Sport England have investing £14.83 million of National Lottery money to establish a national network of welfare officers who’ll mentor and support clubs across England.

The Sport Welfare Officers project is a policy response from both Sport England and UK Sport to The Whyte Review, which questioned the level of safeguarding responsibility given to grassroots volunteers.

Developed in collaboration with a number of partners – including national governing bodies (NGBs), Active Partnerships (APs), the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit and the Ann Craft Trust – the project will support local clubs in ensuring the welfare of their members, both children and adults.

The officers will assist Club Welfare Officers in promoting good practice and safe sport at a local level.

Working with a network of 42 APs, the project will recruit and train 59 Sport Welfare Officers, who will work with NGBs to mentor and support Club Welfare Officers nationwide. 

The Sport Welfare Officers will add capacity and expertise to the existing safeguarding work of NGBs and Active Partnerships.

Here are our locals officers:

WM Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire: Emily Griffiths e.griffiths@worc.ac.uk

WM Think Active (Coventry,Solihull, Warwickshire): Dean Eagles Dean.Eagles@thinkactive.org

WM Energize Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin: Leah Goode leah.goode@energizestw.org.uk

WM Sport Birmingham: Christopher Timmins Christopher.Timmins@sportbirmingham.org or Safeguarding@sportbirmingham.org

WM Active Black Country: Liz Griffin liz.griffin@activeblackcountry.co.uk

WM Together Active (formerly SASSOT): Lijana Kaziow lijanakaziow@togetheractive.org

EM Active Partners Trust EM Active Partners Trust (Derby / Derbyshire): Franky Boyland franky.boyland@activepartnerstrust.org.uk

WM Sport Birmingham: Seona.deucher@sportbirmingham.org.uk