Club Constitution

1. NAME:

The name of the organisation shall be Tadcaster Harriers. (hereinafter referred to as the Club)

2. OBJECTS:

The objects of the Club shall be:-

1. To provide training and competition for member athletes in the following disciplines:-
1. Cross Country.
2. Track and Road Running.
3. Fell Running.
2. Generally to foster and promote Amateur Athletics.

3. MEMBERSHIP:

Membership of the Club shall be open to any Amateur male or female of a minimum age as agreed by the management committee. Membership shall be deemed to commence from receipt of the completed application form.  Subscriptions from new members shall be due not later than 6 weeks from the date of application to join the Club. The applicant upon being accepted as a member shall abide by all Club rules and be termed an amateur as defined under A.A.A. and W.A.A.A. rules. New applications for membership shall be dealt with in order of receipt and acceptance shall be subject to vacancies in the Club structure.

4. MEMBERSHIP FEE:

Each Club member shall pay an annual fee which shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting and which shall become due at that meeting. The membership of any Club member shall automatically lapse if the fee for the current year is not paid within 70 days following the Annual General Meeting. One month’s notice in writing of the imminent lapsing shall be sent to the member.

5. MANAGEMENT:

The management of the Club shall be vested in the following:- 

(hereinafter called the management committee)

Sections a) to d) inclusive shall be termed officers.

1. A Chairman.
2. A Vice-Chairman.
3. A Secretary.
4. A Treasurer.
5. Committee Members (of not more than six persons).
6. The number of members of the management committee to form a quorum shall be five including an officer.

6. POWERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE:

The management committee shall have the power to:-

1. Control the finances of the Club. 
2. Appoint Sub-committees.
3. Deal with all matters relating to membership and competitions.
4. Call annual and extraordinary general meetings.
5. Discipline or exclude from further membership any athlete felt to be contravening the objects of the Club.
6. Make proposals to a general meeting for the alterations of the constitution.
7. Make proposals to the A.G.M. on the membership fees for the ensuing twelve months.

7. FINANCE:

1. All funds of the Club shall be applied towards the furtherance of the Club’s objects. In the event of dissolution, any funds or property remaining shall be devoted to objects similar to those of the Club in accordance with the policies of the A.A.A. rules.
2. The management committee shall cause accounts to be kept of all sums of money received and expended by the Club and of the assets and liabilities of the Club, and shall annually present to a general meeting audited accounts made up to a date not earlier than the final day of the previous year.

8. GENERAL MEETINGS:

1. At least once in every calendar year there shall be held an annual general meeting at such time and place as may be determined by the management committee, but not more than fifteen months shall elapse between the dates of two successive meetings. Such meetings shall normally take place in October.
2. An extraordinary meeting shall be convened by:-
1. Resolution of the management committee.
2. Notice being given in writing to the secretary by not less than 15 voting members, not less than 35 days prior to any meeting stating the business to be dealt with at such a meeting.

9. NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING

Not less than twenty one day’s notice of every general meeting shall be given in writing to every member, addressed to the last known address of the member. Such notice shall specify the place, day and hour of, and the nature of the business to be transacted at such a meeting. Only members of the preceding year shall be entitled to vote, with the exception of jogging members and members under twelve years of age at the start of the current year.

10. PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS:

1. The business of any annual general meeting shall be:-
1. To receive and consider the report of the management committee, and the audited accounts.
2. To elect the management committee.
3. To consider any proposed alterations to the constitution rules.
4. To agree upon the membership fees for the ensuing twelve months.
5. To transact any other business of which at least fourteen days’ notice in writing shall be given to the management committee if a vote is to be taken.
2. The business of any other general meetings shall be confined to that business of which the required notice has been given to the management committee and to members.

11. VOTES AT GENERAL MEETINGS:

1. Each qualifying member (see para 9) and any elected officer shall be entitled to one vote per resolution. There shall be no proxy or postal votes.
2. The method for voting for the election of the management committee will be determined by the Chairman.
3. Any amendment of the constitution or resolution to wind up the Club shall require a majority of not less than two thirds of those entitled to vote – see para 9 (and who do so) in favour of the resolution.
4. Any other proper business of a meeting shall be decided by a majority of those voting.
5. THE NUMBER OF VOTING MEMBER TO FORM A QUORUM AT THE GENERAL MEETING SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN TWENTY.

