Earlier this month Berks & Bucks FA, Designated Safeguarding Officer, Graham Fisher joined representatives from Oxfordshire FA and the West Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Councils, as well as Welfare Officers from grassroots clubs in our region to record a podcast discussing the initiative.

The one-off episode looks at what the initiative is, what it is trying to achieve and how it is working in clubs across Berks & Bucks and Oxfordshire. 
Listen to the Smokefree Sidelines Podcast

We have a number of clubs in Berks & Bucks* already signed up to support the Smokefree Sidelines campaign and would welcome additional involvement and support from Clubs.

If you would like to take part, or would like more information, please contact Graham Fisher who will provide the relevant details. For clarity, this initiative is not about policing people who smoke, it is about encouraging and promoting the benefits of smoke-free playing areas and environments through awareness.

The Smokefree Sidelines campaign is one of two initiatives included in in our Making Touchlines Safer programme. Well into its second season the programme is a combination of the Smokefree Sidelines campaign and our Safer Touchlines initiative, further details of which can be found here. 

We also have a number of clubs signed up to the Safer Touchlines initiative which has included webinars on challenging difficult behaviour, dealing with discrimination and a look at respect and what children actually want from football.

We would love to hear from you about what subjects you would like to discuss as parents, club officials or coaches. If you have any thoughts or ideas on this, please get in touch with Graham Fisher via email.

(*Unfortunately this initiative is not currently available to clubs in Milton Keynes.)