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Welsh sports organisations help NSPCC in keeping children safe in sport

NEW POLL finds almost a fifth of parents surveyed are not confident they could
spot the signs if their child was suffering abuse at a sports club.
The Football Association (FA) is backing the NSPCC’s ‘Keeping Your Child
Safe in Sport Week’ campaign which empowers parents to raise concerns
about safeguarding in sport.

Sports associations throughout Wales support the NSPCC’s campaign.
Sir Bradley Wiggins CBE supports the NSPCC’s campaign.
The NSPCC launches sports safety campaign backed by sporting organisations in Wales
as a new poll reveals almost a fifth of parents (15%) surveyed are not confident they could
spot the signs if their child was suffering sexual, physical or emotional abuse at their local
sports club.

The research carried out by YouGov on behalf of the children’s charity also found that one
in 10 parents (10%) were not confident they knew how to raise concerns with their child’s
sports club about their child’s safety.

The NSPCC wants to ensure that all parents have the knowledge and confidence to raise
safeguarding concerns. The figures are based on 1,000 parents of children aged 3 to 16
years old who attend sports clubs across the UK.
Furthermore, new data has revealed the number of contacts to the NSPCC Helpline from
adults from across the UK with safeguarding questions or concerns about children in a
sports setting has almost doubled in the last five years.

The NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week campaign, backed by the Football
Association (The FA) and numerous sports  associations in Wales, including Weightlifting
Wales, Welsh Rugby Union, the Football Association of Wales, Welsh Athletics and Wales
Golf, launches today (Monday, October 3). It offers advice and information to empower
parents to play a key role in helping to keep their children safe in sport.
The campaign aims to provide parents and carers with the right knowledge and resources
so they can make confident informed decisions when raising concerns with their child’s
sport club. Advice tools and supporting information are available from the NSPCC and its
Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU).

A Weightlifting Wales spokesperson said: “Weightlifting Wales is proud to support Keeping
Your Child Safe in Sport campaign, helping parents and carers to know what to look out for
and empowering them to raise concerns in their child’s sport.

“It is a responsibility of us all to keep children safe in sport. We encourage parents and
carers to visit the @NSPCC’s website for their parent advice, resources, and eLearning
bit.ly/bit.ly/3bHeELp  

Meanwhile Cardiff Rugby has given permission for a bucket collection in support of the
campaign to take place at The Arms Park at the Cardiff Met vs Cardiff University match on
Wednesday, October 5.

Over the years the NSPCC Helpline have opened dedicated phonelines numbers for
different sports to help support those impacted by abuse in sport. Currently a free
dedicated NSPCC helpline commissioned by British Cycling has been set up in response
to a number of individuals speaking out about non-recent abuse, including former
professional cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins CBE, who revealed earlier this year he had been
groomed by a former coach.

Sir Bradley said: “I back the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week campaign
which strives to prevent abuse of any kind happening to children in sport. We must make
sport safe for children, and make it easier for parents, and indeed all people in sport, to
recognise and understand how they themselves can support a safer sports environment.”
An adult who experienced abuse as a child in sport told an NSPCC Helpline
practitioner:

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“The gymnastics club I went to as a child was obsessed with diets and the weight of the
gymnasts. The gymnasts were weighed twice a week. If they were considered overweight
or fat, their weights were written on a whiteboard for everyone to read, the gymnasts were
shouted at and humiliated by the coaches. As a result of their cruelty, I developed an
eating disorder.”

Ahead of the NSPCC campaign, The Football Association held its annual Play Safe
weekend (1-2 October), which is also dedicated to child safeguarding.
Sue Ravenlaw, FA Head of Safeguarding, said: “We all have a part to play in keeping
children safe in football, and indeed all sport, so we must ensure safeguarding and child
protection is central to everything we do.

“Play Safe helps clubs and leagues to raise awareness of their safeguarding practice and,
importantly this year, encourages parents and carers to complete The FA’s free bespoke
course. Play Safe naturally aligns with and shows our support for the NSPCC’s Keeping
Your Child Safe in Sport Week campaign.”

As well as social media support from sporting clubs and figures across the country, virtual
webinars for parents to promote safeguarding in youth sport will run throughout the week,
including by the Premier League and another by The Young Gamers and Gamblers
Education Trust (YGAM).

Michelle North, Director of the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit, said: “For many of
us, it was playing at our local grassroots sports clubs as children where we first
encountered a deep lifelong love and passion for sport. Every child and young person deserves to enjoy sport in an environment that is safe from abuse and harm and where they can play within a culture that advocates for their care and wellbeing.

“Parents and carers play a key role in keeping children safe in sport. This is why during th
NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week campaign, we want to empower parents
and carers with the knowledge, information and confidence needed to uphold child
safeguarding.”

For the latest news from the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit, please follow
@theCPSU on Twitter.


To support the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week on social media, follow
the campaign using #SafeInSport


For more information about the campaign and to gain access to the supporting resources
please visit: www.nspcc.org.uk/safeinsport

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