Premier League supports Play Safe weekend helping adults listen to young people

English football is coming together for the weekend of 3-4 October 2026 to champion safeguarding across the game as part of The FA's Play Safe Weekend.

The FA Play Safe campaign is endorsed by the NSPCC and is supported by the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League, Barclays WSL2, Men’s and Women’s National League and their respective clubs, and the many clubs and leagues from across the grassroots game.

This year’s Play Safe theme is " Keep Up the Convo ". It builds on the campaign’s underlying idea that "Small Talk is Bigger Than You Think",  encouraging adults across football to create regular opportunities for children and young people to share their views and experiences, and to listen and respond to what they say.

Whether it’s in the car, at pick-up, at drop-off or on the sidelines, everyday conversations help adults understand children’s experiences of football. When children know they will be listened to and taken seriously, it can make it easier to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.

As part of Play Safe, two videos showcase the work that the Premier League does to support safeguarding for young people in communities and then in the academy system.

In the first video below, parents, club coaches and young people talk about the importance of safeguarding and players feeling happy and protected as part of the annual Premier League Primary Stars football tournament which most recently took place at Molineux this summer.

The second video below features parents, coaches and academy players talking about safeguarding at the Premier League's Under-9s Welcome Festival in Loughborough.

The Premier League and NSPCC have partnered to develop and deliver a two-day programme, taking place next week, which equips club staff with the knowledge, skills, resources and delivery materials needed to facilitate awareness and empowerment activities for children and young people.

Through a train-the-trainer approach, clubs and their football club charities are supported to deliver age-appropriate sessions for children and young people aged 8-11, 12-15 and 16-18 across the themes of Feeling Support, Celebrating Differences and Friendships and Relationships Matter.

The aim of the programme is to support children and young people to build confidence, understand their rights, increase awareness of issues that may affect them or their peers, and feel able to speak up, seek support and be heard.

Safety Goals is one of the workstreams in which the Premier League works with clubs to support with raising safeguarding awareness.