Connecting the Dots!
See content below the petition.
Petition
For the creation of
A Public Judo Coach Registry
A Public Judo Coach Registry is not “just” a safeguarding issue.
It would also acknowledge the many qualified Judo Coaches that have spent years on gaining experience and achieving the skills and certification required by judo organisations to become a qualified judo coach.
Please sign the petition and support the community initiative to make judo once again become a leader within British Sports.
See safeguarding concerns/cases after the petition.
Please sign the petition!
Connecting the Dots!
SBE,
Updated 30/11 – 2023:
If you need a reason why a judo coach registry is needed, one person that has in the past offered to coach judo to kids and disabled people, one-2-one. Jim Ferguson.
While never having obtained any UK judo coaching qualifications and never passed the required DBS checks (criminal background checks) to children and vunerable adults in any sport!
Jim Ferguson has in the past offered to coach children and disabled persons in judo, one-2-one.
As recent as October 2023, he still refers to himself as a [judo] coach.
When investigating his vile online abuse on FaceBook.
It became apparent that there were some judo people behind him supplying Jim with misleading, sometimes completely false information, thereby leading him on and encouraging him to be abusive and harrass many people within the judo community.
John Horrigan (Welsh Judo) with “Horrigan Facts”.
While some of their commenting is frankly commical, other posts and comments by Jim Ferguson are vile and extremely abusive.
More worrying is the fact that the “Head Coach” of Westerleigh Judokwai, Paul Everest, has also been involved.
Giving Jim the wrong idea of who was behind the “Paedo Hunter” sting video and getting Thomas Farley arrested.
See “GBJC November Safeguarding Update”
Details and the public video of one of Paul Everest’s Westerleigh Judokwai members caught by a “Paedo Hunter” sting operation and arrested.
Worse still, the NI Judo Federation “Complaints and Compliance officer”, Peter Cuckoo, had been endorsing Jim Feguson by liking at least one of his abusive posts.
NIJudo’s “Complaints and Compliance officer”, Peter Cuckoo, had in February 2023 posted about a BJA & NIJudo coach being arrested but the post was later deleted before the coach, Mark Spence, was convicted of 2 sexual assaults and becoming a registered sex offender (5 years).
NIJudo have remained silent about the conviction and not responded to a request for clarification.
Find out more:
British Judo Safeguarding Culture
Comment SBE:
In these cases and throughout, little or no concern is shown the victims.
Mark Spence gave an interview to a newspaper expessing how horrible an experience it had been for him and his family!
In the case of Thomas Farley, no BJA safeguarding institution has contacted the parents of the 16 year old judoka with learning disabilities that Thomas admits to sexually grooming.
Thomas believed it wasn’t illegal since she was over 16.
When contacting BJA safeguarding, concern for Thomas’ welfare was raised due to the “Paedo Hunter” sting video being online & public, viewed thousands of times.
Along with many of the almost 2,000 comments the video got being of a “lynch mob” nature.
Until Judo regains its “ethical values” and prioritises the victim, whether past-present-future?
Judo values will continue to just be words and victims getting no closure!
Just like the many employed/paid/receiving funding (membership fees) stating.
BJA Safeguarding, Keith Eldridge, introduction to safeguarding:
Safeguarding in judo
“British Judo take safeguarding and the safety of its members extremely seriously.”
____________________
The latest case for concern in Northern Ireland?
Which one of the NIJudo Board/Staff has appeared in court recently and whether it affects his/her BJA coaching status?
You have two options:
Guess
Contact the NIJudo Chair and Safeguarding, Russell Brown, or the BJA Ssfeguarding manager, Andrew Bowly, to find out more.
support
the GB Judo Community.
The GB Judo Community is a voluntary initiative, created to improve judo for all through information and action.
If you would like to support the GB judo Community initiatives?
Become a member!
Membership starts at as little as £1
You can also support the GBJudoCommunity via
GoFundMe
References and other Safeguarding matters within British Judo
- “Cobra/Solo Sistaz” live stream video
Thomas Farley
Westerleigh Judokwai
Paul Everest
Safeguarding Update November 2023
BJA Management’s response to the suggestion of a public judo coach registry 2022?
