Morecambe FC is lending its full support to Play Safe – a 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.
The main element of Play Safe is a series of short films which emphasise the importance of clubs such as ours having safeguarding embedded in all that we do.
"Supporting the Play Safe campaign from The FA is a great way to celebrate the great work we’re doing at Morecambe FC to ensure safeguarding is central to everything we do," said Sally O'Donnell.
"The Play Safe campaign from The FA is there to remind all involved in the game how important it is to provide a safe environment where everyone can enjoy watching, playing, and taking part in football.
"We want every child and young person who comes to a Morecambe FC game, plays as part of the Academy or takes part in the Community Sport programme to be happy and safe.
"We have dedicated staff across the Club who have responsibility for Safeguarding and everyone at the club plays their part in knowing how to recognise, respond, report and record any concerns to ensure everyone is safe.
"We would encourage anyone who see’s anything of concern on a matchday to report it to our stewarding team."
“As a youth team coach, I will be working with my club to ensure we support the Play Safe messaging,” says FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham.
“I am also pleased that the campaign has the support of the former footballers with lived experience of abuse in football, who are on our Survivor Support and Safeguarding Advisory Group.
"The Group has collectively said:“Learning from the past is crucial, so that we can prevent the horrific experiences that happened to us and so many others in football, from happening again.
“As a group of survivors, we fully support the ethos and important messages that Play Safe conveys – whether to club officials, parents/carers and or vitally, children and young people themselves.
"Equally important is that Play Safe is not a one-off campaign – it will be used at key points in the football calendar to remind everyone in football, that children’s welfare and keeping them safe, should be at the heart of all that we do.”
As the Survivor Group points out, you’ll see Play Safe appearing at various points throughout the season to keep safeguarding front of mind in football. Together, we want to do everything we can so everyone – particularly children and young people – has a consistently positive experience of our great game.