Active Surrey, the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership and charitable organisation NWG are inviting people to the launch of the ‘Safe to Play’ campaign being held at Surrey Sports Park on Wednesday 25 May (10.30am – 12.30pm).
Developed by NWG, this innovative awareness campaign on safeguarding in sport is aimed at county volunteers, coaches and safeguarding partners to equip them with the tools to identify potential victims of child abuse.
NWG is formed as a network of more than 14,500 practitioners who disseminate information through their services to professionals working on child exploitation and trafficking issues within the UK. Click here for the website.
With many children attending sports clubs for extracurricular activities during the school holidays, part of the ‘Safe to Play’ campaign is to encourage parents to perform their due diligence on clubs’ legitimacy, with the required safeguarding policies, procedures and safe recruitment processes in place.
Not only do all sports clubs have a statutory duty to ensure children are protected from harm, but close interaction with children and young people puts clubs in a pivotal position to identify the warning signs and behaviour that may indicate a child is being abused. In turn, reporting any information or concerns to the police will contribute towards children’s safeguarding.
It is believed that at least one child in 10 experiences sexual abuse before their 16th birthday, according to the Home Office. Meanwhile, the Council of Europe’s ‘Start to Talk’ campaign highlights that one in five children across Europe is victim of some form of sexual violence.
These statistics demonstrate the need for all who work with children to be able to recognise potential abuse, including those involved in sport and other physical activities such as dance and drama.
To attend the ‘Safe to Play’ launch event for free, book a place by clicking on the image above. If you have any further questions then email Lawrie Baker, Active Surrey’s head of active communities, at lawrie.baker@surreycc.gov.uk