Hertfordshire Youth Voice Project - Strong Voices, Safe Spaces

Sport Welfare Officers and Active Partnerships were urged to support the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport (KYCSIS) campaign following a near 50% rise in Helpline contacts linked to safeguarding concerns in sport.

Answering that call, the Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) actively championed the campaign, which ran from 6th–12th October, engaging with the local sporting community to spread awareness and encourage positive change.

As part of the campaign, HSP launched Positive Pledge Cards in partnership with Hertfordshire Tennis. This initiative was designed to tackle negative sideline behaviour by encouraging parents and carers to sign a pledge promoting positivity, enjoyment and support over competition and results.

To place young people’s voices at the heart of the campaign, HSP worked with clubs to collect quotes from children about what makes them feel safe and supported in sport. These quotes were transformed into a graffiti-style visual, shared during the week as a creative and powerful representation of their views. Thank you to Herts Tennis Clubs, Royston Swimming Club and SAADI Gymnastics for their help gathering these reflections.

A Bobs’ Blog was published to reflect on the campaign’s impact, share insights from Hertfordshire’s local clubs, and look ahead to future safeguarding efforts.

The week culminated in HSP’s annual Clubs Conference, which featured a Sport Welfare Workshop. The session highlighted the KYCSIS week campaign and showcased the Positive Pledge Cards, sparking reflection on how to create safer, more supportive sporting environments.

HSP’s campaign posts gained strong engagement online, with the NSPCC sharing them and calling the initiative:

“A powerful reminder from Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership,”
and
“What a great initiative! Thank you so much for your support for #KYCSIS25 week”

Looking ahead, HSP will support The Ann Craft Trust’s Safeguarding Adults Week (17–21 November), with this year’s theme focused on prevention.