Celebrating the launch of the Centre for Child Protection and Safeguarding in Sport.
Edge Hill University’s new Centre for Child Protection and Safeguarding in Sport (CPSS) will focus on the prevention of abuse and exploitation in sport. It will promote the positive welfare of participants. It also aims to take a lead in national and international research and education on a range of safeguarding and welfare issues in sport.
At the Centre’s first conference, former swimmer Karen Leach spoke about her experiences of abuse in sport:
You will never know the pain, until it comes to your door. We are the reminder, we’re here to tell the truth.
It’s too late for my life; others who have been abused have contacted me to say as long as I keep speaking out, organisations and governments will never be able to forget about us, or what has happened to us.
The new CPSS centre is the product of nearly 20 years of research. There is a diverse range of expertise on athlete welfare, safeguarding in sport and more. It’s all provided by a cross-departmental team that includes Dr Mike Hartill and Dr Melanie Lang, Centre Director and Assistant Director respectively.