Queens Park Rangers Football Club have been awarded the Preliminary level of The Equality Standard for Professional Football Clubs in recognition of their efforts to combat discrimination.

The Equality Standard is a framework which encourages and supports the development of equality practices and policies at professional Clubs, across England and Wales and highlights six key areas of diversity; race, religion, age, gender, disability and sexual orientation.

The Club has been working alongside Kick It Out to deliver evidence against a series of objectives that ensure action in all areas of our operation; from the complaints reporting policy and the provision of a disability access audit to the training of staff and employee personal development.

The Standard looks at how the Club recruits employees and young players fairly, as well as the delivery of activities and projects to under-represented groups in the community, for which the Community Trust has been pivotal.

Lord Herman Ouseley, Chair of Kick It Out said: "It is a great achievement for the Club and illustrates that QPR are playing their part in campaigning to tackle discrimination in its workforce and within its local community.

"In particular, we were very impressed with the strength of the HR policies in place and the equality provisions given to employees, customers and supporters. In addition, we were pleased to see the great strides that the Community Trust has made in recent years, in particular in relation to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller engagement work.

"Congratulations are due to all of the club's staff who contributed and worked extremely hard to complete the club's portfolio of evidence.

"Kick It Out will continue to work with the Club on equality developments and to ensure that equality of opportunity, inclusion and fair treatment are at the heart of what they do."

QPR CEO, Philip Beard, said: "Queens Park Rangers Football Club is proud of its community heritage and the role we play in West London and beyond.

"The gaining of the Equality Standard is critical in ensuring we are an inclusive Club open and accessible to everyone in our local community.

"The Equality Standard Brings together the key equality and diversity issues for the Club and trust leading to a Mix of policy development and symbolic measures.

"This is the first step towards a true community accessible Club for all."