Tadcaster Harriers Code of Conduct

1. Code of Conduct for Athletics Clubs

As a responsible Athletics Club we will:

• Adopt national welfare policies and procedures, adhere to the codes of conduct and respond to any suspected breaches in accordance with the Welfare Procedures
• Appoint a welfare officer, preferably two, one male and one female, and ensure that they are provided with appropriate training to act as a first point of contact for concerns about welfare issues
• Ensure that all staff and volunteers operating within the club environment hold the appropriate qualifications and have undertaken the appropriate checks e.g. CRB//Disclosure Scotland, licences, qualifications such as massage, sports nutrition etc
• Liaise appropriately with parents/persons with parental responsibility, officials, coaches, sports scientists, national governing bodies and other relevant people/organisations to ensure that good practice is maintained
• Ensure that club officers and volunteers always act responsibly and set an example to others including younger members
• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every club member and others involved in athletics and treat everyone equally.
• Consistently promote positive aspects of the sport such as fair play and never condone rule violations or the use of prohibited or age-inappropriate substances
• Challenge inappropriate behaviour and language by others
• Place the welfare and safety of the athlete above other considerations including the development of performance
• Report any suspected misconduct by club officials, coaches, technical officials or other people involved in athletics to the Club, Regional, National or UKA welfare officer as soon as possible

2. Code of Conduct for Athletes

As a responsible athlete you will:

• Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every athlete, coach, technical official and others involved in athletics and treat everyone equally.
• Uphold the same values of sportsmanship off the field as you do when engaged in athletics
• Cooperate fully with others involved in the sport such as coaches, technical officials, team managers, doctors, physiotherapists, sport scientists and representatives of the governing body in the best interests of the yourself and other athletes
• Consistently promote positive aspects of the sport such as fair play and never condone rule violations or the use of prohibited or age-inappropriate substances
• Anticipate and be responsible for your own needs including being organised, having the appropriate equipment and being on time
• Inform your coach of any other coaching that you are seeking or receiving
• Always thank the coaches and officials who enable you to participate in athletics

As a responsible Athlete, when participating in or attending any athletics activities, including training/coaching sessions and competition events you will:

• Act with dignity and display courtesy and good manners towards others
• Avoid swearing and abusive language and irresponsible behaviour including behaviour that is dangerous to yourself or others, acts of violence, bullying, harassment and physical and sexual abuse
• Challenge inappropriate behaviour and language by others
• Never engage in any inappropriate or illegal behaviour
• Avoid destructive behaviour and leave athletics venues as you find them
• Not carry or consume alcohol to excess and/or illegal substances.
• Avoid carrying any items that could be dangerous to yourself or others excluding athletics equipment used in the course of your athletics activity

3. Club Welfare Officer Details

It is advised that a club has two Welfare Officers (1 male and 1 female)

Welfare Officer 1:

Name: Andrew Sloan    Email: stockport42@me.com    Phone Number: 0781 529 3580

Welfare Officer 2:

Name: Celia McRoyall   Email: celia0@tinyworld.co.uk   Phone Number: 0798 095 3509

The Welfare Officer will:

• Deal with confidential matters that may arise related to athletes and have an understanding and an appropriate way to such matters.
• Recognise the difference between poor practice in according to club rules and matters that would be seen as welfare issue.

Tadcaster Harriers Privacy Policy

Tadcaster Harriers are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. For any personal data you provide for the purposes of your membership, Tadcaster Harriers are the Data Controller and are responsible for storing and otherwise processing that data in a fair, lawful, secure and transparent way

Why we need your personal data:

The reason we need your ‘Athletics Data’ is to be able to administer your membership, and provide the membership services you are signing up to when you register with the club. Our lawful basis for processing your personal data is that we have a contractual obligation to you as a member to provide the services you are registering for.