British Judo CEO, Andrew Scoular, claimed during the British Judo “Strategy Tour” in early 2022 that it was not possible for British Judo to publish a Judo Coach Registry due to “privacy laws”!
Though no such “privacy laws” seems to apply to publishing judo ranking lists (including children), the Dan registry (while it was still working on Dojo-1) or the current BJA referee rankings.
The BJA Ltd Board of Directors lists Safeguarding concerns/complaints NOT as safeguarding risks to members and the public but as “reputational risks” to the Ltd company.
BBC, 20th September 2023:
British Gymnastics publishes list of banned coaches and members in bid to reform sport
British Gymnastics continue reform progress with publication of banned and expelled members list
See the British Gymnastics’ Banned / Expelled Members Publication in the case studies.
British Gymnstic's
Banned / Expelled Members Publication
Banned / Expelled Members Publication
A public Judo Coach Registry is not “just” a safeguarding issue.
There are about 1,200 qualified and registered judo coaches in the UK.
They have undergone training, been DBS checked, attended courses and obtained the required skills, experiences and certification by judo associations to become an accredited judo coach.
But without a public Judo Coach registry?
Currently you will have to guess who is a qualified judo coach by a judo association and who isn’t!
_____________
Please sign the petition!
#GBJC
#MakingChangeHappen
#StrongerTogether
BJA Coach - Now Convicted Sex Offender! 2023
Mark Spence
Both British Judo safeguarding & NIJudo (Northern Ireland Judo Federation) safeguarding staff have refused to respond to queries to clarify Mark Spence’s BJA coaching status.
Since he was convicted 5 July 2023 of two sexual assaults!
Only by a third party prompting NIJudo was the ICan Judo Club website taken offline and reference to Mark Spence removed from the NIJudo website and online platforms.
Though not all references have been removed!
Currently, this is the featured post on the NIJudo FaceBook page, praising themselves for their safeguarding:
After Mark Spence was arrested, then charged, 13th February 2023, and even after being convicted 5th July 2023.
The adaptive judo club website where he was the head-coach remained unchanged claiming it was a safe enviroment and the coaches were all qualified by NIJudo (Northern Ireland Judo Federation)*.
____________
British Judo (the BJA) are the judo NGB coach licensing authority in the UK for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Only at the request by an outside organisation was website taken down, 6 moths after Mark Spence had been charged in court and almost two month after he had been convicted for two sexual assaults.
The ICan Judo Club website was taken down 29th August 2023, 11:00am.
Despite requests to both NIJudo and British Judo safeguarding managers for clarification of Mark Spence’s judo coaching status, no response has been forthercoming.
You can see the full details and timeline of events, exclusively in the GBJC article only.
Since neither judo association has made the convictions known to members or the public.
Including the newspaper article that revelaed the truth about Mark Spence and his convictions.
British Judo Safeguarding Culture
A public Judo Coach Registry is not “just” a safeguarding issue.
There are about 1,200 qualified and registered judo coaches in the UK.
They have undergone training, been DBS checked, attended courses and obtained the required skills, experiences and certification by judo associations to become an accredited judo coach.
But without a public Judo Coach registry?
Currently you will have to guess who is a qualified judo coach by a judo association and who isn’t!
_____________
Please sign the petition!
#GBJC
#MakingChangeHappen
#StrongerTogether
BJA staff Coach - Guilty then promoted!
Simon Moss
Only when a ITV News TV report was broadcast were details released as to how British Judo had dealt with a complaint against one of its own staff coaches.
20th June 2023 – ITV News:
“British Judo sanctioned coach over sexual relationship with athlete – and then promoted him“
British Judo released a short statement afterwards clearing themselves of any wrongdoing.
BJA 20 June 2023:
Simon Moss was on full pay during the 9 month internal investigation but whether he was allowed to, or did, coach judo during this period is not known?
British Judo sent staff and athletes an email in which they referred to the victim going to the media “…as not helpful….”.
In an email to some BJA clubs, British Judo got many detail wrong including the location of their head office.
A public Judo Coach Registry is not “just” a safeguarding issue.
There are about 1,200 qualified and registered judo coaches in the UK.
They have undergone training, been DBS checked, attended courses and obtained the required skills, experiences and certification by judo associations to become an accredited judo coach.
