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November 27, 2025
The Safer Grassroots Sport (GRASS) programme has received significant recognition at the recent Safe Harbour partners’ meeting, being showcased as a leading example of safeguarding best practice in European sport.
Coordinated by the National Olympic Committee of Portugal (COP) over the past two years, GRASS was highlighted during a Safe Harbour thematic seminar as an exemplar of practical and effective safeguarding solutions, aligned with the launch of the Safe Harbour initiative.
The presentation benefited from valuable insights from the National Olympic Committee of Slovenia – a key GRASS partner – who demonstrated successful implementation of the GRASS toolkit within their pilot clubs and shared encouraging results with the national sports community over the last six months.
The impact of GRASS was unanimously recognised by attendees. The EOC representative overseeing the Safe Harbour programme commended the highly efficient content and design of the GRASS toolkit, underlining its potential to strengthen the developing European safeguarding response network. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also praised the GRASS consortium, describing the work as brilliant, effective and exceptionally pragmatic – a clear differentiator from other safeguarding projects.
“We are thrilled to receive this endorsement from both the EOC and IOC,” said Cristina Almeida, project coordinator. “It validates the hard work of the GRASS consortium and demonstrates the real value of providing accessible, practical tools to grassroots sports organisations.”
Following the meeting, the thirty National Olympic Committees in attendance now have direct access to the GRASS toolkit. Over the coming weeks, they will evaluate its relevance and applicability within their national sporting landscapes, with findings to be discussed at the next Safe Harbour project meeting on April 8th.
What GRASS Provides:
The GRASS programme is dedicated to strengthening the prevention and protection of athletes from violence and abuse in grassroots sport across Europe. Its core resources include:
- Safe Sport Self-Assessment Tool to help clubs audit their safeguarding practices
- Safe Sport Digital Toolkit providing step-by-step guidance on preventative measures and responsive protocols
Both resources are freely available to download from the GRASS website and are currently offered in eight languages. Designed to be accessible to clubs of any size and resources, GRASS empowers organisations to create safe, inclusive environments for all.