Norfolk FA Partner with The Offside Trust
NORFOLK FA PARTNER WITH THE OFFSIDE TRUST
Norfolk FA are pleased to announce The Offside Trust as their new Official Community Partner.
The Offside Trust is a national organisation set up by survivors for survivors of child sexual abuse. They are committed to supporting any survivor of child sexual abuse in sport and working to make all sports, including football, safer for children.
Working alongside governing bodies, charities and organisations that deal with safeguarding, their aims as an organisation are to end abuse in sport and support the healing journey of survivors of abuse, so that kids can be kids.
Norfolk FA and The Offside Trust will work in partnership to ensure that the safeguarding of children is a priority within grassroots football. This will include creating positive and safe environments for all under-18 participants, raising awareness of best practice and providing training & guidance to ensure safeguarding is embedded into everything we do.
A spokesman for The Offside Trust said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working alongside Norfolk FA. It is more important than ever that safeguarding best practice is shared across football. For the last few years we have been raising awareness in local leagues and signposting to appropriate support and advice.
“We have recently worked alongside the FA and the PFA at a national level to highlight available support and it's great to be able to take the message to grassroots football too. We're grateful to Norfolk FA for taking this issue so seriously.”
Norfolk FA Chief Executive & Senior Safeguarding Lead, Gavin Lemmon said: “Safeguarding continues to be a high priority for Norfolk FA and this partnership with The Offside Trust will allow us to further develop the protection of youth participants and adults at risk involved in Norfolk football.
“We look forward to working with Alan Arber and the team at The Offside Trust on a number of initiatives to highlight the work that they do whilst enhancing the safeguarding knowledge and awareness within local grassroots football.”
There are several resources available if you are a survivor of child sexual abuse in sport which can be seen below.
The FA have commissioned a dedicated NSPCC helpline for adults who were abused in childhood within the football industry from grassroots to Premier League. If you would like to speak to somebody the free NSPCC helpline for guidance and support is available 24 hours a day on 0800 023 2642.
If you think that a child is in immediate danger, please dial 999.
If you are a child who needs help, please call Childline on 0800 11 11.
For more information about safeguarding in Norfolk football please click here.
For more information about The Offside Trust and the great work they do please visit their website by clicking here.