Hertfordshire’s Welfare Officer Celebration Event

On Friday 13^th December 2024, the Herts Sport and Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) hosted a Welfare Officer Celebration Event, celebrating the vital role Welfare Officers play in grassroot sport.

Working with our primary leisure operator partner Everyone Active, they provided an inspirational guest speaker, Hilmy Shawwal. Hilmy, who is a T54 Paralympic Wheelchair Racer, spoke to the group about his journey in sport, from the positive culture he experienced growing up, to his first call up to the Paralympics and his experience in Paris. HSP were joined at the event by 20 Club Welfare Officers, 3 county associations and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

The purpose of the day was to celebrate the role of welfare officers across Hertfordshire and give them a space to connect and network with others in the same role. Much has been made of the scarier side of safeguarding and welfare, and so it was time to change the narrative and highlight the positive impact welfare officers can have, and their ability to transform lives and sport experiences for all.

Joe Gamble, the Sport Welfare Officer for Hertfordshire commented on the event:

“The role of the welfare officer is vital to community sport and it’s time we start celebrating their role, and the amazing work they do for their clubs. It can be very challenging, and we want to ensure welfare officers feel part of a larger community they can lean on.”

In Hertfordshire, a huge effort has been placed on connecting the sector. We want to create a community for club welfare officers and better inform them of the wide network of experts at their disposal. Within this, connecting the LADO to Hertfordshire clubs has been a huge drive and this was showcased at the Celebration Event, with Hertfordshire LADO’s Andrea and Lucy talking to clubs about their role, and the offer they can support.

Andrea Garica – Sangil, the Hertfordshire LADO added:

“It was a brilliant event, and I very much enjoyed meeting CWOs and hearing some of the dilemmas they face. It can easily be forgotten how difficult their roles can be volunteering within the community and the space provided for a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the good work done, as well as prompting stimulating conversations on how we keep moving safeguarding in sport forward”

 

Tessa Terry, the Herts LTA Safeguarding Officer also said: 

“Without the focal point of your event last month, my welfare officers would not have met up together and as you saw…they are all now very much in touch with each other, which is great where they are in close proximity to each other, and it gives them local ownership of their shared issues.” 

 

If you’re a club and want to be a part of events like this, we will be delivering training, webinars, and more events such as this throughout 2025. If this interests you, then please contact Joe Gamble at j.gamble2@herts.ac.uk