This year has been a particularly strong one for safeguarding with the onboarding of Luke Murphy, the Irish Sailing Safeguarding Officer. A record 51 Sport Ireland safeguarding workshops took place, alongside five highly attended webinars. Each session attracted engaged participants who were willing to explore complex and sometimes challenging topics in a constructive and respectful way. Rather than avoiding safeguarding moments, organisations approached them with courage, compassion, and a clear focus on wellbeing. This willingness to engage openly has strengthened safeguarding practices across the sport.
Significant progress has also been made in clarifying which organisations require safeguarding structures and what those structures should involve. This improved clarity is already helping to create more consistent, child-centred environments throughout the sailing community. Young people are benefiting from spaces where they feel safe, supported, and confident to develop their skills and enjoy their time in the sport.
As we look towards 2026, the focus will begin to expand beyond compliance-based elements that have understandably been a priority this year. Plans include finding meaningful ways to capture young sailors’ views on the issues that affect them, as well as reviewing and refreshing key safeguarding policies to ensure they are even more accessible for clubs, training centres, and affiliate organisations.