2015 Multicultural Football Festival On Saturday the 17th of October the SFA in partnership with BEMIS Scotland will host the ‘Multicultural Football Festival’, celebrating Scotland’s diverse Ethnic and Cultural communities and the Scottish Year of Food & Drink through football and community participation. BEMIS Scotland and the Scottish Football Association are committed to promoting equality and ensuring that football in Scotland is open to all and that barriers, real and perceived, are removed particularly in relation to under-represented and disadvantaged groups. This will ensure participation, fairness, and equality are endorsed across our national game. The Equity Project, funded by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities and delivered in partnership with BEMIS Scotland, has proved a success in engaging and empowering the diverse Ethnic and Saturday 17th October Cultural communities in football participation at various levels. The Year of Food & Drink initiative, funded by the Scottish Government, 12:30–5:00pm aims at ensuring and extending participation of the diverse communities in all aspects of celebrating Scottish life at all levels. Lesser Hampden, Glasgow Rami Ousta, CEO of BEMIS Scotland, explained that “Scotland (Next to Hampden Park) continues to be a unique country and a society where people from the diverse communities are valued, treated with dignity and respect, have equal citizenship, opportunities and quality of life, and who actively participate in all aspects of our society.” www.bemis.org.uk/football www.bemis.org.uk/foodanddrink “Scotland is a stronger and better nation thanks to our diversity. Celebrating the unique and vibrant cultures and traditions of Scotland’s minority ethnic communities will not only enhance the 2015 Year of Food and Drink but will also help to ensure there is something for every taste when we welcome people from across the country and the world to celebrate Scotland.” Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs.