A blog from Sarah Howard, British Taekwondo’s Safeguarding, HR & Compliance Manager.

Events and volunteering

It’s been a while since my last blog post and since then we have held two National Championships and co-hosted the World Grand Prix Final 2023! It truly has been a busy time for British Taekwondo.

It was great to meet so many of our members and witness good safeguarding practices. Yes, there is still room for improvement, but together I am confident that we can continue to ensure that British Taekwondo is a safe place to participate.

I would like to thank Ed of Whiston Taekwondo, Allan of Jeon-sa Taekwondo and Andrew of Spartans Taekwondo for volunteering at the Sport Nationals and the World Grand Prix Final as safeguarding officers.

I will again be looking for volunteers to join our Safeguarding team at the Sport National Championships this year from Saturday 5th until Sunday 6^th October, so if you are interested then please do get in touch. It is a great way to get up close to the action on the mats, network with British Taekwondo members and staff and of course you will receive the coveted purple t-shirt and plenty of refreshments!

Welfare Officers

I am pleased to say that I have seen an increase in clubs appointing registered Club Welfare Officers.

From 1st June 2024 all British Taekwondo member clubs who work with under 18s will need to have a Club Welfare Officer in place in order to affiliate. The benefits that this will bring to your young British Taekwondo members are that they will feel safe within your club and will know who to approach should they have any concerns or need advice.

As a British Taekwondo member club, your Club Welfare Officer will benefit from dedicated support and advice from myself as Safeguarding, HR and Compliance Manager. In the unfortunate event that a serious issue does arise, I am on hand to liaise with the appropriate authorities and give direction to your Club Welfare Officer. This will leave you safe in the knowledge that all the correct protocols are being followed and the young person’s wellbeing and safety is the main focus.

For information on how to appoint, or become, a Club Welfare Officer, please visit the website Welfare Officer – British Taekwondo

Recent Ygam workshop

I recently attended a workshop delivered by Ygam, whose mission is to prevent children and young people from experiencing gaming and gambling harms through awareness raising, education and research.

Despite the fact that the law stipulates that most gambling activities should be restricted to people are aged 18 years and above, over 55,000 11-16 year olds are classed as problem gamblers (Gambling Commission, 2019).

Are you concerned that someone you know is experiencing gambling-related harm? Are you unsure of what to look out for?

Knowing the warning signs can help you decide what action to take. It is common to notice changes in the person’s finances, mood and behaviour or how they spend their time.

British Taekwondo now have a whole host of resources that can help you speak to young members, or even your own families, about the risks of gambling and gaming. These can be accessed by visiting Advice for Parents – British Taekwondo

As always, if you would like further advice or a confidential chat, then please contact me at safeguarding@britishtaekwondo.org