In the heart of every athlete beats the desire for safety, respect and fair play. Our ambition is to make this aspiration a universal reality. We want all individuals, regardless of age, gender, ability, or background, to be able to safely access and enjoy sport, physical activity and play wherever they are in the world.

It is a bold ambition, but one that resonates deeply with our belief in the transformative power of sport. With determination and collaboration, we’re driving towards a future where safety in sport isn’t just an ideal, but a fundamental right for all.

Our mission is to advance safe, inclusive sporting environments free from violence, harassment, or abuse.

We are guided by athletes’ voices and experiences and informed by research – a global community united in our drive for change. SSI collaborates with sports federations and international bodies to drive policy change and embed safeguarding as a core practice in sport.

Through flagship events, storytelling campaigns, and our online network ‘Safe Sport Connect’, SSI empowers stakeholders with resources, training, and advocacy. Recognised as a thought leader, SSI inspires cultural change and drives international standards, ensuring sport remains a safe, respectful space for participants of all ages and backgrounds.

• Sport is Good for Us: Access to sport, physical activity and play is essential and valuable for individuals and society.
• Zero Tolerance for Violence or Abuse: Everyone, everywhere has the right to participate in sport safely and free from violence, harassment, abuse or harm.
• Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility. Individuals and organisations are accountable for systems, processes, actions and environments for sport to be safe.
• Multi-disciplinary Solutions: As a public health issue, safer sport requires collaboration between sports organisations, governments, public authorities, and civil society.
• Evidence-Based Practises: Research, data, expert experience, contextual knowledge and athlete voices should inform standards, policies, practice and guidance.
• Inclusive Global Perspectives: Safeguarding in sport must meet the needs of culture, context and those made more vulnerable by discrimination, oppression and lack of voice.
• Person-Centred Approaches: Sport must be sensitive to the psychological impacts of violence, abuse, and trauma, prioritising victim/survivor recovery.
• Prevention through Education: Proactive and relevant training for athletes, bystanders, coaches, event staff, managers, etc. can reinforce safe sport for all.
• Effective International Standards: Implementing good practice and ensuring accountability can be facilitated by agreed and mandated international standards and safeguards

The 2024-26 Strategic Plan set out 34 goals to advance SSI’s charitable purpose and organisational development across three values and three strategic pillars. The SSI Trustee board set the overall goal for 2025-26 to be increasing the scale and scope of SSI’s work through sustainable growth and:

Priority 1: Advancing international safeguarding standards
through thought leadership, research, guidance, and collaborative working.

Priority 2: Leading conferences and networks for sharing expertise
that enable individuals and sporting bodies to make behavioural and systemic changes.

Priority 3: Strengthening practice in safeguarding in and through sport
through consultancy and accessible educational resources

Priority 4: Championing campaigns that centre athlete, victim/survivor, and expert voices
to ensure safe sport reforms are inclusive, effective and relevant.

Our work aims to transform the global culture in sport to one that is safer, more inclusive, and values safeguarding at all organisational levels.  Guided by our principles and values, we inspire global collaboration to achieve safer sporting environments so that:

1. Everyone in sport experiences less harm, better health and wellbeing, and can enjoy and thrive in and through sport.

2. Locally led and contextually effective safeguarding policies and practices prevent violence and/or abuse in sport.

3. Agreed international safe sport standards support measurable improvements to safeguarding prevention, recognition, reporting, response, and remedy across all sports.

4. Multi-disciplinary professional expertise guides safeguarding practices at all levels.

5. Every safe sport practitioner has the knowledge, skills and support to fulfil their role.

6. Individual and collective athlete experiences inform systemic changes in sports organisations.