After a highly successful session in Zagreb, the GUARD project consortium has now officially completed Educational Module 2 for all partner countries. As Child Safeguarding Officers from Lithuania were unable to attend the Zagreb module, the team of educators travelled to Vilnius, where – with the strong support of the host NOC Lithuania – the training was delivered to the final group of participants.
Despite being significantly smaller in size compared to the international cohort gathered in Zagreb, the Lithuanian group responded with exceptionally positive feedback. While the reduced number of participants meant fewer opportunities for networking, it allowed for far more intense engagement, deeper discussions, and personalised learning experiences.
The programme once again gathered distinguished experts from legal, psychological, pedagogical and sport-governance backgrounds, as well as representatives of National Olympic Committees. The session was further strengthened by the online presence of the European Olympic Committees EU Office, represented by Carlotta Giussani, Head of Funding and & Project Manager of SAFE HARBOUR. An especially impactful moment was the online contribution of Emma Thomas, who once again courageously shared her difficult personal story and highlighted the real-world importance of safeguarding structures.
With this final delivery of Module 2 now complete, the GUARD consortium marks another important milestone in building a robust Child Safeguarding Officer network across Europe. The project will now move toward its concluding stage of Work Package 3 – the final educational module, scheduled for February 2026, which will again be implemented in each partner country.
The GUARD Consortium wishes to extend its heartfelt gratitude to all expert presenters, all participating lecturers, every attendee, as well as the EOC EU Office and the IOC Safe Sport Unit for their invaluable support in successfully delivering Educational Module 2.
