The FA has withdrawn £150,000 ($216,412) of "funding from Kick It Out as part of its cost-cutting measures," according to Matt Hughes of the LONDON TIMES. The governing body "is in the midst of a restructuring operation, which is expected to result in 100 staff redundancies" as part of an attempt to cut £30M ($43M) from its annual budget, and "its charitable activities have been affected." The FA will continue to provide a £125,000 ($180,344) annual grant to Kick It Out, but its financial backing of the Raise Your Game mentoring program "will end this summer, meaning that the scheme is likely to close." For the past three seasons the FA has given £50,000 ($72,138) a year to Kick It Out to "support a project that aims to improve access to jobs in football for minority groups and to promote diversity in the sport." Kick It Out is "seeking alternative sources of funding but is growing resigned to closing the scheme because it cannot run it from its existing budget." In addition to the FA grant, the charity receives £125,000 from the Premier League, Football League and PFA, giving it a £500,000 ($721,375) budget "to support its 13 staff and cover costs." Kick It Out is "also looking for new offices as the rent on its premises in Clerkenwell, north London, has trebled" (LONDON TIMES, 6/2).
