Building safer sporting cultures together – safeguarding leaders come together at national Partner Event.

More than 160 safeguarding and welfare professionals from across England came together at the NSPCC National Training Centre in Leicester on 1 July for a partner event, demonstrating the sector’s shared commitment to creating safer, more positive sporting environments for everyone.

Delivered in partnership by the Active Partnerships National Organisation (APNO), NSPCC Sport, the Ann Craft Trust and supported by Sport England, the event brought together Active Partnerships, Sport Welfare Officers, Lead Safeguarding Officers from National Governing Bodies and safeguarding leaders from across the sport and physical activity sector.

The event focused on strengthening relationships across the safeguarding system, exchanging best practice and exploring new approaches that will help build safer sporting cultures for everyone involved in sport and physical activity.

The day opened with a welcome from Christian McMullen and Liza Ware from NSPCC Sport, who set the scene for collaboration and highlighted the importance of continuing to work together across organisations, to strengthen safeguarding practice.

Delegates then heard from Jeremy Lemarchand, Head of Welfare and Safeguarding at Sport England, who shared perspectives on safeguarding within the context of creating safe, positive environments.

Stuart Sale, Chief Executive of Ann Craft Trust, also spoke, challenging delegates to “see the whole picture” when creating safe sport for everyone, reinforcing the importance of inclusive approaches that recognise both adults and children.

One of the day’s standout sessions came from keynote speaker Dr Ellie Gennings, who shared new research undertaken with her academic colleagues exploring how children and young people themselves understand what helps them feel safe in sport.

The research addresses a significant gap by putting children’s perspectives on what helps them feel safe in sport at the centre of safeguarding conversations. Delegates were challenged to create environments where young people feel confident and empowered to shape safe sport, while recognising that everyone has a role to play in keeping children safe. The findings also highlighted young people’s call for greater accountability for inappropriate behaviour from adults, including coaches and parents.

The day also included a question-and-answer session, featuring Dr Ellie Gennings, Stuart Sale and Andy Taylor, Chief Executive of APNO, providing delegates with the opportunity to explore key themes and discuss how organisations can work collectively to strengthen safeguarding across the sector.

The afternoon gave delegates the opportunity to take part in interactive workshops, covering topics including trauma-responsive practice, survivor-informed approaches, welfare leadership, inclusion, changing culture in a complex system, self-care and mental wellbeing, and innovative approaches to supporting clubs and communities. The sessions encouraged practical discussion, peer learning, and the sharing of experiences from across the safeguarding network.

Laura Middleton, Strategic Lead for Welfare at the Active Partnership National Organisation, said: “One of the most powerful ways we can strengthen welfare in sport and physical activity is by bringing colleagues together from across the safeguarding system. Events like this create the opportunity to learn from researchers, specialist partners, survivor advocates and each other’s practice, helping us continually challenge our thinking and improve how we support clubs, coaches and participants.

“Every sport, place and community has its own context, which is why learning from one another is so important. Active Partnerships are proud to be working alongside National Governing Bodies and partners to help build sporting environments where everyone feels safe, welcome and able to thrive.”

Christian McMullen NSPCC, Professional Learning services Director said of the event: “It was inspirational to bring together this number of people who are passionate about making sport safe from across the sport and activity sector. The forum was much more than a networking day – it was an invaluable opportunity to share research, policy and practice from across the sport and activity sector.

“NSPCC Sport believes that safeguarding in sport is a team effort, and it’s only by sharing what works, questioning how we can improve and finding new ways of working together that we can make sport truly safe.”

Stuart Sale, CEO, Ann Craft Trust added: “Safeguarding in sport and activity is at its strongest when we learn from one another and stay connected across the whole system. This event showed just how powerful that collective energy can be. Our Invisible Scars workshop reinforced that abuse of adults in sport and activity is real, often hidden, and carries a profound human impact when people don’t feel safe to speak up, challenge or be heard. Recognising this is essential if we are to truly see the whole picture.

“Culture is felt, not written. Safeguarding is not simply a responsibility; it is an opportunity to shape environments where adults and children are safe, supported and able to thrive.

“The Ann Craft Trust is proud to work alongside NSPCC Sport, APNO, Sport England and safeguarding leads across the sector to build sporting environments where everyone, regardless of age or ability, feels respected, valued and safe. Safer cultures are created together”.

The event forms part of the partners’ ongoing commitment to strengthening safeguarding and welfare across sport and physical activity, through continued collaboration, shared learning and the development of practical resources and support for the sector.