Deben Canoe Club

Terms and conditions

All club members should note that in 2025 we are introducing a new computer system for membership applications, course and event booking, and payments. The terms and conditions set out below are therefore subject to revision at short notice, as the new system beds in.

All members and guests of the club agree to abide by all of the following terms and conditions.

Prospective members of the club are welcome to participate as guests in up to three club events without becoming a full member. Guests are subject to all of the terms and conditions applicable to full members (with the sole exception of not having to pay the annual subscription unless and until they join as a full member).

All members agree to pay the specified annual membership fee and the specified charges for club events (current scale of charges here).

All members agree to abide by the club’s:

• code of conduct
• health and safety policy
• safety principles for paddlers

These are set out in the club’s safety framework.

Ability to swim - the club assumes that all members can swim at least 25 metres in paddle clothing while wearing a buoyancy aid. If this is not the case, please inform your coach before venturing onto the water.

Medical conditions – please record relevant medical conditions (which might affect your ability to paddle) on your membership renewal form. Any sensitive conditions may be omitted from the form, however any condition that could impact your paddling MUST be discussed with the leader-in-charge before venturing onto the water.

Equality policy – the club is fully committed to the principle of equality of opportunity and tries to ensure that everyone has a genuine opportunity to participate in paddlesport within the club. The club’s formal equality policy is here.

Safeguarding policy – the club treats safeguarding issues with the utmost seriousness. The club’s formal safeguarding policies can be found here.

Legal liability – neither the Deben Canoe Club, nor its officials, leaders, coaches and members, accepts any liability for any damage or injury suffered by any participant or bystander during any club activity or otherwise. All participants in any club activities agree that they do so entirely at their own risk. 

Personal data handling - all club members must accept the club’s personal data handling policy, as set out below.

The data captured each year on the club membership form represents most of the personal data that the club captures about its members. By completing their membership form, members are confirming their explicit agreement to the following practices and processes:

1. The data input on the membership form will be stored within the SPOND mobile application that the club uses for managing club activities, and may be exported to a spreadsheet which is saved in the Google Cloud. (This may be in the UK, the USA or elsewhere in the world).
2. If you wish to check your data or have it removed at any time, please contact the canoe club via our email address and we will remove it.
3. The data is held for the membership year that it is current for, and the following year as well, unless you have specifically asked us to delete it. (This is because not all activities happen on a membership year boundary so we need to keep records for some time after the end of the membership year).
4. Any data entered will be used for Deben Canoe Club purposes only, except the section capturing data for Paddle UK, which will be passed to Paddle UK. We use our membership records to:
   1. keep in contact with members
   2. understand how our members wish to develop their paddling skills, so we can try and run appropriate courses
   3. contact members in case of an emergency or if we have to cancel events at short notice
5. We do not pass your membership details to other organisations, other than Paddle UK as for the purposes of affiliation and insurance. Electronic data is stored in three main systems.
   1. SPOND Clubs is used to hold the membership records and is where we advertise and book courses and other club activities. This data is accessible by club coaches and members of the committee so that we can organise and ensure the safety of club activities
   2. Google Lists hold the email addresses of all club members. The membership list is used for communications to club members. Club members can send emails to the club through the list and if you have registered with the club using an email address associated with a Google account (such as a Gmail address), you can also login to the Google List and manage your communications preferences
   3. WhatsApp groups are used as a more informal communication path with club members and coaches / leaders. Members have the option to give a mobile number to be added to the club’s WhatsApp group.
6. Records of safeguarding and disciplinary incidents are kept on paper only, typically for a period of ten years. These will typically include the name of anyone directly involved, but no further personal information which is not directly relevant to the incident.

If you are uncomfortable answering any questions on the form, then please leave them blank. For instance, if you have a medical condition that is in any way sensitive, please just indicate that you have a medical condition and that you will discuss it with your coach before taking part in a session on the water. (It’s always good to make sure the coach is aware anyway, even if you have put the condition on the form).

When booking a session on the water the booking will reference the personal data captured in the membership form so there should be little need for additional information to be captured.

Membership details are captured annually, and held for one year after the membership year in which they are captured.

If at any time you wish your membership details to be updated, or your personal records removed, please contact the club membership team on the relevant club email address: membership@debencanoeclub.org.uk.

A copy of the club's data protection policy in .pdf form can be found on the club's policy documents page here.

Club officials, leaders and coaches

Club officials, leaders and coaches agree to abide by such additional terms and conditions as are set by the club’s general committee from time to time.

When completing the membership form as an Active Coach/Leader, you are asserting that you either are current or intend to promptly become current with the club's Standards for Deployment for the current season. On this basis you are deployable as a coach and eligible for the benefits of being a coach. The club is happy to assist coaches to become current if they are not currently up to date – please speak with any member of the committee to find out more.

On the membership form there is an additional question "Active Coaches and Leaders: Please signal your agreement to abide by the club's Safety Framework". Options are "None" or "I have read, understood and agree to abide by the clubs safety framework". The safety framework document is available here.

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