One question always arises when the phrase ‘Social Inclusion’ is mentioned - what exactly does it mean?

Answer - it’s the positive steps an organisation can take to combat the risk of individuals or communities being excluded from mainstream society for reasons such as:

• Unemployment
• Low income
• Poor housing
• Family conflict/breakdown

The complete list is very extensive but the above factors can combine into a downward spiral which leads to further marginalisation – and often the creation of areas of deprivation, whether in cities or rural areas.

On the positive side, largely because of its multi-level appeal, there’s arguably no sport better placed than football to reach out to the socially-excluded.

Various examples of The FA’s role in social inclusion programmes are given below, usually characterised by partnerships with other agencies or organisations who share the goal of ‘using the power of football to build a better future’.