• Registration with England Athletics
• Training & competition entry such as enabling coaches and volunteers to administer training sessions, sharing data with club team managers to enter events, sharing data with leagues and county associations and other competition providers for entry into events.
• Funding and reporting: anonymised data shared with funding partners e.g. local authority, anonymised data to analyse club trends
• Membership and club management: processing of membership forms & payments, sharing data with committee members to provide information about club activities, membership renewals or invitation to social events, publishing of race & competition results, website management
• Communications: disseminating club news, sending out information about club kit and fundraising etc.

What data we store about you:

On becoming a member, Tadcaster Harriers will collect certain information about you which will include your name, date of birth, gender, email address, address, telephone number, emergency contact data nominated by you, and any relevant health data or allergy information. Collectively, this is referred to as your ‘Athletics Data’.

Where is your membership data stored?

Membermojo

Tadcaster Harriers use an external membership system provider called ‘Membermojo’. Only the data you provide within the application form is stored on this database.

Membermojo provides secure storage and membership processing for the club’s member data in their capacity as a data processor.

How does membermojo protect your personal data?

Your data is stored on servers in a modern, secure, purpose built data centre in the UK. Allchanges are mirrored across backup servers in real time and hourly encrypted backups are sent to a second secure data centre, also in the UK. 

England Athletics

When you become a member of the Club, you will also automatically be registered as a member of England Athletics Limited. We will provide England Athletics Limited with your Athletics Data which they will use to enable access to the MyAthletics portal. EnglandAthletics Limited will contact you to invite you to sign into and update your MyAthletics portal. You can set and amend your privacy settings from the MyAthletics portal. If you have any questions about the continuing privacy of your personal data when it is shared with England Athletics Limited, please contact ‘dataprotection@englandathletics.org.’

Mailchimp

The club uses Mailchimp to send out communications to club members. To enable this we have to upload certain data to Mailchimp’s servers to provide a distribution list. This data is limited to your first and last name, and email address. No other information is entered onto this system. Mailchimp do not use this information for any other reason and your details are not shared with any other organisation.

The Club does not supply any personal data it holds for the purposes listed above to any other third party.

How long does the club keep personal data for?

We will keep personal member data for members with a valid membership. We will retain historic records containing personal member data for a period of four years, in line with the policy of England Athletics.

Website and publicity

Race results, that are publically available, will be collated and re-published on the Tadcaster Harriers website. In addition, results of club competition and inter-club competition may also be published on our website and on social media. Please be aware that when you participate in any sporting event, your results will be published ont he organiser’s site and numerous other race results sites. In many cases photographs are posted with runners’names and individuals are identified.

Your rights regarding your personal data

As a ‘data subject’ you have the right at any time to request access to, rectification or erasure of your personal data; to restrict or object to certain kinds of processing of your personal data, including direct marketing; to information about the portability of your personal data and to complain to the UK’s data protection supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office about the processing of your personal data.

As a data subject you are not obliged to share your personal data with the Club. If you choose not to share your personal data with us we may not be able to register or administer your membership.

Links

England Athletics Privacy policy: https://www.englandathletics.org/privacy-policy

Membermojo Privacy Policy: https://membermojo.co.uk/mm/help/privacy

Mailchimp Privacy policy: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/

Tadcaster Harriers Running Club, Discipline and Appeals Process

1. Introduction

1.1. Tadcaster Harriers Running Club will deem a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction with the conduct of the organisation, its committee, volunteers or members.

1.2. Where possible the club will seek to resolve complaints informally at the time.

1.3. It is intended that complaints procedures should be easily accessible, that all complaints are fully and fairly investigated, and that the complaints process should provide an effective response and appropriate redress.

1.4. A Complaint may be made by:

• 1.4.1. Any member of Tadcaster Harriers Running Club
• 1.4.2. A person working for or on behalf of Tadcaster Harriers Running Club
• 1.4.3. Any third party where the complaint concerns the Tadcaster Harriers Running Club
• 1.4.4. Within this document the party making the complaint will be known as the ‘respondent'

1.5. Grounds for a complaint shall include but shall not be limited to the following:

• 1.5.1. if the conduct of any individual, body, or the Club brings or is likely to bring the sport
• into disrepute
• 1.5.2. the violation of Tadcaster Harriers Running Club Codes of Conduct.

