Football For Change listed for top honour at Burberry British Diversity Awards

THE Burberry British Diversity Awards has released its shortlist ahead of the annual ceremony which will take place in London on Wednesday 22 March. 

The awards celebrate leading diversity and inclusion champions, recognising achievements over the past year across ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and religious beliefs.

The Football For Change charity is nominated for a Social Mobility Initiative of the Year award and will go up against major businesses like Virgin Atlantic and HSBC UK in the category.

Football For Change is one of the fastest-growing social mobility initiatives in the UK, having been launched by football stars such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville in 2021.

Through fundraising and grant-making, the initiative aims to lift young people out of poverty by giving them the tools to build better futures. Since launching in 2020, the team has raised over £700,000 at two high-profile fundraising events which have been backed by stars including Sir Rod Stewart, Noel Gallagher and Olly Murs.

Meanwhile; Alison Hammond, Alan Carr, Stormzy and Jill Scott MBE are among the big names nominated in the Greene King Media Champion in the Public Eye category – a prize previously won by Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock and football legend Jamie Carragher.

And the biggest diversity and inclusion event in Britain’s red-carpet calendar also sees nominations for Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa, decorated Paralympian and Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Simmonds OBE, music icon Little Simz, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan plus comedians John Bishop and Romesh Ranganathan.

The awards ceremony takes place at Grosvenor House, London, and will be co-hosted by presenter, diversity expert and award-winning author June Sarpong OBE plus NHS doctor and BAFTA award-winning television presenter Dr Ranj Singh.

Linda Riley, the founder of the Burberry British Diversity Awards, said:

“We are incredibly proud to once again be recognising and celebrating those organisations, companies and individuals who consistently work to advocate and promote diversity, equality and inclusion.

“In these particularly difficult economic times, it is encouraging to see that so many businesses and organisations continue to put diversity and Inclusion in the front and centre of their strategic plans. I’m especially pleased to see an increasing number of organisations doing more to support well-being and social mobility.

“Over the past year, our nominees have realised great achievements, championing diversity of race, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, religious belief or social mobility.

“Our awards ceremony allows us to bring together these inspirational and incredible people and truly celebrate their accomplishments.”

With nominations across 19 categories, the 2023 Burberry British Diversity Awards has established itself as a powerful voice for diversity and inclusion, with this year’s awards recognising the positive impact of marketing, campaigning, media diversity and social mobility representation across the UK.

In a new Diversity in Tech specific to the Disability category, sponsored by BT, AccessAble and Connected Academy go head-to-head with auticon UK for the top honour.

BT’s chief technology officer Howard Watson said:

“We are incredibly proud to be sponsoring the British Diversity Awards for the next three years. We’ve worked together to establish an award that specifically celebrates companies or individuals who creatively use technology to break down barriers and widen participation for people with disabilities.

“Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our purpose: we connect for good. We believe new technology helps to transform people’s lives for the better. The future of tech must be inclusive and diverse for everyone to benefit and beyond. That’s why we aim to become the world’s most trusted connector of people, devices and machines. Our push to become a more inclusive business will never stop.”