Building Bridges is Chelsea FC’s campaign to promote equality, celebrate diversity and make everyone feel valued throughout our club, stadium and wider community.
Through Building Bridges we work with everyone from children and young people in schools to community groups, antidiscrimination organisations and our men’s, women’s and Academy teams, to create a club where everyone feels welcome.
That includes our work with the Chelsea Disabled Supporters’ Association, a range of charities and football authorities including Kick It Out, and our LGBT fans’ group, Chelsea Pride, which was established in 2016 to increase visibility and give LGBT people a representative voice at the club.
In January 2018 Chelsea announced a new campaign to raise awareness of and educate our players, staff, fans and the wider community about antisemitism in football. The Say No To Antisemitism initiative is supported by the club’s owner Roman Abramovich.
Through the campaign we are working with partner organisations at home and abroad including the World Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, Holocaust Educational Trust, Community Security Trust, Anne Frank House and Maccabi GB among others.
Through working with our partners Chelsea are taking a lead on raising awareness of antisemitism and its impact on the Jewish community and society as a whole.
The club has also launched an education programme for supporters banned for antisemitic behaviour, as well as helping them to understand the impact of their actions, with participation in the course potentially leading to a reduction in the length of their ban.
Additional activities have also seen an educational visit for fans and staff to the Auschwitz concentration camp and Holocaust survivors meeting players and fans. The club have also created a series of educational videos and materials.
The men’s squad also travelled to Boston last season to take part in the Final Whistle on Hate match against the New England Revolution, the game raised $4m for equality charities and campaigning organisations. The women’s team also visited Israel as part of their pre-season training to promote the women’s game in the country.
