on arts initiatives such as interactive web and film-based projects.

Community Integration Football Initiative

CARE runs a Community Integration Football Initiative days to promote integration between young people from local communities. The days, hosted throughout the season, include 2 hours of football coaching with Charlton Athletic Community Scheme coaches, lunch, and tickets to watch a Premier League match.

Carnival 365

This project, covering parts of South Greenwich, includes year-round arts and sports initiatives run in conjunction with local schools, youth centres and community groups. The activities, including football exhibition matches, a gospel choir, and 'Respect' banners, are showcased at the annual community festival held at Eltham Green Specialist Sports College in July.

Primary Matters Education Pack

CARE uses drama trainers to deliver weekly classroom sessions to more than 15 primary schools in the borough. Topics covered include friendship, bullying and responsibility. The project has been so successful that more schools have expressed an interest in becoming involved in the programme.

Family Matters

Family Matters is a drama-based initiative, working with parents and carers of children under four. The South Greenwich-based project has helped parents, with very little or no confidence, realise their potential and make dramatic improvements in their levels of self-confidence. A new project has just started in the Charlton area, and will provide taster courses in keep fit, photography and drama. Careers Days will also give parents and carers the opportunity to develop their skills further and gain accredited qualifications.

For further details of the work of CARE Partnership, or to find out how to get involved in any of the initiatives, please phone 020 8293-5355, or write to the following address: The CARE Partnership, Charlton Athletic Football Club, The Valley, Floyd Road, London SE7 8BL.