Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins has helped to launch a charity campaign to help prevent child abuse.
The cyclist has partnered with children’s charity the NSPCC to launch a program which help adults know what to do if they are worried about a child.
The program will provide a free, ten-minute training course alongside information from experts. Workshops will also be held in Brighton to help create a “city of safe guarders”.
Lili Dunn, NSPCC campaigns manager for the South East, said: “Child protection needs to be made a priority. There’s so much we can do in the local community. Last year a series of terrible cases shocked the nation, while major reviews called for urgent reform.
“At the NSPCC, we want to encourage everyone in Brighton and Hove to play their part in keeping children safe, and that’s why we're thrilled to be piloting our new campaign, Listen up, Speak up, here in Brighton and Hove.
“The campaign offers free digital training to adults, which can be completed on your smartphone or tablet, as well as free workshops that can be attended in person or online.
“We believe it can be game-changing for how we keep kids safe. That’s why we’re encouraging people who work in Brighton and Hove communities, such as taxi drivers, market traders and neighbourhood watch groups to go online and learn how to keep children safe and what to do if they have a concern.”
The Listen Up, Speak Up campaign comes after Sussex Police reported nearly 1,500 child sexual abuse cases in 2022.
Sir Bradley Wiggins previously shared his story about how he was groomed by his cycling coach when he was 13 years old.
The campaign is being launched in a pilot phase in Brighton as well as in Leeds and Newport.
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive, said: “You might never need to use the training, but it’s beneficial to take part. Even if children are not a big part of your everyday life, you’ll see them in your neighbourhood, on your commute, at the supermarket.
“A little bit of extra knowledge can help keep a lot of children safe.”
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