Inclusion Advisory Group (IAG)
Surrey FA Inclusion Advisory Group
Surrey FA are committed to ensuring everyone who is involved in football in the County has a great experience – regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability or disability, faith or age.
The Inclusion Advisory Group [IAG] are a group of individuals whose expertise lie within equality, inclusion and the nine protected characteristics. The role of the group is to support Surrey FA to ensure everything we do is inclusive and accessible for all. The IAG also help Surrey FA branch out to new communities and organisations to provide everyone with the opportunity to be part of the game in Surrey. The IAG meets once every two months to support the work of the wider organisation.
Meet the IAG
Soye Briggs (Interim Chair)
Soye is currently the Chief Operating Officer of a Youth Charity: The Winchester Project and is a Board member of Surrey FA, Kinetic Foundation and Kickstart Charity. He worked previously at Fulham FC Foundation to deliver training to football coaches working with challenging and hard to reach young people. He also supported the club to achieve their Intermediate Equality Standard. He then went on to become Head of Operations at Fulham before leaving to take up a role as a consultant with Brentford Community Sports Trust and then in 2013 moved to a role as Director of Community Development at Crystal Palace FC Foundation now known as Palace for Life Foundation. Soye was also Head of Equality at Crystal Palace FC for two years, leading the club to achieve the Premier League Intermediate Equality Standard.
His love affair with Surrey County FA began 7 years ago and became a county member in 2012. He has sat as Chair of the Race and Religion subgroup and more recently vice chair of the Equalities committee and have been involved with the implementation of the SCFA Strategy as it relates to targets around the Equality Action Plan. He also sits as a discipline commission panel member and was nominated by the County FA to complete the FA sponsored ‘On the board’ programme where he graduated in 2015 in areas of Corporate Governance and is now a Trustee at the County and the current Vice Chair and has been a Board Director for 5 years. Soye also currently chairs the governance subgroup of the Board to oversee the implementation of the new FA Governance Code for Sport.
Soye has held senior management positions for the past 18 years and has been responsible for the creation, implementation and review of organisational Values, Vision and Strategies.
Riz Rehman
Riz Rehman is a former professional footballer who played for Brentford FC. After leaving the game, Riz gained a First-Class degree in Sports Science from Kingston University and embarked on his coaching qualifications with the PFA, currently holding a UEFA B License.
Riz is also qualified to work in the post-16 sector and is trained in Talented Athlete Lifestyle Support. He is part of the Education Department at the PFA and works on the Unionlearn 'Achievement Through Sport' project that extends the learning, training and educational provision for its members.
Furthermore, Riz works closely with a number of football clubs and their community trusts supporting the acquisition of skills for employment and education at all levels, while promoting inclusion, equality and community cohesion with a targeted approach to those learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Riz's areas or expertise are within the protected characteristics of ethnicity and religion.
Riz is a director at the Zesh Rehman Foundation (2011-present), and on the Advisory Group for the Premier Leagues flagship ‘Elite Coach Apprenticeship Scheme’ (2015-present) and was the former Chair of the Surrey IAG.
Andrew Dickinson
Currently responsible at Surrey FA for our Operations covering all areas within the charity including our progress towards Advanced level - Equality in Sport. I have a passion for all sports and have played most of them throughout my life. I played golf and hockey at a high level representing Zimbabwe. My involvement in football is fairly recent having only joined Surrey FA in Jan 2017 when I also started coaching. I manage an U13 girls team and am completing my Level 2. And an avid fan of football since I started supporting Liverpool at the age of six. You’ll never walk alone!
Previously I worked as an Account and Project Manager for a print and design business that evolved to digital and then mobile apps. Later on, I took on the responsibility for their operations and managed the project and design teams with responsibilities for HR, H&S, Finance and all costs throughout the business. Probably best described as a Marketing Consultant and Operations Manager with over 20 years’ experience with core skills in:
Integrated Marketing (Mobile, Social and Digital)
Business Improvement Techniques
Operational Planning & Management
Health & Safety
HR
Finance
Life
Overall I am interested in creating football opportunities for all particularly underrepresented groups with a specific focus on female and BAME individuals and groups. I am involved in all areas so I can continue to increase my awareness.
Josie Jones
Josie has over 20 years of international experience in consumer insights; strategic planning; social enterprise; and more recently as a D&I specialist and advocate for women's equality. Josie’s background has taken her around the world working in Australia, UK & Europe, Asia and the Americas. Josie is currently leading the Inclusion & Diversity program for Women in Sport, focusing on creating workplace cultures where everyone can thrive. Josie is passionate about inclusion for all, but particularly for women, parents, children/youth and people from non-white backgrounds. Josie's areas or expertise are within the protected characteristics of sex, maternity/pregnancy, age and ethnicity.
John Wallis (Secretary)
I have had a lifetime of grassroots football playing from before I can remember, circa 5 years old and still playing now at 59. Currently, my primary involvement is coaching my son's U18 Youth team at Bookham Colts FC, walking football at Meadowbank on a casual 'Just Play' basis, occasional 11-a-side Vets or Charity matches. I am a FA Licensed Level 1 coach and member of the Surrey Football Coaches Association. I have also completed several other FA coaching modules for Youth appropriate coaching and Futsal.
I am a semi-retired ex-IT Business Analyst and Project Manager with experience of the development and operational support and implementation of a wide range of computer systems. I have a wide range of current youth grassroots contacts throughout central Surrey.
I joined the IAG in June 2019 having seen the role advertised on the Surrey CFA website and want to contribute to making football accessible and welcoming to all. I have experience of mental health support services from a client perspective and recognise the value football can bring to help overcome common experiences of isolation and low self-esteem. These same potential benefits are relevant to potential age discrimination that I feel I have had personal experience in seeking employment over the age of 55. John's areas or expertise are within the protected characteristics of age and disability.
Cigdem Turkan
Graham Keable
Graham is currently employed by a global Real Estate firm and leads its EMEA transitions. He has experience in working across many countries around the world including areas such as HR, EHS, Finance, Operations, Legal, Engineering, Technology, Quality etc for clients in the Finance, Retail, Industrial, Commercial, Technology and Pharma sectors.
From playing football in his youth and coming back to football supporting his son, he has held various roles at Abbey Rangers FC and supported leagues; such as membership Sec, Development sec, Hon Club Sec, AGS and now part of the Surrey FA IAG. Graham is a Level 2 coach and has Youth Mod 3 qualifications, leading the clubs Mini Rangers (3-6years), U12 Disability and Wildcats teams. In the community he supports Runnymede Sportability and the Surrey Youth Games as well as other local schools and organisations. Graham's areas of expertise are within the protected characteristics of age, sex, ethnicity and religion.
Equality Policy
Surrey FA is committed to equality as an organisation, and we are transparent in this commitment.