Safeguarding
Archery clubs should be safe and welcoming places for everyone, including children, young people, and vulnerable adults*. Nobody should feel discriminated against or treated differently because of to their age, gender, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, disability, race, religion or belief, upbringing, income, sex, or sexual orientation.
Rivernook Bowmen is committed to the safety and wellbeing of everyone participating in archery, and takes its responsibility towards children and vulnerable adults seriously. We do this by:
- Ensuring that the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults is paramount
- Creating and maintaining the safest environment possible for children, young people and vulnerable adults participating in archery
- Taking all reasonable steps to promote safe practice and to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from harm, abuse, and exploitation
- Promoting an ethos which embraces difference and diversity, and respects the rights of children, young people, and vulnerable adults
- Ensuring that bullying, in any form, is not tolerated.
We are affiliated to Archery GB, and adopt the Archery GB Policy for Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults. We expect all our Club Members to adhere to Archery GB’s Code of Conduct. As well as Club Members, this policy also applies to all visitors to the Club, including those participating in archery courses.
Discrimination and abuse concerns
Discrimination and abuse have no place on or off the archery range. Archery GB is committed to taking all allegations of this nature very seriously and will ensure that anyone can report it in the knowledge that we will act appropriately in line with our values and codes of conduct.
Abuse is any form of physical, emotional or sexual mistreatment, or lack of care that leads to injury or harm. Abusers can be male or female. An individual might abuse or neglect a child, young person or vulnerable adult directly, or may be responsible for abuse because they fail to prevent another person harming them.
If you are worried about anyone, receive information which you believe puts somebody at risk, or if you have witnessed or experienced discrimination or abuse of any kind, it is vital you report your concerns. This includes archery activities away from the range, or in online communications.
Social Media
It is expected that all members behave with courtesy and respect on social media. As with in-person situations, abuse or inappropriate behaviour by Club Members towards their fellow archers or clubs will not be tolerated.
Rivernook Bowmen has an Instagram presence, so that members can tag the club in photos and share their experiences of archery in a friendly and positive manner. We are mindful that people may not wish their faces to be shown, and take a common-sense approach to obtaining consent before uploading such photos. Similarly, content that could potentially identify children and young people is avoided, in line with Archery GB’s own safeguarding guidelines.
Club communications are chiefly made through email, and a private WhatsApp group which is closely monitored. One-to-one communication between adults and children is strictly prohibited.
Report safeguarding or discrimination concerns
To report your safeguarding or discrimination concerns, contact the Rivernook Bowmen Welfare and Safeguarding officer, Peter Falconer, in complete confidence at welfare_officer@rivernookbowmen.co.uk.
You can also make a report anonymously to Archery GB by filling in this form. The form will be sent to Archery GB’s safeguarding team who will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know how your concern will be addressed. All reports will be treated confidentially.
We have a flowchart to explain the steps involved in raising a safeguarding concern, and how it would be dealt with.
Some useful contact numbers are:
NSPCC Helpline – 0808 800 5000 (24 hours)
The Albany Trust – 0208 767 1827
ChildLine – 0800 1111 (24 hours)