Club Policies

Introduction

Whilst children and young people are participating in golf activities in our care, Garesfield Golf Club has a responsibility to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Garesfield Golf Club recognises the policies of the National Governing Bodies, as set out in the England Golf Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy and Procedures. This policy and its supporting procedures set out a framework to fulfil our commitment to good practice and the protection of children in our care.

Key principles

• The welfare of children is paramount.
• A child is defined by law in England and Wales as a person under the age of 18 years.
• All children, regardless of their age, race, religion or belief, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation, have the right to protection from abuse.
• All concerns and allegations of abuse and poor practice will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
• All children have the right to be safe.
• All children have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
• The club will work with children, their parents and carers and external organisations to safeguard the welfare of children participating in golf.
• We recognise the authority of the statutory agencies and are committed to complying with Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines, Working Together under the Children Act 2004, and any legislation and statutory guidance that supersedes these.
• The club is committed to working in partnership with other key UK golf bodies to continually improve and promote safeguarding initiatives across the sport.
• The club owes a legal duty of care to children on its premises or engaged in its activities. That duty is to take reasonable care to ensure their reasonable safety, and it is a higher duty than it would be for adults.

Objectives

Garesfield Golf Club aims to:

• Provide a safe environment for children and young people participating in golfing activities, and try to ensure that they enjoy the experience.
• Ensure robust systems are in place to manage any concerns or allegations.
• Support adults — staff, volunteers, PGA professionals, coaches, members and visitors — to understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to their duty of care and protection of children.
• Provide appropriate training, support and resources for staff, volunteers and coaches so they can make informed and confident responses to specific safeguarding issues and fulfil their role effectively.
• Ensure that children and their parents and carers are informed and consulted and, where appropriate, fully involved in decisions that affect them.
• Reassure parents and carers that all children and young people will receive the best care possible whilst participating in club activities, and communicate this policy and its procedures to them.

1. Recruitment and training

Details of the requirements, qualifications and checks of individuals are recorded by the Club Welfare Officer and Secretary, who also hold copies of the necessary Safeguarding and Protecting Children certificates and the relevant contact details for all staff, volunteers and other relevant bodies.

All staff, volunteers and coaches are offered access to appropriate child protection training. The club recommends attendance at the UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshop and will ensure that all volunteers and staff who have significant contact with children attend. An online UK Coaching refresher course should be completed and repeated every three years for those involved in regulated activity.

All staff, volunteers and coaches working with children and young people are asked to read and become familiar with this policy, to read the club's Code of Conduct relevant to their role, and to sign to indicate their understanding and agreement to act in accordance with that code. The codes of conduct are linked to the club's disciplinary procedures.

Garesfield Golf Club is committed to the principle that every child and participant in golf should be afforded the right to thrive through being involved in sporting activity for life, in an enjoyable, safe environment, and be protected from harm. The club acknowledges the additional vulnerability of some groups of children — for example disabled children, looked-after children, and those with communication differences — and will ensure the environment is appropriate for the child and tailored to their needs, so they have a positive experience of their sport without risk of harm.

2. Complaints, concerns and allegations

If a player, parent, carer, member of staff or volunteer has a concern about the welfare of a child, or about the conduct of another child or young person or an adult — whether a parent, coach, member or otherwise — these concerns should be brought to the attention of the Club Welfare Officer without delay. The person reporting the concern is not required to decide whether abuse has occurred; they simply have a duty to pass their concerns and any relevant information to the Welfare Officer.

All concerns are treated in confidence. Details are shared only on a need-to-know basis with those who can help manage the concern.

Concerns are recorded on an Incident Report Form, sent to the England Golf Lead Safeguarding Officer, and retained confidentially within the club. The England Golf Lead Safeguarding Officer will assist with completion of the form if required, on 01526 351851.

The club will work with England Golf and other external agencies to take appropriate action where concerns relate to potential abuse or serious poor practice. The club's disciplinary procedures are applied and followed where possible.

If a child discloses abuse

• Reassure them that they have done the right thing in sharing the information.
• Listen carefully.
• Do not make promises that cannot be kept, such as promising not to tell anyone else.
• Do not actively question the child or lead them in any way to disclose more information than they are comfortably able to — this may compromise any future action. Only ask questions to clarify your understanding where needed.
• Record what the child has said as soon as possible on an Incident Report Form.

Do not notify the parents or carers unless you have first sought advice from the England Golf Lead Safeguarding Officer on 01526 351851. If the Lead Safeguarding Officer is not available and a delay cannot be justified, seek advice from the local Children's Social Care department, the Police, the Local Authority Designated Officer or the NSPCC.

The NSPCC Helpline, 0808 800 5000, is available to discuss concerns about poor practice and abuse in confidence with members of the public who need support. Anyone with concerns is encouraged to use this service.

Safeguarding children and young people requires everyone to be committed to the highest possible standards of openness, integrity and accountability. The club supports an environment where staff, volunteers, parents, carers and the public are encouraged to raise safeguarding and child protection concerns. Anyone who reports a legitimate concern will be supported, even if their concerns subsequently appear to be unfounded. All concerns are taken seriously.

