At Panthers we take our responsibilities for the welfare and safeguarding of the children in our care extremely seriously - in fact it is the number one priority for the club!

Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, but we do rely on our excellent Club Welfare Officers to make sure that all procedures are followed, all club volunteers have the appropriate checks in place, and that there is someone to turn to in the event of an issue arising.

As we recently announced, one of our two Club Welfare Officers, Gemma Cooper, has recently stepped across into the role of Diversity and Inclusion Advisor. As a result we had a vacancy on the Welfare team and we are delighted that Julie Findlay has agreed to take up the role of Club Welfare Officer, alongside Margaret Emney.

Julie has been a club member for a number of years as a Panthers mum to Jack in our Under 11 squad. She is an excellent addition to the Welfare team and to the Club Committee and is already stepping into her new role as she completes all the Club Welfare Officer training with Sussex FA.

Both Margaret and Julie are here to support the coaches, players, parents and Committee to ensure that all the appropriate safeguarding procedures are being followed. If you ever have any concerns about the welfare of a child at the club you can contact them by email at welfare.cmpanthersfc@outlook.com or by phone - Margaret on 07711 050100 and Julie on 07454 744444. Please store these numbers in your phone so they are always at hand.

You can find a lot more advice about what to do in the event of a safeguarding concern and read our Safeguarding Policy on our website here: Child Safeguarding Advice

Even if you are unsure about something, or whether it is even a problem, it is much better to report it. We will always take any report seriously and follow up as appropriate.

IF YOU KNOW OF ANY SITUATION WHERE A CHILD IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER YOU MUST CALL THE POLICE ON 999.