Michael Seeraj - a podcast by Adam McCabe

  

Michael Seeraj

Title: Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Charlton Athletic FC

Michael’s early passions led him to studying social inclusion and exclusion in inner city urban areas. He was constantly interested in the impact that exclusion had on people considered as different or as “the other”. 

Michael himself has a mixed ethnic background and at an early age marked out that he was “different”. Growing up as somebody considered as “other” has been a dimension of his own personal character and marked his outlook on life. 

After working on projects with Charlton Athletic FC and the local authorities surrounding social integration and cohesion with different communities in the area, he was asked to lead the first ever Equality and Diversity Department in professional football in 2013.

In focusing on the LGBTQ community Michael partnered with Bexley Invicta FC (now formally known as Charlton Invicta FC) to created the first formally affiliated partnership between a professional football club and an LGBTQ football club. This ground-breaking partnership created Charlton Invicta and was the first time an LGBTQ football club had the full backing, support, and affiliation with a professional football club.

Michael thought that creating this partnership would, “provide structural and practical opportunities for the LGBTQ community to play football and help in raising issues with homophobia in sports to the LGBTQ community and wider audiences.”

Twitter Handles:

Charlton Athletic Community Trust --- @cafctrust

Charlton Invicta FC --- @charltoninvicta

Artices:

EFL: https://www.efl.com/news/2017/september/charlton-athletic-addicks-launch-first-lgbtqi-team/

CAFC: https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5b44d0e127f45/pride-in-london-brings-the-charlton-family-together

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