Active Sussex champions safe sport at the Brighton Marathon Mini Mile

Safeguarding and welfare took centre stage at this year’s Brighton Marathon Mini Mile.

Active Sussex’s Sport Welfare Officers delivered a pop-up safeguarding and welfare engagement point at the event in April to raise awareness and provide education on welfare in sport and physical activity.

On the day, they engaged with families, club welfare officers, and local clubs, providing resources and discussing how to recognise safe sport environments and what questions to ask when choosing activities for children and young people.

Sport Welfare Officer Lauren Rickson said: “This event was a valuable opportunity to bring safeguarding conversations into a high-profile community space, helping to build confidence and awareness among families and clubs alike.”

Colleague Angela Nilmadhub-Watson added: “The day also reinforced that families are often involved in multiple sports and activities. 

“This underlines the need for consistent safeguarding messaging across all sporting environments.”

In the lead-up to the event, a series of planning meetings were held with the event and safety teams to strengthen safeguarding messaging for parents and carers. 

Safeguarding guidance and signposting were shared with the event team to support the development of information for families, including links to national and local safeguarding support, such as the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit and the Ann Craft Trust.

On the day, a wide range of organisations and sports were represented at the event, including Junior Parkrun, Kit 360, Nam Yang, Bevendean Gymnastics, Leave No Trace, Brighton Phoenix, Brighton Baseball Club, Athletics, Netball, and Martial Arts.