“At Offaly Sports Partnership, we are saying today – and every day – that “We are Children First”. It’s part of the fabric of how we operate day-to-day as an organisation, but it’s also part of who we all are, as responsible adults in Ireland. We take pride in playing our role in creating the Ireland that we all wish for; where our children are protected every single day, without exception”.

Offaly Sports Partnership is proud to announce its participation in the third national Children First Awareness Week, running from September 15th to 21st, 2025. This year's campaign is a cross-sectoral initiative which aims to raise awareness of child safeguarding as a collective responsibility for all responsible adults in Ireland.

A key focus for the 2025 campaign is empowering parents, guardians and responsible adults to feel confident in their role in safeguarding. The campaign encourages adults to ask questions and seek clarity on safeguarding measures in place in the organisations their children are involved with. We all have a role to play in child safeguarding and everyone should feel comfortable to ask questions that all serve us in this collective interest. At Offaly Sports Partnership, our staff are ready and eager to answer these questions because it’s central to why they got involved: to help create safe spaces for children to thrive.

Children First Awareness Week provides a structured opportunity for our nation to reaffirm its commitment to child safety and welfare. We believe that by working together, we can grow a deeper understanding and renewed solidarity around what it means to be Children First.

The theme for this year's campaign is "We Were All Children Once. Now We Are Children First". This message is rooted in the shared human experience of being a child and is designed to inspire a collective identity grounded in empathy, responsibility, and action.

Everything you need to know about Children First is available at gov.ie/ChildrenFirst