English football unites this weekend to promote Play Safe - The national campaign to focus attention of the vital importance of safeguarding across our game.
Port Vale is right behind Play Safe, which is endorsed by the NSPCC and supported across every level of English football, including the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League, Barclays Women’s Championship, men’s and women’s National Leagues and across the grassroots game.
During Saturday's match against Swindon Town, supporters will have the chance to hear from our new Head of Safeguarding, Gary Cliffe about the importance of not just the Play Safe campaign but safeguarding at all levels of football and sport.
Gary will be in the Staffordshire University Fan Zone ahead of kick off and we'll be hearing from him inside the stadium too.
Sue Ravenlaw, The FA Head of Safeguarding says:
“The central push behind this year’s Play Safe weekend is to create awareness among individuals of the vital safeguarding role they can play in football. It really is about Everyone Everywhere, Every Time.
"Play Safe weekend is a fantastic way of raising the awareness of safeguarding and putting this at the forefront of people’s minds, not just for this weekend, but throughout the season. This year, we’re asking everyone to know their role in safeguarding and we look forward to seeing clubs at every level of the game showing their support across the weekend, to make sure football is safe, fun, and enjoyable for all."
Crucially, Play Safe also has the full support of The FA’s Survivor Support and Safeguarding Advisory Group:
“It’s essential that everyone in football – no matter if they’re actively involved, or on the sidelines – understands that they have an ongoing safeguarding role to play. Obviously Play Safe is 24/7 and 365, as is reflected in the Play Safe messaging of ‘Everyone, Everywhere and Every time’, but this weekend helps with raising awareness of how everyone can help to create safe and positive football spaces, what inappropriate behaviours look, sound, and feel like and importantly how to report concerns.”
If you have a safeguarding concern, or would like some advice, the person to contact at Port Vale is Gary Cliffe and he can be reached by emailing safeguarding@Port-Vale.co.uk