March 18th marks National Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2026, and as part of the awareness event the Leeds United Foundation have been holding events to support the programme and its important messages.

National Child Exploitation Awareness Day highlight’s the issues surrounding child exploitation; encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse and adopt a zero tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children or children exploiting and abusing their peers.

The national theme this year is preventing abuse through exploitation by working in partnership, reinforcing that safeguarding children is a shared responsibility across agencies, communities and the wider public.

Earlier this year, the Foundation welcomed members of various school programmes to Elland Road, and with the help of Tim Haigh, provided a case study of how child exploitation can impact lives. Tim is one of the Foundation’s Lived Experience Speakers, and he discussed how he had been exploited in his childhood.

“I grew up in a very impoverished background, a council estate, a large family, failed at school,” Tim explained. “I was sent to prison on my 17th birthday for a total of nine years and nine months for my involvement in a gang fight and other crimes. What I didn’t realise at the time, which is a key part of this message, I was vulnerable, but I didn’t realise I was vulnerable.

“These young people can go and live a life of success, they can succeed with education, with training, with hard work, good positive peer role models. Particularly for the young boys here, it’s all right to show your emotions. It’s all right to ask for help. It’s all right to display emotions, and it’s part of the healthy development of a young person.

“It was a fantastic day,” he commented on the Foundation’s event. “It’s been hosted incredibly well and some great questions and feedback from the young people.”

In the afternoon, a group of adults were shown a presentation about being bystanders and how to spot somebody in need, whilst members of the West Yorkshire Police were in attendance, providing adults with the tools to prevent and spot child exploitation.

As well as this one-off Stop Child Exploitation event, the Leeds United Foundation run programmes year-round which aid in preventing children taking the wrong paths in life or being taken advantage of.

The Positive Choices project delivers regular workshops in schools and community settings, covering grooming tactics, exploitation risks and how to get support. If any schools or community organisations want more information or are interested in getting involved, they can contact PositiveChoices@leedsunited.com.