O’s first-teamers Dean Brill and George Elokobi discussed the importance of putting on sessions like this

Leyton Orient’s Breyer Group Stadium played host to 90 children for the Show Racism the Red Card event earlier this month.

Pupils from Snaresbrook Primary School and Newport School were invited by Leyton Orient Trust as they take part in the Premier League Primary Stars programme. It is the ninth consecutive year Orient has partnered with the anti-racism education charity.

Steve Goodsell and Francis Duku from Show Racism the Red Card led a two-hour workshop that included a presentation and active discussion.

It was also the first showing in the UK of the campaign’s new video, featuring many familiar faces from the world of football to discuss the issues of racism and discrimination, and advice of what to do in the case of experiencing this.

To end the day, O’s first team players; Dean Brill and George Elokobi joined the panel with ex-Orient player and PFA representative Scott McGleish; and Francis Duku for a Q&A session, answering the pupil’s questions about racism and hate crime.

Brill said: “Knowledge is power. The more we talk about these things the better, so many people can be informed and get as much knowledge as we can out there.

“Hopefully we can educate people better, to make better decisions and to understand how to do things.”

Elokobi added: “This is very important for us because we are a multi-cultural nation and to be able to pass on this education about racism to the younger generation is vital for this country moving forward.

“This event will enlighten the kids on how to deal with racism if they ever suffer from it, and if someone else is being a victim, what they can do to help that person.

“It’s important for us to put on sessions like this on at the Football Club and to invite schools to come, so we can educate the kids, because the kids are the future.”