Mike Hartill continues to work closely with the NWG in Derby - the national working group against child sexual exploitation- to enhance safeguarding and child protection in sport. It is thanks to this collaboration that Mike was able to embark on the European VOICE project. This allowed him to extend his earlier work with ‘survivors’ on a European level.

One outcome of VOICE was Sport England’s commitment to establish a ‘survivor’ panel to advise them on safeguarding issues. This ground-breaking initiative is now in operation with a range of innovative plans scheduled which will enable Edge Hill researchers to work alongside and in support of ‘survivors’ of child abuse in order to strengthen the ways in which sport safeguards children and supports victims.

A recent open event at Edge Hill was supported by Karen Leach and David Lean, both survivors of sexual abuse in sport, who addressed a range of organisations from the sport and victim-support sectors (including Liverpool FC, Sport England and the NSPCC). Edge Hill’s continued support of and work with ‘survivors’ places it at the forefront of this field of research globally.