This weekend sees the launch of Play Safe – an ongoing national FA-led campaign to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding in football.
Play Safe is being run in partnership with the NSPCC and has the full backing of the Premier League, EFL, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Championship. It’s also supported and being run across every other level of the game.
In addition, it has the full backing of The FA’s Survivor Support and Safeguarding Advisory Group, which numbers former footballers with lived experience of abuse in football among its members.
At the heart of the campaign are three short films, aimed respectively at club officials, parents/carers and crucially, children themselves. All feature England men’s and women’s players as well as members of all the target audiences. Among the key messages are the importance of listening to children, as well as knowing how and who to speak to if concerns do arise.
These films, along with numerous Play Safe digital and print assets have been provided to every County FA, league club in the country at every level.