1.6. Wherever possible, the misconduct of club members will be handled by the club committee, and other bodies (such as England Athletics, the Police etc) will only be involved when this is deemed necessary as outlined in this procedure.

2. Process for complaints

2.1. Someone (Complainant) speaks to / or writes to a Committee Member of their choice. This might be reported third hand via another member (note that complaints of a serious nature should be in writing).

2.2. The Committee member reassures the complainant that the matter will be taken seriously and be followed up accordingly.

2.3. The Committee Member contacts the Chair/Secretary (if the complaint was about either the secretary or Chair, then they should contact one of the club welfare officers), to make them aware of the issue.

2.4. A joint decision will be made as to the severity of complaint, either minor or severe. (Minor = Informal procedure, severe = Formal procedure)

3. Informal Complaints Procedure

3.1. It is clearly desirable for any complaint to be resolved informally where possible and it is hoped that every attempt will be made to achieve this.

3.2. Chair/Secretary speaks to the complainant and the respondent to determine if the offence is substantiated and suggest how to avoid a similar incident re-occurring.

3.3. Respondent accepts comments and agrees to avoid similar incidents, (for example: they were either unaware of the effect of their behaviour or it was meant as banter).

3.4. The complainant will be updated by their original contact (Committee member) or in writing (if the complaint was in writing).

3.5. Possible outcomes:

• 3.5.1. No case to answer. The matter is closed.
• 3.5.2. Further action/investigation is needed, and the formal process should be followed

3.6. Should a similar offence be reported either the same or a new complainant, the complaint will automatically be deemed as severe, and the formal process will be initiated.

4. Formal Complaints Procedure

4.1. Formal complaints will generally follow the process below as recommended by England Athletics.

4.2. A formal complaint should be made in writing to the Club Chair / Secretary where a complaint has not been resolved informally or where the matter is of a serious nature. Complaints of a serious are listed in more detail below (4.4)

4.3. The content of a complaint will include specific details and evidence in relation to the infringement of Club Rules or any other offence or misconduct carried out during or in association with athletics activities which might reasonably be considered as bringing or having the potential to bring the Club into disrepute.

4.4. A complaint must normally reach the Club Chair no later than thirty days after the alleged incident that gave rise to it.

4.5. Actions warranting disciplinary action. NB: These lists are not exhaustive, and the Club’s committee will take decisions regarding the classification of an action.

4.5.1. Misconduct Behaviour that is generally deemed unreasonable or inappropriate such as:

4.5.1.1. Abusive or aggressive language or behaviour

4.5.1.2. Disobedience to those in authority or with responsibility

4.5.1.3. Infringement of Club or governing body rules or Codes of Conduct

4.5.1.4. Minor damage to property or equipment 4.5.1.5. Misuse of equipment

4.5.1.6. Negligence 4.5.2. Gross Misconduct: This can be defined as more serious behaviour (and may require reporting to the Police) such as:

4.5.2.1. Theft, fraud etc.

4.5.2.2. Physical violence

4.5.2.3. Bullying harassment or discrimination

4.5.2.4. Serious damage to equipment or property

4.5.2.5. Use of illegal substances

4.5.2.6. Serious negligence that may put others at risk

4.5.2.7. Infringement of H&S rules or policies, which may put others at risk

4.6. Upon receipt of a formal complaint, the Club Chair / Secretary shall, having taken, and subject to, such advice as he or she considers it prudent to take in the circumstances, write to the Member or Members concerned to inform them of the complaint and to invite them to comment in writing within fourteen days upon the relevant allegations.

4.7. On completion of 4.6, the Club Chair / Secretary will determine if the complaint has sufficient grounds and is capable of being pursued based on the evidence/statements provided and will dismiss any frivolous complaints at this stage. If the matter is sufficiently evidenced a process will be pursued. The Club Chair / Secretary will appoint 3 club members to sit on the Disciplinary Panel, none of whom have had any direct interest or involvement in the matter.

