Charitable organisation announces All Star Legacy Match in celebration of diversity, partnering with premier league giants Chelsea FC!
We are excited to announce Equality is Legacy has collaborated with Chelsea FC, one of the biggest football clubs in the world, to bring you an All Star Legacy Match later this year. The match will raise funds for the charity, but also to celebrate and embrace the club’s desire to make real social changes.
Equality is Legacy is a charitable organisation existing to provide practical support, education, mentoring, and investment grants enabling underprivileged communities to connect with big organisations to reach their full potential and grow diverse business talent.
The match will take place on 9th October 2021 at Stamford Bridge, during Black History Month. Together, Chelsea FC and Equality is Legacy will deliver a star-studded event that will be broadcast globally on a major platform.
Player Ambassador and ex-Tottenham star Darren Bent commented “we will be celebrating the UK’s sport and entertainment diversity – expect a fantastic celebrity line-up of players including football legends, boxers, actors, comedians and more – All Stars from different walks of life!”
From one of the first players signed, ex-Chelsea & Jamaica star Frank Sinclair “Football is a universal language that can be played by everyone, so regardless of your culture, background, gender or colour everyone plays by the same rules and that is a strong message in itself”
Ex-Liverpool & England star Emile Heskey added “We want to see more people standing united and representing equality with meaningful conversations that go beyond just taking a knee for example mentoring, practical education and investing in underprivileged communities is great action and we want to see more”
The All Star Legacy was conceived with the idea of using sport and entertainment to drive meaningful social action with the hope to provide funds to empower more leaders to rise out of the Covid-19 crisis and inspire marginalised communities.
Co-founder Cliff Bogle reflected “The important message is that no discrimination is acceptable. We are delivering inclusion and opportunity free of racism, sexism, homophobia, disability discrimination, antisemitism and mental health discrimination. Every individual and organisation involved has a genuine passion for change and equality”
Comedian, Teacher and Ambassador Mr Cee said, “we chose football as the launch event because at its best, football is unifying and uplifting. As a team sport, on the pitch, it is often about picking the best players to get the results, compared to many boards, corporations and other walks of life – at least on the pitch there is a platform of visible equality”
It is the vision of Equality is Legacy to inspire, empower and unite a diverse section of society to tackle the whole equality debate over the coming years but we recognise these things take time, collaboration, and resources.
Former Watford player/Team GB 2012 Olympics and Ambassador Marvin Sordell says “we have planned a series of historic initiatives to help fundraise and provide grants to help support and mentor business owners, students, unemployed and entrepreneurs from underprivileged communities”
With a target of £5 million in annual fundraising, Equality is Legacy hope to deliver up to 200 business grants with ongoing support and create 300 mentoring relationships each year.
Their mission is to create business opportunities, provide support, practical education, and equal opportunity for people who feel marginalised, especially those from a BAME background.
So, why football?
“We believe football is a great vehicle to drive action and awareness for a more diverse future. It is loved worldwide, making it one of the most powerful platforms to communicate a positive message of equality to people of all ages, regardless of their nationality” says Co-Founder Rodney Bennett
The match will feature some of the most recognisable names in sport and entertainment and will also feature a high-profile live music concert before the match. So whether you like football or not, you will be treated to an incredible experience that will lead to meaningful action in the fight for equality.
Rodney went on to say, “If we are honest with ourselves, we know football itself, off the pitch, has had many negative connotations around equality and diversity. We hope the All Star Legacy Match will help deliver tangible economic changes and perhaps adjust the perception of what football represents in modern society”
All of the profits raised by the All Star Legacy Match will go back into funding and mentoring for underprivileged and BAME communities to support those with less opportunity. And will provide a platform to spread our message of unity and togetherness, to embrace all cultures, empower all genders and seek equality of opportunity for our future generation.
Stay tuned for celebrity player announcements, how to register your interest for tickets and more.