Kick It Out ‘enthusiastic’ about future amid funding cut reports

Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari says its partners are “enthusiastic about its vision for the future” amid reports funding could be cut next year.

It has been reported the anti-discrimination charity, which receives funding from the Premier League, the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Association, has not been given guarantees around its budget for the 2021-22 season, despite discrimination in the game being on the rise.

However, Bhandari says Kick It Out is working to reaffirm the arrangements with existing and new funding partners, and is prepared to work flexibly as the whole game tries to deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have been conducting a strategic review and are going through a period of transition as we execute our new strategy,” he said.

“A rolling year-to-year approach to the end of the current three-year cycle in 2022 suits Kick It Out much better as it gives us flexibility within that cycle.

“We have been in regular contact with our funders over the course of our current strategic review. They are enthusiastic about our vision for the future and continuing to work in partnership with us.”

Bhandari announced a strategic review of the charity’s operations in November last year.