Club Policies

All players are expected to conduct themselves with respect, fairness and sportsmanship at every session. Walking football is a non-contact sport and the spirit of the game must be upheld at all times.

Respect & Behaviour

• Treat all fellow players, session organisers and officials with courtesy and respect at all times - before, during and after sessions.
• Abusive, aggressive or threatening language or behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated and may result in immediate exclusion from the session.
• Accept the decisions of the referee or session organiser without dissent. Raise concerns calmly and through appropriate channels after the session.
• Support and encourage fellow players, particularly those who are new or less experienced.

Fair Play

• Play within the rules of walking football at all times. Deliberate rule violations undermine the game and the safety of other players.
• No running, no high balls, no physical contact. These rules are not optional - they exist to protect everyone on the pitch.
• Celebrate success graciously. Show genuine respect for opponents regardless of the result.
• Do not argue or dispute officiating decisions during play. Walking football relies on mutual trust and respect.

Health, Safety & Attendance

• Inform session organisers of any medical conditions, injuries or health concerns before playing. Your safety and the safety of others depends on this.
• Do not attend if you are unwell or have a contagious illness.
• Warm up properly and listen to your body. There is no shame in taking a rest - it is always encouraged.
• Register before your first session. Once registered, there's no need to book - just turn up and play. After your first session, use Spond to let us know when you're coming.
• Arrive on time. Sessions begin promptly and late arrivals disrupt the session for everyone.
• Bring £5 to pay on arrival (£6 on Fridays). Persistent non-payment may result in suspension from sessions.
• Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times. No studs on indoor surfaces.
• Alcohol and recreational drugs must not be consumed before or during any session.

Disciplinary Procedure

• Verbal warning - issued by the session organiser for minor or first-time violations.
• Temporary suspension - removal from a session or sessions while matters are reviewed by the club committee.
• Permanent exclusion - reserved for serious or repeated misconduct, including any form of violence, harassment or discrimination.
• All disciplinary decisions can be appealed to the club committee. We aim to resolve all matters fairly and transparently.

Removal from the club

The Chair may suspend or end any person's membership, and stop them attending club sessions, with immediate effect, if the Chair considers their behaviour breaches this Code of Conduct or harms the running, governance or stability of the club. The Chair will let the person know the decision and the reason. The decision is not subject to any complaints procedure, but the person can appeal it to the club committee.

We sometimes take photos at sessions for our website and Facebook.

If you'd rather not appear in them, email chair@hebdenbridgewfc.com.

Hebden Bridge Walking Football Club collects and uses personal data about its members, volunteers and officials in order to run the club. This policy explains what data we hold, why we hold it, how we protect it, and the rights you have over your own information.

HBWFC is the data controller for all personal data it processes. The Chair is responsible for day-to-day compliance with this policy and is the point of contact for anything relating to your personal data (chair@hebdenbridgewfc.com).

What Data We Collect

• Name, date of birth and contact details (email and phone) for registration and communication.
• Relevant medical information disclosed voluntarily by a member to assist with session safety.
• Gender, emergency contact details (name, relationship and phone number), and any allergies or medication you tell us about. We use these only to keep members safe at sessions, and only the organisers can see them.
• FA Whole Game System registration details, including DBS reference numbers for applicable roles.
• Photographs and video footage taken at sessions, unless you have opted out under the Photography & Filming Policy.
• Session attendance records and membership status.
• Financial records relating to membership fees and any grant-funded activity.

We collect only the data we genuinely need. We do not buy or receive personal data from third parties.

Why We Process It - Lawful Bases

• Member registration & communication - Contract: necessary to administer membership.
• Emergency contact & medical information - Legitimate interests: to protect member safety during sessions.
• DBS checks, FA & WFA registration - Legal obligation: required for affiliation and safeguarding compliance.
• Insurance & incident records - Legitimate interests: to maintain the club's cover and to handle any claim arising from a session.
• Photography & promotional use - Legitimate interests: members can opt out at any time by emailing chair@hebdenbridgewfc.com.
• Financial records - Legal obligation: required for accounting and grant reporting.
• Attendance records - Legitimate interests: for monitoring, development planning and funder reporting.

How We Store and Protect Data

• Member data is held on password-protected devices or secure cloud storage accessible only to relevant committee members.
• Paper records (e.g. DBS records) are stored securely and not left unattended.
• Data is not shared with third parties except for the purposes set out under Sharing Data below.
• Committee members with access to personal data are made aware of their obligations under this policy.
• When a committee member leaves their role, their access to club data systems is removed promptly.

How Long We Keep Data

• Active member records - for the duration of membership, then deleted within 12 months of leaving.
• Emergency contact details - for the duration of membership, then deleted immediately on leaving.
• Medical information - for the duration of membership, then deleted immediately on leaving.
• DBS records (reference numbers only) - three years from date of check, then deleted.
• Financial records - seven years, in line with HMRC requirements.
• Incident / safeguarding records - minimum six years, or longer where the FA, the WFA, our insurers or a statutory authority require it.
• Photographs - until you opt out or the purpose no longer applies.

Sharing Data

We will only share personal data with third parties in the following circumstances:

• The Football Association and the Walking Football Association - for club affiliation, league and competition registration, DBS processing, and governance or safeguarding compliance.
• Insurance providers - for club, public liability and personal accident cover, and to process any claim arising from an incident at a session.
• Grant funders - anonymised or aggregated participation data only, unless specific consent is given.
• Statutory authorities - where required by law, for example in a safeguarding referral or police investigation.
• Other organisations where it is genuinely necessary to run the club - for example a venue that requires a list of attendees, a league, tournament or opposing club for fixtures, or a first aid or coaching provider. In every case we share only the minimum information needed for that specific purpose, and we tell members if a new regular sharing arrangement begins.

We will never sell, rent or trade personal data, and we will never pass member data to any organisation for its own marketing or commercial purposes. If we are ever required to share personal data as part of a safeguarding referral or statutory investigation, we will do so regardless of whether the individual has consented. The safety of people takes precedence over data privacy.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, every member has the following rights:

• Right of access - you can ask to see the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification - you can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure - in certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your data.
• Right to restrict processing - you can ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Right to object - you can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to opt out of photographs - you can ask not to appear in club photos at any time by emailing chair@hebdenbridgewfc.com.

To exercise any of these rights, email the Chair at chair@hebdenbridgewfc.com. We will respond within one month.

Data Breaches

A data breach is any accidental or unlawful loss, destruction, alteration or unauthorised disclosure of personal data. If a breach occurs or is suspected:

• The person who discovers it must notify the Chair immediately.
• The Chair will assess the nature and likely impact of the breach within 24 hours.
• If the breach is likely to result in a risk to individuals' rights and freedoms, we will report it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 72 hours.
• If the breach is likely to cause high risk to individuals, we will notify those affected directly without undue delay.
• All breaches, however minor, will be recorded in a breach log held by the Chair.

ICO reporting: ico.org.uk/for-organisations/report-a-breach (opens in a new tab)  |  ICO helpline: 0303 123 1113

Website & Cookies

• The information you enter into the registration form on this website (your name, date of birth, gender, contact details, emergency contact, any health, allergy or medication information you choose to share and your agreements) is submitted to the club and used only for the purposes set out in this policy.
• This website does not use tracking or advertising cookies, and the club will not introduce them without asking for your consent.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please email the Chair at chair@hebdenbridgewfc.com in the first instance. If you remain unsatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk (opens in a new tab).