Sunderland council ends 30-year support for Show Racism the Red Card

Sunderland city council has ended three decades of support for Show Racism the Red Card, putting education work by the football-linked charity at risk. The Guardian reported that the decision by the Reform UK-led authority will mean some school anti-racism teaching is scrapped, with former Sunderland captain Gary Bennett warning of immediate disruption to its activities.

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Bennett, the charity's head coach and a founding member, said the withdrawal would affect its ability to work with local children and deliver workshops in prisons and workplaces. Sunderland was the first council to support the organisation, which was established in 1996. He expressed surprise and disappointment at the break after 30 years and sought an explanation for the decision.

Council leader Christopher Eynon announced the move last week, saying the authority would no longer back organisations it regarded as politically driven. Eynon, whose party took control of the council in May, nevertheless said Sunderland remained opposed to racism and discrimination. He objected to comments by the charity's chief executive, Ged Grebby, who had characterised Reform as dangerous.

Grebby defended his entitlement to hold personal views and said the charity drew support from across the political spectrum. Bennett also rejected the suggestion that it was a political organisation. Labour's Bridget Phillipson criticised the council's decision on Tuesday, arguing that it was wrong and did not reflect the wishes of Sunderland's residents, according to the Guardian's report.

The dispute involves an organisation with longstanding ties to football in the city. Bennett became only the second black player in Sunderland's history when he signed in 1984, before helping establish Show Racism the Red Card 12 years later. His role with the charity now centres on the education work affected by the council's withdrawal of support.

Bennett pointed to the racist riots in Sunderland and other English cities in 2024 as evidence that anti-racism work remained necessary. He acknowledged progress since the 1980s but said attitudes towards asylum seekers and migrants presented continuing challenges. While the council maintained its opposition to discrimination, he warned against assuming that racism would disappear without sustained efforts to address it.