The Essex County FA and The FA are here to ensure that everyone who is involved in football has a great experience - regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, disability, faith or age. Both the FA and the County FA's are working to ensure everyone has the opportunity to be part of the game.

It’s vital that equality and inclusion are embedded within grassroots football. As an organisation, we regularly review and reflect on the progress we’ve made in promoting and supporting work in this area.

The Essex County FA covers a large geographical area, stretching across 19 local authority areas from the London Boroughs of Newham, Barking & Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Havering through to Colchester, Braintree and Tendring, with a population of in excess of three million and with a diverse population of many different local communities.

Inclusion sits at the heart of everything we do here at Essex County FA. You can navigate our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion pages to find out more about our Inclusion Advisory Group, the Inclusion Education Programme and much more!

Over the coming years, we will work on the inclusion priorities that are outlined in our 2024 Moving Forward Strategy, which are underpinned by these key commitments: 

• Achieve the Code of Governance by June 2024
• Maintain Intermediate Level for the Quality Standard and continue to work towards Advanced Level 
• Challenge and eliminate discrimination, whether by reason of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, ability or disability and to encourage equal opportunities
• Provide clear and seamless pathways for male, female and disability grassroots football to meet the affiliated and recreational demands of the game
• To support a diverse volunteer workforce across grassroots football to meet the evolving administrative, technological and practical demands of the game

You can find our Moving Forward Strategy by clicking below: 

2024 Moving Forward