Safeguarding Sunday is back – and this year it’s going to be bigger than ever. If you’ve not taken part before, or even if it’s a regular part of your church calendar – join us this November as we come together to explore what safe looks and feels like and to share all the things your church is doing to make it a safer place for all.
Every year, thousands of churches across the country unite to mark Safeguarding Sunday. It’s a chance to listen and to talk together about how we can create places and cultures that protect people from the damaging effects of harm and abuse.
Protecting vulnerable people from harm and speaking up for their rights is an integral part of our scriptural mandate as Christians (Proverbs 31:8). But sadly, the church hasn’t always done this well. In our headlines and newsfeeds, we read many examples of the hurt and harm that has happened and is continuing to happen in our churches and across society. But we have a chance to stop it.
That’s why our theme for Safeguarding Sunday this year is – ‘Let’s talk about it'.
Let’s Talk About It
Many churches are working hard to get safeguarding right. However, to truly create places that are safer for all, we need to create open cultures where abuse has nowhere to hide. We need to talk about it, to ensure everyone in our churches is aware of their part to play in safeguarding, what arrangements you have in place, and how to be alert to the risks of abuse from within and outside the church.
It’s time to have open and honest conversations about what we’ve got wrong and what we’re getting right. It’s an opportunity to talk about how we can work together to prevent abuse and create a world where every child and adult can feel, and be safe. Safeguarding Sunday will help you do that.
"It made safeguarding sound everyday and accessible for people in the church, not a big scary or threatening thing, just a normal part of what we do, which is exactly how it should be."
Can one Sunday really make a difference?
Last year over 4,000 churches took part in Safeguarding Sunday, with an estimated reach of 240,000 people. That’s 240,000 who are aware of the risks of abuse, equipped to know what to look for and empowered to know what to do about it.
This year, with your help, we aim to make an even greater impact in protecting children and adults safe from harm. On Sunday 17 November 2024 churches from diverse backgrounds and traditions across the UK will shout about safeguarding and help protect vulnerable people.
As well as talking about it, it’s also your chance to consider the journey your church or denomination is on with safeguarding. You can reflect on where you may have got things wrong in the past and think about how you are supporting those who have been hurt or harmed.
It’s your chance to highlight all the good work being done behind the scenes and to show your church and your community that you are committed to protecting vulnerable people and creating safer cultures and communities for all both now and in the future.
Whatever the tradition or style of your church, if you have just a few minutes or can dedicate a whole service, with a bit of thought and planning you can show how safeguarding is an important part of the Christian message of justice and hope.
Whether it’s including a prayer, preaching a sermon, or showing a short film, everything counts.
And of course, just because we’ve designated a Sunday to the campaign, doesn’t mean you have to stick to that day. You might choose to run smaller events during the week before (adults safeguarding week), or dedicate a different Sunday to the theme. The day is not as important as the message itself, please do what works for you.
Churches who take part in Safeguarding Sunday see:
• GREATER positive awareness and understanding of safeguarding among church members.
• An INCREASE in the number of people feeling able to talk about their abuse for the first time.
• MORE volunteers coming forward for safeguarding roles and to help with children’s/youth work.
• An INCREASED number of people completing safeguarding training and criminal record checks.
• And the number of Safeguarding Leads feeling supported in their role by the church is BIGGER!
To find out how you could take one Sunday to make your church a safer place go to: SafeguardingSunday.org
“It is of course vital that we keep alert to our safeguarding responsibilities throughout the year. However, I am delighted to see not just the level of response but also the many different and creative ways churches within the Diocese have engaged with Safeguarding Sunday this year.”
"It was a very powerful service, and it was incredible how many people took part. It genuinely contributed to and reinforced the culture we are working so hard on creating here!
We can’t thank Thirtyone:eight enough. So, so powerful!"
“This can only be a positive sign of how awareness and culture around safeguarding is changing across the Church.”