4.8. The Club Disciplinary Panel or Hearing will consider the matter on receipt of the initial complaint and formal responses from the member(s) involved. The Club Disciplinary Panel will have the power to suspend temporarily from membership any Member accused of an offence or misconduct, pending further investigations or enquiries. This suspension shall be to facilitate the investigation and be without prejudice to the outcome of the investigation.

4.9. The Disciplinary Panel/Hearing will make such further enquiries as it thinks fit and will offer a reasonable opportunity to any Member concerned, who may be accompanied by a supporter, if so desired, to meet with it and answer the allegations and the Disciplinary Panel/Hearing will hear such witnesses as are reasonably produced. The Disciplinary Panel/Hearing will make such procedural provisions as necessary for the just and efficient disposal of the case. If the Disciplinary Panel/Hearing is satisfied that an offence of misconduct has been committed by a Member, then it may impose one or more of the following actions:

4.9.1. note the offence or misconduct but take no further action;

4.9.2. formally warn the Member concerned as to future conduct;

4.9.3. suspend or disqualify the Member from club athletic competition, club coaching and/or administration and/or use of the Club's premises for some definite or indefinite period;

4.9.4. recommend to the relevant governing body that the Member be disqualified from any involvement in athletics for some definite or indefinite period and/or;

4.9.5. terminate the membership or such other penalty as the Disciplinary Panel considers appropriate. All parties concerned will be provided with the Disciplinary Panel’s/Hearing formal written outcome notification by hand or by recorded delivery within seven days of the decision.

5. Appeal Process

5.1. The letter notifying the decision of the Disciplinary Panel shall also set out the right to Appeal. The respondent and/or the complainant, may appeal against the decision of the Disciplinary Panel/Hearing, by serving a Notice of Appeal on the Club Secretary within seven calendar days of receiving the written decision. The Notice of Appeal must state the grounds on which the verdict of the Disciplinary Panel is challenged. The Club Secretary shall acknowledge a Notice of Appeal within seven calendar days of its receipt and will cast a decision in regards to ‘the grounds on which the verdict is challenged’, if there are sufficient grounds/evidence provided to support the challenge, the Appeal Panel process will commence (Step 5.2.), if there are insufficient grounds, the appeal will be dismissed.

5.2. The Club Secretary, shall appoint an Appeal Panel of three members who have not been involved directly, either in the events giving rise to the Hearing, or in the initial Disciplinary Hearing itself. The Club Secretary shall inform all parties concerned of the composition of the Appeal Panel. Either party may object to the composition of the Appeal Panel by notifying the Club Secretary of the Objection and setting out the reasons for such an Objection no later than seven calendar days from the date of being informed of the composition of the Panel. The Club Secretary, within fourteen calendar days from the date of receipt of an Objection, will notify in writing the parties that either:

5.2.1. the composition of the Panel has changed, in which case the Club Secretary shall provide details of the new Appeal Panel; or

5.2.2. the composition of the Panel has not changed, in which case the Club Secretary shall give reasons why it has not accepted the Objection. Within fourteen calendar days from the date the Club Secretary responds to the Objection above (as appropriate), the Club Secretary shall give such directions to all parties that include; 5.2.2.1. the date and place at which the Appeal Panel will meet to determine the Appeal.

5.2.2.2. whether the appeal will proceed by way of written submissions or an oral hearing; and

5.2.2.3. whether the parties should be required to submit statements of their evidence and/or written submissions prior to the hearing and, if so, a timetable for doing so and the procedure for exchanging such statements and written submissions.

6. Powers of the Appeal Panel

6.1. The Appeal Panel shall meet on the date fixed by the Club Secretary. The Appeal Panel may at its sole discretion disregard any failure by a party to adhere to this appeal procedure and may give such further directions as may be appropriate. Any such hearings shall be in private unless all parties agree otherwise, or unless the Appeal Panel directs. The Appeal Panel shall have power to make a decision on the facts as it thinks fit and may:

6.1.1. Quash the original decision;

6.1.2. Confirm the original findings

6.1.3. Request that the case be re-examined (re-trial)

6.1.4. Increase the original sanction; 6.1.5. Abate the original sanction; The Appeal Panel shall inform all parties of its decision within fourteen calendar days together with written reasons for its decision. The decision of the Appeal Panel shall be final. The Appeal Panel shall decide on any issue by majority. A supporter can be a legal representative, who must be named, and may accompany the Complainant/Accused throughout the appeal process.

