From 22nd March to 21st April 2023, Ramadan will be observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

For the 22/23 season, and for the subsequent 10 plus seasons, Ramadan will fall within the football season. With the growing number of Muslim players at grassroots level, in the academy system and through to the professional game, understanding and embracing individual and cultural differences is key to achieving inclusion and playing opportunities For All.

In developing this webinar series, Essex County FA hope to improve the awareness of Ramadan across the County, as well as our understanding of various considerations which can improve the inclusion of and support provided to players, staff and participants.

Speaking with our Equality and Inclusion Officer, Milly Morgan, she said "In line our vision of creating a united grassroots football environment which delivers football opportunities For All, it is vital that we understand ways to best support individuals at football during periods of religious observance. Participating in grassroots football during Ramadan, whilst often maintaining work commitments, is an immense physical challenge. We want to raise awareness amongst football providers across Essex and offer them the chance to receive guidance on how to support individuals during fasts. We hope to reduce the number of players who don’t feel able to participate in football during Ramadan due to fixture timings, inability to break fast or other factors"

Hafiza Patel, Chair of Essex FA’s Inclusion Advisory Group and INED, said “It’s wonderful to see Essex County FA’s hard work on continuously making football accessible for all, championed through these webinars.  The webinars will help clubs ensure better understanding for the needs of every player, coach and referee” when speaking about the webinar series.

These webinars will look to include a brief background to Ramadan as well as how you can best support those observing Ramadan within your football role. We will include tips to support players and participants during fasting, as well as discussing fixtures and FA rules on religious observance.

The sessions will be hosted as live events and recorded to act as a future educational resource for the Essex football community and uploaded to our YouTube channel

Dates:

• Leagues - Monday 20th February 7-8pm
• Referees - Monday 27th February 7-8pm 
• Clubs & Coaches - Monday 6th March 7-8pm 

To sign up, please click the button below and complete the form.

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For more information, please contact our Equality & Inclusion Officer Milly Morgan.