Sanjay Bhandari to Step Down as Kick It Out Chair

Sanjay Bhandari will bring his tenure as Kick It Out chair to a close at the end of the 2026-27 campaign, drawing a line under more than seven years at the head of English football’s leading equality and inclusion charity.

Appointed in 2019, Bhandari has presided over a period of deep change at the organisation, which was founded in 1993. His work was recognised in 2024 when he received an MBE for services to football during his time with Kick It Out.

Calling it a “tremendous honour” to lead the charity, Bhandari pointed to the long-term strategy he has helped put in place. He highlighted the ‘Football United’ vision, designed to pull together governing bodies, clubs, players, supporters, communities and partners behind a shared push for lasting change.

In an era he described as “increasingly negative and divided”, Bhandari stressed that Kick It Out has been trying to set a different tone. The next chair, he said, will be central to driving that approach, heading an experienced and refreshed board and working closely with the chief executive to speak for what he called one of sport’s most respected voices on equality and inclusion.

His spell in charge has coincided with a significant overhaul of how Kick It Out operates. The charity has strengthened its financial independence and governance, installed an entirely new board and leadership team, and reshaped its internal structure to match its wider ambitions.

The search for his successor starts now. Kick It Out will run a recruitment process with the aim of identifying a preferred candidate by the end of December.

The incoming chair is expected to overlap with Bhandari through to the end of the 2026-27 season, before formally taking over on 1 July 2027 – a carefully managed handover as the organisation moves into its next phase.