Play Safe is the Football Association’s national campaign to focus attention on the vital importance of safeguarding in our national game. The campaign is endorsed by the NSPCC and this weekend will be supported across level of English Football including the Premier League, English Football League, Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship, National League and across the grassroots game.

Here at Reading City Football Club safeguarding comes first, so whilst we ‘Play Safe’ every weekend. We are proud to be supporting this national initiative which sees English Football unite across one weekend, every season to highlight the importance of safeguarding.

Nicola Evans, Our Club Youth Welfare Officer had this to say about us supporting the ‘Play Safe’ Weekend:

“As the Welfare Officer for Reading City FC, it is my role to ensure that safeguards are in place in the club. But Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility, and that is why we are promoting safeguarding and supporting Play Safe, within the RCFC club and community. Officials, managers, coaches, parents, spectators, and players should all know what safeguarding is in football. We want everyone to feel comfortable and able to take action if they have a safeguarding concern.

At Reading City FC we promote a positive environment. An environment where we keep our children safe and we can all enjoy our football.”

This year’s Play Safe weekend has two main messages:

· ‘Everyone, everywhere, every time’ should have an understanding of safeguarding in football.

· Everyone should ‘watch, listen, talk and act’ if they have any safeguarding concerns.

We therefore pledge to remind everyone from Committee Members to Parents/Guardians that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and ensure that they are clear about the vital role they can play in keeping children and young people safe, no matter what the football setting.

Safeguarding is about creating safe environments and preventing children from experiencing harm or abuse.

Put simply, safeguarding refers to measures we take to protect our children – and keep them safe and well. Whether that’s your kids, the opposing players or even the ref, every young person has the right to enjoy football.

England Football Learning has a number of Safeguarding Courses suitable for Children, Coaches, Committee Members, Parents/Guardians, Managers and Referees and can be accessed here

Our Team Captains and Managers throughout our Senior Section and Youth Academy will also don ‘Play Safe’ Armbands and pin badges as we also pledge to raise awareness of the ‘Play Safe’ Campaign.

If you have a safeguarding concern, or would like some advice, please contact our Club Youth Welfare Officer, Nicola Evans either via email: youth-welfare@readingcityfc.co.uk or by calling 07825 708499.

Anything urgent, where there may be an immediate risk of harm to a child, or an adult at risk, must be reported to the police or the children/adult social care service in your area. Details of which can be found on our dedicated Safeguarding & Welfare page.