As the summer of sport continues with the commonwealth games, here at NSPCC Sport we've been helping Team England create a safe and supportive experience where athletes can thrive.
This year the Commonwealth Games is taking place in Glasgow, following the opening ceremony on 23 July.
Glasgow becomes only the third city in history to host twice. Thousands of athletes from 74 nations and territories will come together to compete in a 10-sport programme including the largest ever para sport medal event programme.
Behind the scenes, a huge amount of preparation is taking place, and we're proud to have played a part in it.
NSPCC Sport consultants Liza Ware and Carole Billington-Wood delivered safeguarding training to Team England's designated safeguarding leads, and workshops to staff and volunteers - the 'team behind the team'.
This was delivered jointly with British Elite Athlete's Association's Emma Speer, who is Team England's lead safeguarding officer, and adult safeguarding specialist Kimberley Walsh from the Ann Craft Trust.
Jonny Riall, Chef de Mission for Glasgow 2026, said:
"At Team England, we are committed to creating the safest possible environments so that our athletes and staff can perform at their best and fully enjoy the experience. Our partnership with the NSPCC has played a vital role in achieving this ambition, equipping our workforce with the knowledge, skills and confidence to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding. Through comprehensive training and the development of designated safeguarding officers across every sport, alongside the central Team England team, we have strengthened our collective ability to recognise, manage and minimise risk."
Liza, Carole, Emma and Kimberley used the sessions to help Team England staff recap their safeguarding knowledge and responsibilities, ready for the Games.
They explored what makes a safe Games time environment, and the unique risk factors of high-performance sport. These include performance pressures, media and social media scrutiny, welfare risks, mental health issues, physical injury and body image concerns.
Staff refreshed their knowledge of how to spot and report safeguarding issues, and how to look out for athletes' wellbeing, to help make the Games as safe and supportive as possible for the whole team.
Carole, herself a former high-performance athlete, said:
"Kimberley and I both have experience of competing internationally and have developed a good understanding of the unique pressures that athletes and support personnel can find themselves under. It has been great to work with the team delivering tailored education to every member of staff, and focused education for those in athlete-facing, designated safeguarding roles. This work aligns with Team England's mission of winning well and celebrating athletes' journeys to Glasgow and beyond."