Brentford FC Community Sports Trust’s Tackling Discrimination Through the Power of Football initiative was acknowledged at the London Football Awards on Monday night.
The Trust were awarded the Community Project of the Year award, seeing off competition from the Fulham Foundation and Palace For Life Foundation.
Brentford FC works closely with the Trust, supporting many of its programmes locally and helping to advertise opportunities and support its work in the community.
Over the last 12 months, Brentford FC club ambassador Marcus Gayle, and former Brentford FC women’s player Salma Mahamud, have been touring primary schools across our local community with the Championship Play-Off final trophy to deliver anti-discrimination workshops.
These workshops aim to educate primary school pupils across our local community on a range of issues, while also promoting unity against all forms of racism, as well as championing equality, diversity and inclusion.
Upon receiving the award, Gayle said: “It’s a pleasure to be here representing Brentford. I would like to thank everybody who voted for us. It’s been a very exciting project to work on, especially seeing the impact this has on all the local school kids when we go in and speak with them.
“This award goes out to all of the team that have put us in this position, with the support of the football club and the staff at the Community Sports Trust.
"It just goes to show what can be achieved when everyone unites to work on a meaningful project in our community.”
Brentford’s Thomas Frank, David Raya and Ivan Toney were nominated for the Manager of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Premier League Player of the Year categories respectively in 2023.
The London Football Awards are in aid of and organised by UK charity Willow, who provide special days and memories for seriously ill young adults aged 16-40 throughout the UK.
Founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson and his wife Megs in 1999, in memory of their daughter Anna, who died of cancer aged 31, Willow aims to support 1,000 young adults every year, helping them share magic moments with their loved ones.