But without a public Judo Coach registry?
Currently you will have to guess who is a qualified judo coach by a judo association and who isn’t!
_____________
Please sign the petition!
#GBJC
#MakingChangeHappen
#StrongerTogether
Jim Ferguson
Who could be against a Public Judo Coach Registry? 2023
Jim Ferguson?
March 2021
Jim Ferguson advertises on FaceBook offering to coach disabled persons and children in judo.
One-on-One.
– Without ever having been qualified to coach judo by any judo association!
– Without being a member of any judo association,
– Having no judo safeguarding qualifications,
– No DBS (criminal back ground check),
Shortly after, NIJudo (Northern Ireland Judo Federation), issues the following public statement on FaceBook:
“PLEASE BE AWARE – WARNING – PLEASE BE AWARE – WARNING.”
“Please be aware that there are many differing forums and sites out there in the Digital Judo World, whereby individuals will advertise Judo Coaching or one-to-one coaching in any type or form.
Before anyone contacts these persons or uptakes on said offers, PLEASE ensure you contact your own region, area or countries National Governing Body to ensure that these individuals are actually valid and are a registered coach and are safe to use.”“IF you do use these individuals without checking them out first, you do so at your own risk and may put your children and yourself in HARMS WAY.”
16 March 2021
Russell Brown, NIJudo Lead Safeguarding Officer – click for info & contact
Jim Ferguson later deactivates his FaceBook profile and creates a new one.
He is active on FaceBook and has befriended many within the online judo community that might not be aware of his past expulsion from NIJudo.
Both British Judo (The BJA) and NIJudo have rejected membership applications by Jim Ferguson since.
Some might think he is a member of a judo association and is qualified to judo coach by a UK judo association?
But he isn’t!
NIJudo rejected his membership application as recent as February 2023:
Jim Ferguson, FaceBook 28 June 2023
“As for the post where i am supposed to have offered coaching for people – that was never the case……….”
“I would never say I would be a better coach than any one else.”
To make matters worse, a FaceBook friend of his, John Horrigan (Welsh Judo Association), decides to pitch in with his “fact” on “who can name themselves a judo coach”.
Not all in the UK can legally call themselves a judo coach or coach of any sport.
Particularly if the coaching involves children or vulnerable adults.
Some criminal convictions can also include ban on a person from calling themselves or engaging in any kind of coach activities.
29th Sepember 2023:
Jim Ferguson comes clean about not being a member of NIJudo, Northern Ireland Judo Federation.
But then goes into a string of unfounded and false claimd & accusations! Again.
The n.i.j.f have once again refused my application for membership due to the fact that I refuse to be bullied by a social media nut errickkson. Yes I put his address on social media. The reason for this was because he had two special needs judo people arrested due to his insanity. He has posted my name In hisMadness regarding the sexual grooming of children. Yet the n I judo have not taken the steps to protect my name and {Redacted} has endorsed these posts yet again I have been told by Peter Cuckoo the Nonsense sticks and stones break my bones ? CrazyAlso I was advised by Peter Cuckoo to say nothing regarding this matter yet who in the right mind would accept these slanderous comments regarding their name ? Would Peter Cuckoo or Russell Brown and Richard Briggs want this insanity connection to their name?
At no stage has Jim Ferguson provided any evidence to support anything he claims or “states as facts”.
A public Judo Coach Registry is not “just” a safeguarding issue.
There are about 1,200 qualified and registered judo coaches in the UK.
They have undergone training, been DBS checked, attended courses and obtained the required skills, experiences and certification by judo associations to become an accredited judo coach.
But without a public Judo Coach registry?
Currently you will have to guess who is a qualified judo coach by a judo association and who isn’t!
_____________
Please sign the petition!
#GBJC
#MakingChangeHappen
#StrongerTogether
BJA Marketing & Communication department response when a public coach registry was suggested on their FaceBook page?
Censorship:
support
the GB Judo Community.
The GB Judo Community is a voluntary initiative, created to improve judo for all through information and action.
If you would like to support the GB judo Community initiatives?
Become a member!
Membership starts at as little as £1
You can also support the GBJudoCommunity via
GoFundMe
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