Reversible sports vests are the most important piece of equipment when playing in spaces that other people have access to, as it makes it clear to onlookers that what is happening is part of a game or event. People are used to seeing marathon runners and other sportspeople wearing bibs like this when taking part in events that use public spaces, so following the same pattern is good practice. We've found having all players wear matching, high-vis vests to be highly effective in de-escalating any perceived risk and keeping everyone safe.
In addition to the safety componant, brightly-coloured reversible vests can be flipped over to make it very clear that a player has changed teams.
These are the vests we use at our events, but any brightly-coloured reversible sports vest/bib will work:
Once you have your vests, it's important to look after them. Wash them after every use and within 24 hours of your event ending to make sure they stay fresh.
It's important that anyone attending your event feels like they can talk to you (or someone appointed for this purpose) if they've experienced something they're not happy about. You may want to consider doing some basic safeguarding training, to better understand how to deal with any issues that may arise.
We include the following announcement in our welcome speech at every event:
"If you experience anything you're not happy about, either from anyone within this group, or anyone else you come into contact with, please come and tell us straight away."
Here are a couple links to help you learn more about safeguarding for both children and adults:
People, events or businesses that use our services or resources aren't organised, endorsed, supervised or insured by PlayCulture Ltd, and must not use the PlayCulture name or logo in a way that suggests otherwise. The PlayCulture Community logo (that you may use) is intended only to inform potential attendees that your event will feature one or several of our services or resources. You must not edit the Community logo. We reserve the right to withdraw permission for your use of the Community logo and it does not signal endorsement of your events or actions by PlayCulture Ltd.
Our services and resources (including the content on this page) are provided free and as-is. They may become inaccurate or out of date, and laws and requirements vary based on geographic region.
We have no affiliation or connection to the management of external sites linked from this page (anything beyond playculture.com) and we're not responsible for their content or services.
Whether you're planning to get a group of friends together to play, or want to run an events business, you have a responsibility for the safety of anyone who could be affected, directly or indirectly, by your actions. Additionally, you need to be careful not to cause distress to anyone outside of your event, and to stay entirely within the law. In particular, consider whether you require permission from private landowners or your local council for organised use of parks, public spaces or private spaces, complete a risk assessment and make appropriate first aid provision, and remember that any attendee data you collect is yours to handle under UK GDPR (or other applicable data protection laws).
You may want to consider purchasing event insurance, especially if you are charging a ticket price for your events.
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The resources on this page are reflections of our own experience of running events, not instructions, and this is not an exhaustive list. You must make your own judgements before embarking on any project or actions that might affect yourself or other people. Learning from our experiences or using the helpful resources we have provided does not make us responsible for your actions. You are responsible for yourself and anyone else you might affect or encounter. As such you must take care to assess whether to proceed with any plan, how to proceed, and whether you need to undertake any additional steps or put in place any additional services, including legal advice or insurance.
