ENGLAND WINGER MARTIN OFFIAH IS NEW ANTI-BULLYING CHAMPION

ENGLAND WINGER MARTIN OFFIAH IS NEW ANTI-BULLYING CHAMPION He joins fellow rugby great Gareth Thomas at Balls to Bullying

Rugby great Martin Offiah’s post-playing career has taken a new turn with his appointment as an anti-bullying champion for national campaign Balls to Bullying.

The campaign, set up by leading teacher recruitment agency Prospero Teaching, has already had a huge impact, with Gareth Thomas visiting schools all over the country. It has also attracted masses of media attention.

Martin will, like Gareth, be using his life story as an elite sportsman to engage with young people, boost confidence and help them to develop strategies for dealing with bullies.

Martin, who now works as a commentator for Sky TV, says that as Head of House at his boarding school, he learnt a lot about power structures and how children interact with one another.

‘School was a positive experience for me. But it was an environment where older boys did dictate. A lot of the policing was done by the boys themselves. Teachers were rarely informed of things that went on in school.

‘I think that’s a big learning point for me in my new role. However good schools’ anti-bullying policies are, children are often reluctant to tell an adult what’s going on in their lives. They fear being ostracised – and facing further bullying.’

Martin says that through his work at Balls to Bullying he wants to help young people create a positive culture in which bullying is less likely to thrive.

‘It’s the same as in professional sport. You don’t get success when there are negative things like bullying. That applies not only to the person being bullied, but the bullied. And, of course, it’s a waste of learning time.

But Martin says sport needs to set a better example. ‘We’ve seen it in football with [Luis] Suarez. This is effectively about grown men bullying other grown men.

‘And too often when there’s bad behaviour on the pitch, these people tend to be defended by their clubs and professional organisations.

‘How can we expect kids to adopt the right kind of behaviour when their heroes and role models let them down?’

But Martin, who coaches his sons’ rugby team, believes that sport can provide a fantastic way to boost young people’s confidence.

‘It’s a way of preparing yourself for the outside world – it’s not good to be in closed friendship groups. Sport is a way of expanding your social circle. In life and in work, you’ve got to be able to get on with people who aren’t like you. People who don’t enjoy the same sort of music.

‘Just because they’re different isn’t a reason to be horrible to them.’

He adds: ‘Rugby teaches you a lot about life. Sometimes you have to have courage. It’s a sport for all shapes and sizes.’

Prospero Teaching Managing Director Rob Grays said: ‘We’re so thrilled to have an elite sportsman of Martin’s stature on board at Balls to Bullying. He and Gareth have such different life stories and experiences to bring to their work in schools; they complement one another perfectly. We’re sure that Martin, like Gareth, will be a great boost to the fantastic work schools are already doing on ensuring that bullying has no place in the school community or beyond.’