Rainbow Laces has adorned the Widnes Vikings shirts this season as part of the club's partnership with Stonewall

Widnes Vikings will officially launch a new equality and diversity community project at Thursday's Super 8s Qualifier against London Broncos, a match being shown live on Sky Sports.

The initiative, called 'EQUALise', aims to spread a message of inclusion in schools across the region through the power of rugby league, and will be crowdfunded by way of donations throughout the rest of August and September.

'EQUALise' will be delivered by the Super League club's charitable arm, the Vikings Sports Foundation, and seeks to engage over 1,000 children from thirty schools in its first year across Widnes, Runcorn and Liverpool. The Foundation has already helped raise awareness in the community on a diverse range of issues, such as obesity, education, mental health, and loneliness.

'EQUALise' has been developed off the back of the club's partnership with Stonewall, which has seen the LGBT equality charity's Rainbow Laces campaign logo adorn the players' kit throughout the 2018 season.

It's been a great honour to wear the Rainbow Laces logo on our shirts this year. The values that the campaign stands for are really important in today's society. Richard Munson, Widnes Vikings

In 2017, Rainbow Laces, which is also supported by Sky Sports, had its most successful year yet, with over 75,000 pairs of laces distributed, leading to 12m adults seeing the campaign.

To enable 'EQUALise' to be delivered to as many children as possible across the North West, the Vikings are launching a crowdfunding effort to raise the funds for the Vikings Sports Foundation.

The Vikings are now heading into the Super 8s Qualifiers, starting with the visit of London Broncos

The project will focus on ways to educate young people around equality and diversity in sport, challenge gender stereotypes, tackle bullying, explain language, celebrate difference, and most importantly promote role models.

Richard Munson, Vikings' commercial and community director, commented: "It's been a great honour for Widnes Vikings to wear the Rainbow Laces logo on our shirts this year.

Widnes finished second in The Qualifiers last season to ensure their Super League status for 2018

"The values that the campaign stands for are really important in today's society, and the messages of inclusivity and acceptance should be spread as widely as possible.

"We have developed our 'EQUALise' project to ensure that there is a lasting legacy from this partnership here in Widnes, where the award-winning coaches from the Vikings Sports Foundation will be engaging young people in local schools in conversations that promote equality and diversity and raise awareness of LGBT rights.

The 'EQUALise' project is being launched at the Select Security Stadium on Thursday night

"This is the first time the Foundation has utilised crowdfunding, and we are grateful to all that donate towards it."

Stonewall's director of sport Kirsty Clarke commented: "We're delighted to see Widnes Vikings support our Rainbow Laces campaign to embed inclusion across all they do.

"It shows they understand that creating an accepting sporting environment is everyone's responsibility and we're pleased the Vikings are promoting just that."

To learn more about the project and to donate, head to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/-vikings-equalise-project.