Alan Shearer, Durham cricket and Newcastle Eagles back NSPCC campaign to keep North East children safe in sport

The club and its charity arm have recently partnered with the NSPCC and are delighted to be championing this campaign. The Foundation's work, which supports communities' health and wellbeing by impacting lives in a positive way through cricket, is underpinned by safe environments for everyone.

The club share the same commitment across their pathways, Academy, playing team and staff, on and off the field.

Part of a year-round safeguarding campaign, this year’s week of action takes place between October 7 and 11.

Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport is designed to raise awareness of safeguarding in sports and activity clubs and create safer sporting environments for children across the country. Celebrities and clubs backing this year’s campaign include Alan Shearer, Olympic basketballer and star of BBC’s The Traitors Fay Greaves, Olympic weightlifter Chloe Whylie.

The aim of this year’s campaign is to focus on the importance of building stronger, more inclusive communities around sporting and activity clubs, encouraging parents and carers to look out for not just the young people taking part, but their families too, helping anyone who needs support get it sooner.

The top two concerns reported to the NSPCC's Helpline in 2023/24 by adults relating to a sports setting regarded 'sexual abuse and exploitation' as well as 'emotional abuse’. The same was true of contacts from young people to Childline relating to sports settings.

Alan Shearer continued: “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."

Julie Allison, Head of Safeguarding at Durham Cricket, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering up with NSPCC as part of this fantastic campaign. Safeguarding and protecting young people and adults is something that myself and everyone at Durham Cricket and the Foundation are very passionate about.

“It's important to have and maintain conversations around safeguarding - this is what the campaign is all about. At Durham Cricket and the Foundation, we are passionate about safeguarding, and we know that ongoing discussions create awareness, which turns to action, when needed. So, I hope that many clubs around the region will join us in supporting and proactively creating safer cultures – this campaign is an excellent way to do this.”

Newcastle Eagles and Great Britain head coach Marc Steutel, added: “Ensuring young people can enjoy sport and physical activity in a safe and secure environment is absolutely essential. The Eagles Community Foundation is a fantastic example of how a welcoming and inclusive community can impact positively on children, their families and their friends and that approach underpins everything we do as a club.

"Our senior men’s and women’s players visit schools several days a week with a view to encouraging children to get active and feel the sense of belonging that’s unique to playing sport as part of a team. But that experience has to be safe and supportive, every step of the way. That’s why Newcastle Eagles is proud to be supporting this year’s Keeping Your Child Safe In Sport campaign.”

Through the Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport campaign, the 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 initiative, clubs, coaches, and parents are being urged to host a “Team Huddle” event — a fun and informal gathering that brings together everyone involved in the sporting community to raise awareness and create meaningful discussions around safeguarding.

A Team Huddle can be part of an existing event, such as a club meeting, or it can be its own standalone event designed to bring everyone together. Free Team Huddle Event Packs are available from the CPSU website which include a variety of resources to help spark conversations about safeguarding.

The pack features a fun quiz and other activities, but clubs are encouraged to get creative and whether the huddle invites parents to participate in a quiz, a sports day, a scavenger hunt or even a barbecue, the focus is on connection, conversation, and community.

Michelle North added: “Team Huddles are a brilliant way to bring people together, providing an opportunity for parents, coaches, and club leaders to connect in a relaxed environment.

“But they also serve an important purpose. These events open the door to vital conversations about safeguarding, giving everyone involved a chance to reflect on their role in keeping children safe in sport.”

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.