Southampton Football Club has been awarded the Intermediate Equality Standard for commitment to promoting equality and diversity by the Premier League, reports www.fcbusiness.co.uk

The club's equality group recently submitted its evidence from the past year to a Premier League panel made up of experts, including Garth Crooks, who was particularly impressed by "the professional data and evidence-driven approach" and "the attention to detail in following up on fan feedback".

Following the award of the Preliminary Equality Standard in 2016, the club has worked tirelessly to achieve the Intermediate Equality Standard and join an elite group of seven clubs to have reached this level.

A lot of the work that led to the award was carried out under the One March banner and includes:

The installation of a Changing Places facility at St Mary's Stadium and other improvements to accessibility
The development of eight key milestones for improving diversity across Southampton Football Club
The participation of staff in unconscious bias training
The collaboration of the equality team with partnering organisations and the associated next steps
The celebration of diversity during our One March week and Rainbow Laces match
The introduction of the Mx honorific across our online platforms
Ongoing work with the Saints Disabled Supporters Association
Maintaining and improving robust reporting procedures and policies, including the introduction of our One March text number (60060)

Ali Wallace, equality and diversity coordinator at Southampton, said: "Achieving the Intermediate Equality Standard is the culmination of 18 months of work and action to promote inclusion at the club. It is a reflection of the commitment of the equality team and other staff members we have collaborated with to develop the high-quality submission required."