Sport Welfare Officers praised for their commitment to safeguarding in East Sussex

Active Sussex’s Sport Welfare Officers have been recognised for their work making sport and physical activity safe and enjoyable for all in East Sussex.

Angela Nilmadhub-Watson and Lauren Rickson joined the Active Sussex team in January 2024 as part of the national Active Partnerships Sport Welfare Officer network funded by Sport England.

Since then, they have made great strides in building a strong network of club welfare officers and strengthening safeguarding work to ensure sport and physical activity are safe and enjoyable for all participants in Sussex.

As a testament to their hard work, East Sussex Safeguarding Partnership’s ‘Best Practice Celebration’ praised them for their ‘commitment to learning’.

The certificate said: “Active Sussex demonstrates a strong commitment to learning by supporting clubs and coaches to embed safe, child-centred practices in sport and physical activity. 

“Sport Welfare Officers Lauren and Angela provide guidance, training, and resources, fostering reflection, knowledge-sharing, and continuous improvement. 

“By collaborating with different partners, they have built a county-wide network that strengthens safeguarding, promotes confident practice, and ensures children can participate safely, confidently, and inclusively in sport and physical activity.”

Lauren described it as a ‘proud moment’ receiving the accolade, adding: “This role is very much a team effort, and I’m lucky to work with such a committed team at Active Sussex, guided by strong leadership that truly supports and values this work. 

“I’m also grateful to our external partners, who have been so receptive and supportive in helping develop and strengthen this work locally.

“Seeing all the celebrations was just fantastic and highlighted how important it is to recognise and celebrate the vital safeguarding work happening across our communities.”

Angela added: “It is fantastic that we have such a positive relationship with the East Sussex Safeguarding partnership and that they recognise the role sport and physical activity play in keeping children safe.”

Gemma Finlay-Gray, Strategic Relationship Manager for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Active Sussex, said: “It was brilliant to see their dedication and commitment to learning celebrated — from supporting clubs one-to-one, to delivering training, building networks, and putting children’s safety and well-being at the heart of sport and physical activity. 

“Their impact is making a real difference, and it’s helping create safer, more welcoming spaces for everyone to enjoy being active.

“I’m proud to work alongside them and contribute in a small way to growing a positive safeguarding in sport culture in Sussex.”

You can read more about the Best Practice in Safeguarding Celebration here.

You can learn more about the Sport Welfare Officers’ role via the video below.