British Athletes in receipt of World Class Programme funding can now request British Elite Athletes Association support through Instagram and Facebook direct messages.As well as being able to email support@britisheliteathletes.org and access live chat support via britisheliteathletes.org, athletes can now drop a message to @britishathletes on Instagram or British Elite Athletes Association on Facebook if they require our involvement.We offer independent support and case management as the representative body for athletes in over 40 sports, helping you with:

• Anti-doping
• Classification
• Complaints and disciplinaries
• Mediation
• Mental health
• Pro-bono legal support in qualifying cases
• Safeguarding and welfare
• Selection and appeals
• Supporting the provision of feedback
• And more

BEAA CEO Anna Watkins said: “The BEAA stands by all of our members throughout their time as elite British athletes. We’re here when they need us to provide expert, confidential and independent support and advice.“We know that for many people social media is the most natural platform to engage on, and to that end I’m delighted we’re now able to receive support queries through Facebook and Instagram. I encourage any of our members to reach out when they feel our help may be needed, through our Facebook and Instagram direct messages, via email or by using our website. The BEAA is with you, in more ways than ever before.”Message the BEAA via Instagram |https://www.instagram.com/britishathletes/|

How to access support through social media

We're here when you need us – our Instagram and Facebook direct messages are open 24/7 and are monitored between the working hours of 09-17:00 Monday-Friday. You don’t need to be following us to reach out.To access our support via social media, simply:

• Head to @britishathletes on Instagram or British Elite Athletes Association on Facebook. You don’t need to be following us to do this
• Click ‘message’ (on Facebook, the message icon is a lightning bolt on a speech bubble)
• Your message only needs to include your full name, and to make clear you’re requesting support. That can be as simple as: ‘Hey, I need a hand. My name’s Joe Bloggs.’ You don’t need to explain your issue in the message
• Your contact details will then be passed to a dedicated Athlete Support Manager, who will aim to respond on the next working day via email between 09-17:00 UK time
• Your DM will be deleted from our inbox once we have contacted you via our secure email system

Message the BEAA via Facebook |https://www.facebook.com/british.athletes|

Before getting in touch, please note:

• To be eligible for support, you must be a British athlete in receipt of World Class Programme funding, or have left the Programme within the last three months
• If you are concerned about your safety or the safety of someone else you must contact the police or your sport’s safeguarding team immediately

What happens next?

Once a dedicated Athlete Support Manager has reached out to you:

• They will listen to you, understand your issue and explain the next steps
• Everything is completely confidential, the only exceptions being when someone is unsafe or there is criminal behaviour. We will only speak to your NGB with your consent, but would discuss involving them if we felt it was the best path for you
• Together you agree the BEAA’s role, and confirm what you expect from us and how we ask you to engage through a digital service-level agreement
• Your dedicated Athlete Support Manager will work with you to support you and resolve your request

How you know we can help

We’ve been the representative body for elite British athletes for almost 20 years.Our support is personal, friendly and completely independent, with experienced and professional Athlete Support Managers having been highly trained.But don’t just take our word for it: here’s what some of our members have had to say about our services.“If you feel there are issues then talk. Don’t be scared to talk; bottling it up makes it worse. The BEAA are incredible.”Ellie Simmonds, five-time Paralympic swimming champion“It’s impossible to over-state the importance of the BEAA within British sport.”Leon Taylor, three-time Olympian diver“The BEAA were fantastic in their response, going above and beyond.”Lucy Shuker, double Paralympic wheelchair tennis medallist“Having an organisation, such as the [BEAA], that provides comprehensive, impartial support to athletes facing hardship and challenges, is an integral part of optimising athlete welfare.”Lizzie Simmonds, two-time Olympian and European Champion swimmer“Somebody told me about the [British Elite Athletes Association], and it was the best thing I did, making that phone call. They were fantastic.”‘Helen’, parent of a gymnast

Get in touch

• support@britisheliteathletes.org
• britisheliteathletes.org
• Instagram: @britishathletes
• Facebook: British Elite Athletes Association

We are with you.Access our services |https://britisheliteathletes.org/athlete-support/|

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