Cheltenham Town are proud to unveil a new equality, diversity and inclusion-themed mural at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium to re-affirm the important message that football is for everybody.
To celebrate Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, the club are once again working with Andy ‘Dice’ Davies, the artist who created the History Makers Mural, which was unveiled in July.
The new mural is located at the far end of the car-park, close to the players’ entrance and the turnstiles to the Optimising IT Stand.
It celebrates the work of the Proud Robins, Cheltenham Town Ladies, the Cheltenham Town Community Trust, Kick it Out and Stonewall, all of whom the club stand in solidarity with to oppose any form of discrimination.
The Rainbow Laces campaign, launched in 2013, has increased the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in sport and raised awareness of their lived experiences on and off the pitch.
Tomorrow’s match against MK Dons is our Rainbow Laces showcase fixture where in collaboration with the EFL the club will amplify the message that everybody is welcome at Cheltenham Town FC and inclusion has no off-season.
Our LGBTQ+ supporters network, Proud Robins, continue to support and build LGBTQ+ inclusion and acceptance for fans, players and staff at Cheltenham Town.
After a successful launch in December 2021, Proud Robins have played an active role in supporting the club on a number of matters since, including: formulating a response to a crowd incident during the Charlton Athletic match in January, advising as to best practice on HR issues and offering personal support to LGBTQ+ supporters who have had negative experiences and reservations about attending matches.
Upon the completion of the new mural, Founder of Proud Robins and Robins Trust Board Member, Sam Lear, commented: ‘I’m delighted the club has commissioned the mural and continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring that Cheltenham Town is a welcoming place for everyone. Proud Robins is proud to be a part of this venture alongside the club and its partners and looks forward to building on the great work that’s been done in this regard so far.’
Two long-standing club partners, Mira Showers and JM Weston Construction generously funded the work, again cementing their commitment to the club and creating an inclusive environment that everybody can enjoy.
Richard Morris, the club’s Head of Commercial added: ‘We are grateful to both Mira Showers and JM Weston Construction for supporting this important piece of work. Collaboration with our partners and stakeholder groups across community and fan-experience led initiatives is an area of focus, and I’m sure people feel it’s a welcome addition to the stadium.’
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