University of Salford and UA92 team up for Hate Crime Awareness Week

The game, which is being hosted at the University of Salford for students and staff on Wednesday 15 October, will see both universities compete for the winning football title and trophy. However, the ultimate goal is to unite people against hate and to continue creating a safe, friendly campus.

Danielle Swidrak, Specialist Case Advisor at the University of Salford, who has helped create this event, said: “This event has been designed to encourage students to learn about what hate crime is, what support is out there and the reporting options available, both at the universities and locally.

“We want to make sure this is done in an interactive way, so that people feel relaxed and comfortable. It (the topic of hate crime) can be quite scary, and it can also be quite traumatic for people who've experienced hate crime.”

The event has been set up by Nafysa Adam-Khan, lead Specialist Support Advisor in Racism and Hate Crime at the University of Salford, in partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority ‘Too Great for Hate’ campaign, and Kick It Out, an organisation focused on tackling all forms of discrimination in football.

Danielle Farrell, Head of Sport92 at UA92 said: “UA92 is proud to have an incredibly diverse student population, and this is reflected across our football teams. We stand defiantly against hate crime and are delighted to be partnering with the University of Salford and Kick It Out to tackle all forms of discrimination both on and off the pitch."

This is the third year the University of Salford has partnered with Kick It Out. In October 2023, they co-hosted a penalty shootout, and for Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week 2025, they created the first 5-a-side football tournament.

“The response we received at these events was overwhelming,” Danielle Swidrak said. “You always hope for the best, but we got more engagement than we expected - over 100 students took part in the penalty shootout, and 60 in the football tournament.

“Students were open and honest about their experiences, and they were really informed about what’s going on, including services like Kick It Out. They were also having fun. There was a sense of pride, and you could see the community come together - it was brilliant.”

The University is hoping to build on the success on the previous tournament with UA92 and see more students attend the event, and increase awareness of reporting incidents of discrimination in football through Kick It Out.

For students less interested in football, there’s still plenty of ways they can get involved on the day. Students will be able to cheer their peers on the football pitch, and speak to local services including Greater Manchester Police, Salford City Council and Trafford Council. Kick It Out will also be sharing their free educational modules through their online learning platform, The Academy.

Salford’s ambition doesn’t end here. They’re already thinking about plans for Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week in February 2026.  “We’re hoping to work alongside Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Kick It Out, to collaborate with other universities in Greater Manchester to launch a national hate crime football tournamentnext year,” said Daley O’Neal, Physical Activity and Wellbeing Operations Manager at the University’s Sports Centre.