Amplifying young people’s voices
Creating safe and welcoming sport and activity spaces for children and young people starts with listening to the voices that matter most: the young people themselves.
For this year’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport week, the Young People’s Board for Change brought their energy and insights to the forefront of The NSPCC CPSU’s yearly campaign. From co-hosting a podcast (Building Safer Cultures in Sport) to actively jumping in at our in-person event held in Manchester at the British Cycling Centre, these young leaders were key in showing why it’s so important for youth voices to be heard when it comes to building safer, more supportive sports environments.
“…Young people are the ones experiencing the sporting and activity environment first-hand, and therefore they’re able to give the greatest insight and a new perspective.” – Maisy, Young Person’s Board for Change member.
In this blog, Connor, Maisy and Markus tell us about their experience working with the NSPCC CPSU and their advice on how clubs, organisations and activities can actively include youth voices to create a more positive, nurturing and safer environment for everyone.
Young people’s perspectives
We loved being involved in this year’s Keeping Your Child Safe campaign, it was really exciting to be asked to get involved. During the podcast recording, we were able to hear from various people who specialise in safeguarding in sport and got a chance to ask the questions that mattered to us.
We learned more about the different safeguarding procedures and engaged into a healthy debate about competitiveness and fun. It was interesting to talk about how to keep the balance between these two things, we found it really insightful
It was great to offer our own perspectives on everything that our guest speakers put forward, and we were often complimented on our viewpoints.
It is so important to involve children and young people in sport and physical activity, young people are the ones experiencing the environment first-hand, and therefore, they are able to give the greatest and beneficial insight.
It was clear from being involved in the podcast and the event that the guests were openly interested in us and made sure we were able to get our views across. This should apply to all sporting environments too, from coaches and referees to club owners and spectators.
Developing young leaders
Working on the podcast and attending the event were brilliant opportunities to develop new skills for us. We were able to work on our planning and presenting skills, as well as hugely improve our public speaking -- It was a little nerve wracking to begin with, especially talking in front of adults who are in positions of power and who have the authority to make the greatest changes. It was great to be pushed out of our comfort zones and try something new, we all really enjoyed it!
All of us were excited to meet the celebrities who attended the event, as well as getting the chance to speak to people from all over the UK. It was really reassuring seeing how genuinely interested everyone was in what we had to say. The experience has given us all an empowering confidence boost and inspired us to be more involved in future activities.
Passion and enthusiasm
We are all passionate about our individual sports, but we are also passionate about making sure that children and young people are listened to. It was great to be able to bring this energy to Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport.
One of the highlights of attending the in-person event was listening to David Lean share his story. It was so compelling to hear him speak about such a tragic event in his life, but also so admirable for him to use it as a standpoint for raising awareness. It really drove home how even the most subtle signs of abuse within sport should be picked up on to ensure children are protected. It was a brave and emotional story, we were so glad that he shared it.
It was important to us to take part in the podcast and event because we strongly feel that giving our voice helps to improve safeguarding. To us, this means other children and young people can experience the fun and healthy environment that allows you to fall in love with sport and activity. Everyone’s experiences are different, so every voice is different, collectively offering unique experiences and perspectives that can help in so many ways
Message to sport and physical activity organisations
Clubs and organisations can involve young people simply by giving them a voice; this could be by speaking to them individually, creating questionnaires or by having young people on their board. Our best advice would be to really listen to what the young people in your organisation have to say, don’t dismiss it.
It’s also really important that all clubs and organisations remind their children and young people throughout the season that no matter how small something seems, if they have that feeling in their gut that something isn’t right, then they should let someone trusted know. Speaking up as soon as possible means the problem or issue can be solved, no matter how big or small, and helps prevent it happening again in future.
As you can see, involving the Young People’s Board for Change didn’t just make an impact—it showed why we need to give young people a seat at the table in sports clubs and organisations. When young people get the chance to speak up, ask questions, and share their perspectives, it’s not only good for their personal growth; it builds a culture of safety and respect that reflects their needs.
Initiatives like this are a big step forward in making sports and activity a place where young people feel valued, heard, and protected—and that’s something everyone can get behind.
For more information about involving young people in your organisation, club or activity, take a look at the resources below: