Athletes, celebrities and safeguarding professionals are calling on sports and activity clubs, teams, parents and carers across the UK to take part in the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week.

This year, Active Partnerships, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), sports clubs, including Cardiff Rugby and the club’s Community Foundation are backing the campaign, which runs all year-round to raise awareness of safeguarding in sports and activity clubs to create safer sporting environments for children across the country.

A week of action launched on Monday, October 7 with a star-studded event held at British Cycling headquarters in Manchester, where NSPCC CEO Sir Peter Wanless discussed safeguarding in sport with panels including Team Jamaica weightlifting Olympian Chloe Whylie, the BAFTA winning and former NBA basketball star Fay Greaves and NSPCC lived-experience volunteer David Lean, who was abused by former football coach Barry Bennell.

Last year (2023/24), more than 400 concerns were raised by adults to the NSPCC Helpline about children in sports settings. Over a fifth of these were about sexual abuse and exploitation (22%) and one in seven about emotional abuse (14%).

Through the Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport campaign, the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) aims to empower parents and carers to feel confident in their role in keeping children safe, while helping clubs and teams understand how they can foster a protective and inclusive environment. As part of this year’s campaign, clubs, coaches, and parents across the country are being urged to host a Team Huddle event – a fun and informal gathering that brings people together to raise awareness and create meaningful discussions around safeguarding.

Cardiff Rugby Community Foundation director Nadine Griffiths said: “We are delighted to support the NSPCC ‘Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport’ week again this year and remain committed to providing safe spaces and environments for everyone, but particularly children, to enjoy sport.

“It is essential that children are safe, supported and protected in any sporting environment and that their parents or carers are empowered and supported should they need to speak out.

“Safeguarding is something we are all responsible for and this campaign from the NSPCC is a great way to bring so many different communities and sports together.”

The NSPCC’s CEO, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “By participating in this year’s campaign, clubs are showing that they are serious about creating a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable sporting environment for young people.” Each year, Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week gets stronger and it provides an opportunity to reflect on how we can all work together to ensure that every child can participate in sport free from harm.”

Any clubs taking part in Team Huddles can share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #SafeinSport and help spread the word about the importance of safeguarding practices and celebrate the efforts being made at the grassroots level to protect young athletes.

Alan Shearer, an ambassador for the campaign added: “As a parent and someone who has spent a lifetime in sport, I understand the vital role sport plays in shaping young lives. That’s why I’m proud to support the NSPCC’s ‘Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport’ Week. Ensuring that our children can enjoy their sports in a safe, supportive environment is not just important, it’s essential.

“Parents have a key role to play in protecting their children, and this campaign is all about raising awareness and empowering them to act. Sport should be a place where kids thrive, learn, and have fun, and every child deserves to feel safe while doing what they love.”