7. Records of Hearings and Appeals

7.1. The decision of a Disciplinary Panel/Hearing, including Appeal Panel/Hearing, shall be recorded and retained in confidential records for a period of six years by the Club. Supporting documentation shall also be retained in the same fashion.

8. Notification to UK Athletics (UKA) and England Athletics (EA)

8.1. Where appropriate the Panel Chair, once the Appeal notice has expired, will inform EA/UKA;

8.1.1. Disciplinary Hearing – details of a decision, including sanctions imposed, will be communicated to EA and/or UKA if it is considered necessary to ensure compliance with a sanction, or for the safety and well-being of those engaged in athletics activity. EA/UKA may determine to publish details on their websites.

8.1.2. Appeal Panel – details of a decision, including sanctions imposed, will be communicated to EA and/or UKA if it is considered necessary to ensure compliance with a sanction, or for the safety and well-being of those engaged in athletics activity. EA/UKA may determine to publish details on their websites.

9. Co-operation of all parties.

9.1. The procedures described above assume that all parties will co-operate in the interest of resolving the issue in question. In the absence of such co-operation, or if it is withdrawn at any stage, the Club reserves the right to proceed with a Hearing or an Appeal based on such evidence and information as it is able to obtain. When dealing with a complaint, the Club Secretary or nominated Club representative shall be entitled to take, or omit to take, such action as is recommended pursuant to legal advice received from a legal practitioner whom the Club Secretary reasonably believes is competent to provide such advice and/or EA’s legal

representative service for affiliated members (contact EA Membership Services for further details on 0121 347 6543).

Tadcaster Harriers London Marathon Policy

Rules for allocation of Club Place(s)

1. Applicants must have applied and been rejected in the main ballot.
2. Applicants must have been a member of the club for at least one year.
3. Only first claim members are eligible to apply.
4. Members who have had one of the club places within the last five years will not be eligible to apply again in that period. An exception may be made if there are a lack of interested applicants in a given year.
5. If there are more applicants than places, a draw will be held.
6. If there are any extraordinary circumstances the committee will make the final decision.
7. If a member with a club place needs to withdraw from the race due to injury etc; they can either carry it over to the following year or offer it to another club member in agreement with the committee. The latter is subject to transfer time limits as set by the London Marathon.

Previous Club Place Allocations

2013 – Liz Ensor and Jon Steele

2014 - Ian Ward and Sue Tindall (Bradford)

2015 – Andy Sloan and Craig Redmond

2016 - Simon Tordoff (only 1 place)

2017 – Keith Smith and Celia McRoyall

2018 - Becky McGuinness and Angela Wray*

2019 - David Rowe

2020 - Donna Avery **

2021 - Gail Jamieson

2022 - Donna Avery**

2023 - Jo Millican and Sarah Collier

*(one place was subsequently withdrawn and Angela ran with a charity place from Henshaws instead).

** (Due to COVID the 2020 event was cancelled. Entry was transferred to 2022)

Tadcaster Harriers Policy on Wearing Another Athlete’s Race number

The committee have adopted a policy with regard to UKA rule 143 S2 (iii). It is not permitted to take part in a race with another runner’s race number. The Rule states “Athletes who receive transferred numbers without permission (from the race organiser i.e. a formal transfer) will be disqualified from the race. Both runners will be subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate National Association”. In our case the national organisation is England Athletics. The sanctions imposed are usually a 12 month ban from all UKA races not only for the person running but also for the person who gave them their number.

This is a serious rule and as a UKA registered club we are obliged to support and reinforce their rules. The reasons for the rule are:

• If a medical emergency occurred, there could be potential mix-ups. The organisers may get in touch with an original emergency contact, leading to panic and/or confusion. They may use the medical notes entered at the time of entry, which could have disastrous consequences.
• Any race insurance could be compromised.
• The impact in the event of the tragedy, such as at the Boston marathon a few years ago, could be very serious.
• It impacts on results not only for the race itself but for Run Britain / Power of Ten rankings / results and this is especially so where the other runner is a different category, gender or capability.
• There have been a number of incidents where ladies have been deprived of a first place or prize because they were beaten by young men with women’s numbers.

