YSF Safeguarding and Welfare News - April 2026

Welcome to our April Newsletter. If you've still not invited us for a visit – what are you waiting for? Take a look at our new video where we explain who we are and how we can support you. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sport Welfare Marketplace – Tuesday 23 June 2026

Are you the welfare officer or safeguarding lead for a sports club or physical activity provider in Kirklees? Are you a coach or committee member who can positively influence safeguarding and wellbeing culture in your setting?

Come along to our Sport Welfare Marketplace event where you can meet local specialist support services and gain advice on supporting your participants' health, wellbeing, safety, and additional needs.

You can also chat with staff from Yorkshire Sport Foundation who can provide guidance on funding, facilities, training, and improving your safeguarding practice.

The event is free to attend, there is onsite parking, and tea and coffee will be provided. You can drop in anytime between 3pm and 8pm. It takes place on Tuesday 23 June 2026 at the Accu Stadium in Huddersfield. Please register for a place here.

Although this is aimed at organisations based in Kirklees it's open to those from across South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Deaf Awareness Week 4 to 10 May 2026

Deaf Awareness Week is an annual campaign to promote inclusivity and raise awareness of Deaf culture. A number of charities champion the campaign and share useful resources, such as the RNID and the National Deaf Children's Society.

Have you considered how accessible your club or activity is for Deaf participants? Are you doing good practice in this area that you'd like to share in this newsletter?

If you'd like support around making your club as inclusive and accessible as possible please contact us. You can also find guidance from Buddle. UK Deaf Sport have an eLearning course around Deaf people's inclusion in sport which costs £20 to access.

Measha has created a British Sign Language version of our Sport Welfare support offer. You can watch this here.

Mental Health Awareness Week 11 to 17 May 2026

The theme for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week is Take Action. Organisations such as The Mental Health Foundation are encouraging us to take action for ourselves, for someone else and for everyone.

On Thursday 14 May 2026 you can #WearItGreen like Nicola and Measha to help promote the campaign and raise awareness.

There are lots of resources, learning, and support available to help make your club a mentally healthy place for all:

• Mind have a dedicated section on their website for sport and physical activity providers. This includes a £15 online course to help you enable your participants to thrive.

• Our excellent Sport Welfare colleagues at London Sport are putting on two free courses during Mental Health Awareness Week that they've opened up to clubs outside of London too. These are on on Wednesday 13 May 2026. Looking After Your Mental Health and Preventing Burnout for Coaches from 12pm to 1.30pm and Mental Health Action Plan for Sports Clubs from 6.45pm to 8.15pm.

• Your local Sport Welfare Officer can put a free bespoke plan together with you that might include training for your coaches and volunteers, awareness sessions for parents or participants, and policies or guidance documents. Get in touch to find out more.

• You can find a list of organisations who provide support around mental health on our webpage.

Dementia Action Week – 18 to 24 May 2026

This is an opportunity to raise awareness of issues facing those affected by dementia, and to look at ways to make your club more welcoming and accessible.

Last year we were trained by our lovely Sport Welfare colleague, Rowena Carr, to become Dementia Friends. It really opened our eyes to some of the small changes that can be made to make a difference. For instance, did you know that a black or dark doormat can appear like a hole in the ground to someone with dementia? This can cause stress and anxiety and deter them from even entering the building. Just changing the colour to something lighter and brighter reduces this problem – a quick and easy solution!

We'd be happy to come and have a chat with you about making changes at your venue. Or for more in depth training you can contact the Alzheimer's society.

Few Spaces Left!

Our fantastic Sport Welfare colleague over at Active Humber, Mary Smith, is delivering a fully funded in person UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children course and has offered the last few spaces to clubs in our area. Due to the location, which is Brigg in North Lincolnshire, it might interest those based in Doncaster or Rotherham. The course takes place on Saturday 16 May 2026 from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

You can book a place here. Please only do so if you can definitely make it, as places are limited and usually cost around £46 per person.

Power of Sport

As part of our work on looking at the role of sport & physical activity in supporting safer & stronger communities, we would like to collect some info about projects/programmes/organisations across West Yorkshire already operating in this space. Are you aware of a project or programme that is using the power of sport to support safer and stronger communities? If so we would love to hear about it. This survey will take less than 5 mins... Power of Sport

Activities could include:

• Diversionary activity for those at risk of offending, helping people make more positive choices, to reduce crime, violence and anti-social behaviour
• Developing life skills, pro-social identity, enhancing trusting relationships with mentors and role models, supporting educational and employment engagement.
• Building trust & tolerance through reducing fear and ignorance
• Building social networks & social capital
• Supporting rehabilitation & the development of skills, mental & physical wellbeing & personal growth for successful reintegration into society and contribute to community safety.
• Reducing a sense of fear and insecurity, by creating more positive, trusting & supportive communities, encouraging positive behaviour and a sense of belonging.
• Connecting & strengthening communities by reducing polarisation and building connection & cohesion
• Focused & localised community sport & physical activity as part of a wider offer supporting a pride in place.
• Inclusive and accessible activities to reduce social isolation, support preventative health, improve wellbeing and employment & skills development.

Mind - Trauma Informed Guidance

Mind have launched new guidance, developed with Loughborough University and support by ASICS, to help make physical activity settings more trauma-informed.

A trauma-informed approach is about recognising how trauma can shape someone's experience and responding with care and understanding. It shifts the focus from "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?", helping to reduce blame and shame.

You can find their resources and read their report on this page.

Did you know that your local Sport Welfare Officers can train your coaches and volunteers in Trauma Informed Sports Coaching? Contact us to find out more.

Have your say!

The consultation 'Growing up in the online world'explores a range of measures intended to make online spaces safer, healthier, and more supportive for children. The Government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is seeking views from professionals, parents, and young people themselves. They are asking for feedback on several key areas, including a minimum age for social media access, limiting risky features and mobile phone use in schools.

You can find out more and take their survey here.

Nicola Holmes
Senior Sport Welfare Officer
07714 733650
nicola.holmes@yorkshiresport.org

Measha Harris
Sport Welfare Officer for West Yorkshire
07714 733636
measha.harris@yorkshiresport.org