Series 6, Episode 4, Liminality and Work Cultures; From The Police to Gymnastics

Join Dr Lisa Cherry in conversation with Geraldine Costello, Director of Governance and Safe Sport at British Gymnastics, where we look at the liminal space between work cultures; the police and gymnastics. What happens when a career built on command and certainty collides with a mission that depends on trust, listening and repair? We explore how safeguarding shifts from policy to lived practice when survivors are heard and institutions choose to change.

Geraldine traces her path from the police cadets to child protection and multi-agency hubs, where she discovered that careful interviewing, cross-sector teamwork, and dignity-centred practice could change lives. She unpacks the contradictions of tackling domestic abuse and safeguarding in a culture still wrestling with misogyny and the allies and mentors who helped her stand firm. Then we follow her leap into youth guiding and sport, where volunteers, community and equity reshape how influence works. No badges. No warrants. Just persuasion, clarity and relationships that make safety possible.

Inside British Gymnastics, a newly created safe sport role emerged in the wake of the White Review and a surge of testimonies. Geraldine explains how governance, complaint handling and trauma-informed processes are being rebuilt to protect athletes, support coaches and clubs and restore trust through transparency and consistent apology. 

She shares the personal scaffolding behind resilience, counselling, coaching, reflection, and how leaders can navigate the long middle of change without losing heart.

If you value thoughtful leadership, safe sport and trauma-informed practice, this conversation offers a grounded playbook for culture change. Subscribe, share with a colleague who works in safeguarding or youth sport and leave a review to tell us what resonated most.

You can connect with Geraldine on LinkedIn here: www.linkedin.com/in/geraldinecostello

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Liminality Frame
• 2:20 Geraldine’s Path Into Policing
• 5:15 Culture Shock And Gender Dynamics
• 9:00 Finding Purpose In Safeguarding
• 12:20 Working Domestic Abuse And Child Protection
• 15:45 Crossing Into Sport And Safe Sport
• 19:30 The White Review And Culture Shift
• 22:40 From Command To Influence
• 26:10 Balancing Care With Fair Process