Community Sports Trust appoints new community cohesion officer

Syed Ali, Dale In The Community Sports Trust Community Cohesion Officer

A new community cohesion officer has been appointed by the Dale In The Community Sports Trust have appointed.

Syed Ali, who took up the role which he began on Monday, is tasked with engaging adults, young people and children amongst the BAME community in football, and in particular Rochdale AFC.

Mr Ali, 26, said is excited to be in his new role and to build links between the football club and the BAME community.

He added: “For me, the main objective is to go out into the community and gather a more BAME audience, bringing them towards the football club in terms of their attendance at matches and to get them to be more involved in sport and football.

“What I want to do, as do the club and the EFL, is put a plan in place in terms of what we’re going to do to improve the participation and engagement from the BAME demographic.

“I’ll be going into schools, community centres, mosques and many more places, putting on coaching sessions from a football and participation perspective, but also holding different events. For example, putting on a coffee morning for the BAME audience, holding seminars and even assemblies in schools.

“I want to go into these different groups to educate them and let them know that there is a professional football club at their doorstep saying 'come in and join us', and that we are one community.”