UKA registered running and athletics clubs are obliged to report these incidences to England Athletics (in our case) as are race organisers. Should we neglect this we as a club could face sanctions. This is the action we will have to take going forward.

EA are compiling a ‘blacklist’ of runners who have been reported for number-swapping, referenced to the runner’s EA registration number. A number of race organisers are now starting to check EA registrations. A number of individual athletes have been banned.

The official club policy is for runners to adhere to the rules. If not, we will, from this date, report cases that we are aware of.

Tadcaster Harriers Committee

23 February 2017

Tadcaster Harriers - Nominated Charity of the Year Selection Policy

Tadcaster Harriers will support one charity each year starting at the AGM in October. The charity will be sponsored by a club member who will be responsible for championing the charity throughout the twelve-month term. It will be expressed as the year following that October.

Two months prior to the AGM the Committee will issue a request to club members for Sponsors to come forward and make nominations for Charity of the Year. The Sponsor will nominate their chosen charity and present their case to the Committee at least one month before the AGM (via email to the club Chair). This will allow sufficient time for the Committee to consider the proposals and either announce their decision at the AGM or make provision for a vote to be made at the AGM.

If a vote at the AGM is deemed necessary by the Committee, each Sponsor will be required to make a short presentation pertaining to their chosen charity. Representatives from the charities will not attend the AGM (unless they are club members), it will be the duty of the Sponsor to put the case forward. If a vote is not required, the Sponsor will still be required to make a presentation to the members at the AGM.

Charities must meet the following criteria to be considered for selection.

• Local charity (recognised National charities may be consider but preferably need local link and who retain financial control at a local level or a personal connection)

• Must be registered with The Charity Commission

• Their aims and ethos must not be in conflict with those of the Club

• Ideally have a London Marathon place available

Key duties of the charity Sponsor

• Put forward charity nomination to the club Committee one month prior to AGM

• Present the objectives of the charity to the AGM

• Be available to Tadcaster Harriers members to answer questions relating to the charity

• Liaise directly with the charity to facilitate the fundraising process e,g, provision of collection tins etc.

• Promote the charity within the club throughout the year

• Provide documentation for uploading to the Tadcaster Harriers website to publicise the charity and clubs involvement.

• Be available for publicity events supported by the club.

• In collaboration with club Chair, present the cheque of funds raised to the charity.

Note that the sponsor will be allocated the nominated charity's London Marathon place unless they obtain a place in the general ballot, good for age selection or do not want the place. If they do not want or need the charity place, a club member will be selected by ballot (note that the club's policy for London Marathon places apply and the runner selected will be required to take an active role in any fundraising).

Club members are still welcome to advertise / promote their own charity fundraising on the Harriers Social Media pages.

This policy does not affect the annual Bramham Park Cancer Research fun runs where the club is committed to providing the necessary manpower

Guidelines for Running Groups

Rev.0 (17th March 2019)

Whilst our leaders are qualified please keep in mind they are volunteers and not professional coaches and that we all have responsibility to look after each other out on the roads, especially during the dark winter nights. With this in mind we ask that all members follow our running safely protocols detailed below:

To ensure the safety and enjoyment of all runners on club runs we’ve produced a series of guidelines for both run leaders and group runners to follow.

The club has a number of qualified leaders who are either qualified as Coach in Running Fitness (CIRF) or have been on the England Athletics Leadership in Running Fitness (LIRF) course. However it is not always possible to ensure that groups will be led by these individuals. We will though ensure that any other runner leading the group know the route and has access to emergency contact information.

