YSF Safeguarding and Welfare News - May 2026

The team have been out and about over the last few weeks, attending a swimming competition at John Charles Centre for Sport, and a boxing event at the fantastic Trident Fitness in Morley. It was great to see some of you there to say hello and find out what's going well at your clubs.

We also joined the team from Sported and found out about the free support they can provide.

If you have an event that you'd like us to attend to promote safeguarding, welfare and inclusion in sport then please let us know.

Sport Welfare Marketplace – Tuesday 23 June

For many people, their club or activity group is their support network. The friendships and sense of community help people through some of their hardest times.

As a club welfare officer, safeguarding lead, or member of the committee, would you know how to support someone who disclosed they were experiencing domestic abuse, substance misuse, gambling addiction or poor mental health?

Come along to our Kirklees Sport Welfare Marketplace event where you can meet local specialist support services and gain advice on these issues and more.

There'll be useful resources for club welfare officers to take away, and all attendees will be entered into a prize draw to win one of five £100 vouchers to spend on equipment for their club.

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 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.

Free Online Safeguarding Course

This free course, with lived experience at its heart, is for adults who work or volunteer at a sports club setting and have a duty of care towards children. It was developed by Ilkley-based online training provider, High Speed Training with Paul Stewart - former England international and Safeguarding Trainer for the English Football League. Paul uses his personal story of abuse in a youth sports setting to illustrate why safeguarding matters and what good practice looks like, making this training unique.

Written by safeguarding and child protection experts and aligned with statutory guidance, the course covers the key types of abuse to be aware of, how to identify them, and how to report concerns correctly. It's CPD accredited, endorsed by Kick It Out, Sport England and the EFL, and features contributions from well-known sports personalities such as Gary Lineker and Kevin Sinfield.

The course is 100% online with full audio voiceover, a same-day digital certificate, free assessment retakes and no completion deadline. Approximate duration is one to two hours. You can access it here.

When registering, please type YSF/ before your club or organisation name so we can track uptake.

West Yorkshire Safeguarding Week – 22 to 26 June

This is a great opportunity to access free learning on a variety of safeguarding topics. All of the districts across West Yorkshire come together during the week to offer out workshops and webinars.

Measha is leading a session on Thursday around protecting young people from online harms.

You can find more information and book onto the sessions here.

Drowning Prevention Week – 13 to 20 June

Drowning Prevention Week is an annual water safety campaign designed to educate children and young adults in water safety and lifesaving skills, promoted by the Royal Lifesaving Society (RLSS UK).

There are resources on the RLSS website so parents and carers can have conversations with their children.

Children and young people can also be shown this video covering the water safety code.

You can find additional information on the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) website, including specific guidance around different water-based sports.

Volunteers Week – 1 to 7 June

We'd like to take the opportunity to say a massive thank you to all of the people who volunteer in sport and physical activity. Clubs and groups wouldn't survive without the dedication and hours put in by these generous individuals.

A special thanks from us goes to those who volunteer as club welfare officers and safeguarding leads. It's a role that can often be challenging, particularly for those who don't have safeguarding experience as part of their day job. Please know that we are here to support you. If you need additional training, a check of your policies, or just a listening ear, please get in touch.

Learning Disability Week – 15 to 21 June

The theme for 2026 is "Do you see me?" which is all about people with a learning disability being seen, heard and valued. You can find resources on the Mencap website.

How accessible is your club or activity for someone with a learning disability? What do you do to ensure your participants voices are heard? Organisations like Activity Alliance and Disability Sport Yorkshire can give you guidance around this. There's also a disability inclusion hub on the Buddle website.

Are you doing good practice in this area that you'd like to share? If so, please tell us.

Contact us

Nicola Holmes
Senior Sport Welfare Officer
South Yorkshire and Leeds

07714 733650
nicola.holmes@yorkshiresport.org

Measha Harris
Sport Welfare Officer
West Yorkshire excluding Leeds

07714 733636
measha.harris@yorkshiresport.org

You have got this email as you are in our club database.

Pass this link on to people who want to subscribe to our newsletters
Manage which newsletters you receive with this link
If you enjoyed this newsletter please consider subscribing to the YSF Weekly and YSF Club Chat newsletter too. Here's an example.