Willy Gnonto and Georginio Rutter made a special guest appearance at a local primary school, getting involved in a Leeds United Foundation Equality, Diversity and Inclusion workshop around discrimination, as part of the Premier League Primary Stars initiative.
The club’s official charity work across a number of schools throughout Leeds helping to engage students in educational sessions on a variety of important topics, one of those includes different forms of discrimination and the importance of breaking down stereotypes.
Willy and Georginio were quick to get involved in the discussions taking place during the workshop, which was focused on the Black Lives Matter movement, chatting with the children about their thoughts and any questions they had. A memorable afternoon was then capped off with a Q and A session with the players, who also signed shirts and smiled for photos before leaving.
Katie Proud, Premier League Primary Stars Team Lead, said: “We are educating the children by saying that everyone is equal and everyone should be included, and that is not just talking about racism, but all other forms of discrimination as well, with sessions around the LGBTQ+ community, different cultures and religions, sexism and disability.
“The students were delighted to see the two players walk in today, and their faces lit up as soon as Willy and Georginio came in. It is just brilliant because I think it is so powerful to have a player speak about their experiences and showing their support towards that.
“Getting them involved is phenomenal for the children, they will never forget this lesson, and in turn they will know exactly what they have learnt in this lesson, so they can use that in the future.”
Italy international Gnonto added: “I really enjoyed coming along today. The kids are really smart, really clever and they are willing to learn which is the most important thing. Even with these types of topics, if you are a kid learning it and you enjoy yourself then it is even better.
“I think these types of activities are really important because they are quite young and as soon as they learn about this the better. I feel like they are willing to learn, and it will be good for them and society in the future.”
As the event drew to a close, Georginio was quick to praise the students and their eagerness to learn about such important topics.
“The kids are so clever; I have never seen that! When I was the same age, I was not like that! It is important to educate the kids, everyone was focused and concentrated, and we loved that.”
The Leeds United Foundation will be focusing on and celebrating Black History Month and LGBTQ+ History Month throughout February, with educational workshops not only through the Premier League Primary Stars (PLPS) initiative, but also across all of their programmes in education, health and well-being and participation. For further information around the PLPS programme, please contact [email protected].
