Active Lincolnshire, working with the regional network of Sport Welfare Officers has launched a new East Midlands Sports Welfare Forum.

The Facebook forum will provide a welcoming online community dedicated to club welfare officers and other club volunteers within the East Midlands region. It aims to provide those working in this space with the knowledge and updates on safeguarding and welfare topics that are needed to effectively carry out their roles.

The forum has been set up and will be run by Sport Welfare Officers from each of the 5 East Midlands regions: Active Lincolnshire, Active Derbyshire, Active Nottinghamshire, Active Together (Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland) and Northamptonshire Sport. The Sport Welfare Officer Network (SWO network) was created earlier this year to support National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and their local clubs to promote good practice and safer sport for all. The network is funded by Sport England through National Lottery funding.

The forum will support the network's aims of helping to create safer sport for all, by providing additional local support for club welfare officers, signposting to advice and guidance and creating a local network so volunteers and staff can feel better informed.

Richard Bell, Sport Welfare Manager for Active Lincolnshire commented:

"Following feedback from clubs and welfare officers, we became aware of the importance of creating a community for people working in these roles, where they can share thoughts on best practice or simply be an observant bystander to take in information and feel less isolated. Through the forum, myself and the other East Midlands Sports Welfare Officers will be able to broaden our reach and share safeguarding messages in a more accessible way to ensure club welfare officers have the support necessary to carry out their vitally important, but often challenging roles."

If you are interested in being part of the forum then you can find it and join here.