Merseyside football coaches educated on child exploitation
It's aimed at showcasing how big a role football can play in protecting youngsters
Football coaches across Merseyside are being urged to play their part in protecting children from being criminally exploited.
Around 100 youth coaches attended an event at Anfield last night (26 March), where they were educated on how young people are being exploited, how to identify a young person at risk, and how they can all play a part in preventing criminal exploitation, grooming and abuse.
Everton, Liverpool, Tranmere Rovers and Marine have come together with the '4 Clubs 1 Goal' initiative to make Merseyside safer.
Tony Smith, CEO of Liverpool FA, said:
"We're told by Merseyside Police that Merseyside is the hotbed for county lines. They are really good at it, which is why we need to broaden our scope in making sure people are aware of what's going on and recognising when children who are susceptible to being encouraged to go down the wrong route.
"We always say Liverpool is much bigger than just a game. We've got really good people involved in grassroots football - through our wide network of volunteers.
"They're like youth workers"
"As well as football coaches, they're like youth workers. They get to see the kids on a regular basis, they recognise and they know better than anyone when a child is struggling and they're really key to unpicking where they are struggling.
"The more we can educate those coaches that are around what's going on, the better they've got a chance of spotting the signs and being able to report it in the right way.
"They're not just changing lives, they're saving lives"
"Some of these coaches are absolute role models and they can literally change the direction of young people's lives if they do it in the right way.
"We want to recognise that and show coaches that they're more than just a coach, they are appreciated and at times, they're not just changing lives, they're saving lives as well because unfortunately some of these youngsters get dragged into a world and there's only one outcome that comes with it."
More regular events are planned to invite more coaches in as a rolling programme.