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Leeds, 25th January, 2025
Leeds 25th January 2025 – The first safeguarding training of 2025, hosted at Chosen Church, was a resounding success, bringing together faith leaders, parents, and community representatives to strengthen safeguarding practices within faith communities.
The event, organized by Afrikindness, provided essential training to ensure that faith spaces remain safe environments for children and families.
With a growing need to address challenges such as knife crime, online bullying, peer pressure, and grooming, this training equipped participants with practical tools to operationalize safeguarding procedures rather than treating them as a simple tick-box exercise. Discussions focused on empowering faith leaders to create environments where families feel safe to report concerns without fear or hesitation.
The session started with a powerful welcome address by the Resident Pastor, Pastor Isaiah Oyedele and the training workshop kickstarted with our Safeguarding trainer, Pastor Adejoke Oyedele.
The event was honored by the presence of Councillors Paul Wray and Ed Carlisle, for their insightful speeches and unwavering commitment to safeguarding.
A major highlight of the training was a panel discussion with faith leaders, where they shared the unique challenges they face in safeguarding within their communities. The discussion fostered collaborative solutions and emphasized the importance of community-wide responsibility in protecting children.
“We are deeply encouraged by the commitment shown by faith leaders, parents, and local officials in strengthening safeguarding practices,” said Bunmi Owolabi, CEO Afrikindness. “This event marks the beginning of a year-long effort to ensure that safeguarding becomes an integral part of faith communities, rather than just a compliance measure.”
The success of this event sets a strong foundation for future training sessions. Afrikindness remains committed to expanding its mission of safeguarding children, breaking cultural barriers, and fostering safe spaces in faith and African communities across the UK.
For more information on upcoming events, or to get involved, please visit www.afrikindness.org or contact us via email at info@afrikindness.org.