Training Session Ethos

• The sessions are group sessions and so there is an explicit responsibility to support each other and the Run Leader.
• Sessions are welcoming and friendly but are also training sessions, so all runners are expected to support the Coaches and Run Leaders delivering England Athletics good practice in respect of warm ups, drills, cool-downs and stretching etc.
• All runs need to be achievable for all runners within the group.
• The pace of the run should be dictated by the slowest runner in the group (however, the run leader may ask you to drop to a slower group if your pace will result in the group running slower than the ’advertised pace’
• Doubling back is mandatory and key to working as a team and supporting slower runners, (we’ve all been there) and should not be seen as a chore.
• Faster runners in the group should not just wait at the top of the hill then instantly set off when the slowest members get there. This is unfair on the slower runners who get no opportunity to rest.
• Remember, we have all been the slowest in the group at some stage, please treat these runners with the same consideration that you would wish to be treated.

Run Leaders have the final say on runs. If you are asked by the run leader to slow down, double back or look after the group, then please look to do so.

The Basics

• The club will, whenever possible, organise a dynamic warm up. All runners should look to complete this if they are on-time for the start of the session.
• Groups will be split into appropriate abilities and the route / distance and pace guidelines will be communicated to each group. If the run is classed as a ‘social run’ and perhaps not large enough to split into groups of different paces / distances, then the coach / run leader will have final say on how the session will be organised.
• Groups should be kept to sensible and manageable sizes and ideally there should be at least one Run Leader for every 10-12 runners and no group should exceed 20 runners in total.

Run Leaders will:

• Plan a route before the run within the appropriate pace and distance if this is not already agreed.
• Carry a mobile phone for emergencies or when this is not possible ensure that someone within the group has one.
• Ensure they have access to an up to date leaders only online emergency contact details sheet.
• Be aware of the abilities of the group and manage the group pace accordingly.
• Ensure that EVERYONE in the group doubles back to keep the group together, unless you have agreed otherwise.
• Note the number of runners at the start and finish of the run.
• Not leave anyone behind for any reason.
• Encourage group members to move up a group when appropriate.
• Ensure that someone escorts runners who are unable to continue due to injury or illness, back to the start.
• If the group is becoming unmanageable due to a wide range of abilities, split the group into two asking another experienced runner to lead one of the sub-groups.
• Around Tadcaster it is not always possible to run on roads with pavements. However we should look to avoid busy / main roads if they do not have a pavement, using the advice from the Highway Code https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedestrians-1-to-35) as a bare minimum; single file, right hand side of the road into direction of traffic, high viz, look-outs etc.
• Report any incidents.

All runners should:

• Wear high-visibility clothing in the darker months (run leaders reserve the right to ask people to leave the run if they are not wearing appropriate high-visibility clothing.)
• Carry some form of Identification and emergency contact details.
• Not wear headphones.
• Inform the Run Leader of any illness or injury concerns.
• Inform the Run Leader if they are new or have recently moved up a group.
• Bring appropriate medication if required.
• Notify the Run Leader if you are leaving the run for whatever reason (or if that’s not possible, another member of the group.)
• Stay within contact of all members unless a split has been agreed with the Run Leader.
• Faster runners should loop back at regular intervals or when requested to by the Run Leader.
• If you choose to run with a group that is slower than your usual pace, do not run at the front of this group, stay back and help the leader otherwise your pace will dictate the group and make it harder for others in the group.
• Look to place themselves in the appropriate group based on their ability. If they find themselves at the front of the group most weeks, consider moving up a group. Conversely, if they find themselves at the back most weeks, consider a slower paced group.
• Cross on official road crossings wherever possible, all roads and road junctions should be approached with caution and only cross when safe to do so. Do not follow other runners across the road; ensure that you carry out your own checks before you cross. Mid-sections of a group tend to ignore traffic signals while following the front of the pack which can be particularly dangerous. Please re-group in full on the other side of the road.
• Do not run more than two abreast especially in busy areas.
• Give way to other pedestrians/path users when necessary.
• Warn other runners around you of impending hazards, pedestrians, dustbins, low hanging branches etc.
• Look after the other runners within your training group, if someone is struggling make sure that they are not left on their own or inform your Run Leader.

If you have any comments or suggestions for this document or feedback regarding how the club do or do not implement and stick to these guidelines, please contact the one of the coaches or a member of the club committee