3. What to do if you are worried about a child

Concerns about what is happening to a child outside the club

• If the child requires urgent medical attention, call an ambulance and inform the hospital doctor that you have a child protection concern.
• Report your concern to the Club Welfare Officer, who will if necessary refer the matter to Children's Social Care or the Police without delay.
• Make a record of everything the child has said and of anything observed, with dates and times, using the Incident Report Form.
• If the Club Welfare Officer is not available, contact the England Golf Lead Safeguarding Officer on 01526 351851 or compliance@englandgolf.org, or refer the matter directly to Children's Social Care or the Police. Delay may place the child at further risk.
• Complete a report form and copy it to Children's Social Care or the Police, and to the England Golf Governance Department, within 24 hours.

Concerns about the behaviour of an adult in golf

• Complete the Incident Report Form and report to the Club Welfare Officer.
• If you have urgent concerns, or the Welfare Officer is not available, refer immediately to Children's Social Care or the Police and copy the incident report form to them within 24 hours.
• If the child requires immediate medical attention, call an ambulance and inform the doctor there is a child protection concern.

Alleged minor poor practice is managed by the club with the assistance of the England Golf Lead Safeguarding Officer, through the complaints procedure and the disciplinary process. Alleged serious poor practice, poor practice with wider implications, and alleged child abuse are referred to the Golf Case Management Group, which advises on the route the case should take within golf and through external agencies, with England Golf making the final decision. Any investigation by golf depends on the outcome of advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer, Children's Social Care or the Police.

If for any reason a Club Welfare Officer is not in post or is unavailable, the principle of least delay applies — contact the England Golf Lead Safeguarding Officer on 01526 351851 or compliance@englandgolf.org.

4. Emergencies and incidents

Parental consent forms are obtained and retained by the club for all children participating in events or activities, or attending coaching organised by the club. These forms are treated in confidence and shared only with those who require the information to perform their role effectively.

If a child requires medical attention

• The parents will be contacted immediately.
• If the parents cannot be contacted, the alternative emergency contacts will be used.
• The consent form will be consulted to establish whether parents have given consent for a club representative to act in loco parentis.
• An adult club representative will accompany the child to seek medical attention where appropriate, taking the consent form with them.
• A record of the action taken will be made and retained by a club representative.

If a parent is late collecting their child

• Attempt to contact the parent or carer using the details on the parental consent form.
• Attempt to contact the first, then the second, emergency contact nominated on the form.
• Wait with the young person at the venue with, wherever possible, other staff, volunteers or parents.
• If no one is reachable, contact the Club Welfare Officer for advice.
• If all attempts to make contact fail, consideration should be given to contacting the police for advice.

Staff, volunteers and coaches should avoid taking the child home or to another location without consent, asking the child to wait alone with them in a vehicle or the club, or sending the child home with another person without permission.

5. Supervision

During coaching sessions, coaches should conduct a risk assessment to inform decisions about appropriate supervision levels. Regardless of the recommended ratio of adults to participants, a minimum of two adults should be present. This ensures at least basic cover if something affects the availability of one of the adults during the activity.

Parents may be encouraged to stay for coaching, competitions and other events where their children are of an age at which greater levels of parental supervision are required.

Wherever possible, adults will avoid changing or showering at the same time as children, but parents should be aware that with limited changing room space there will be occasions when adults and children need to share the facilities.

Parents should be aware that if children are left at a venue unsupervised, other than to attend specific coaching sessions, competitions or other organised events, the club cannot accept supervisory responsibility.

Special arrangements are made for away trips. Parents receive full information about the arrangements for any such trip and are required to provide their consent for their child's participation.

6. Good practice guidelines

Behaviour of adults and children

Adults who work with children are placed in a position of trust, and it is important that they behave appropriately and provide a strong positive role model — both to protect children and to protect those working with children from false allegations of poor practice. Codes of conduct are issued to junior members and to the adults working with them to promote good practice.

All staff and volunteers working with children and young people must adhere to the standards set out in the code of conduct relevant to their role, and to the guidelines on managing challenging behaviour. Children are expected to follow their own code of conduct, to ensure the enjoyment of all participants and to assist the club in safeguarding their welfare. Parents and carers are asked to work together with the club to ensure that the welfare of all children is safeguarded.

Adults and children playing golf together

One of the reasons for the popularity of golf is that the game is not restricted by ability, age or gender. Responsible interaction between adults and children helps bring mutual respect and understanding and is encouraged as part of club activities. Adults should always be aware, however, that age-related differences do exist, and should conduct themselves in a manner that recognises this and prioritises the welfare of any children involved.

Physical contact

Physical contact with children by coaches or volunteers should always be intended to meet the needs of the child and the sport, not the adult — that is, to develop golf technique, to protect the child from injury, to provide first aid or to treat an injury. It should always take place in an open environment and should not, as a general principle, be made gratuitously or unnecessarily.

Transport

The club believes it is primarily the responsibility of parents and carers to transport their children to and from events. It is not the responsibility of club volunteers or coaches to transport children and young people to and from events, activities, tournaments or matches.

The club may make arrangements for transport in exceptional circumstances, such as team events. Where this is the case, the written permission of the parents of the relevant children is sought, the drivers used are checked for their suitability to transport and supervise children, and their insurance arrangements are verified.

Children and young people are often involved in competition. When taking young people away from their home club, consideration and planning are paramount to ensure the duty of care for the young people within the team is fulfilled.

Photography and video

Permission is sought from parents before the publication or use of any video or photographic images of their child — for instance in newspapers, on websites or for coaching purposes. The personal details of the child are not used in any promotional material.

Any press or official photographers attending events are required to seek permission from the club before taking photographs, and the permission of parents to use the images.

Social media

Social media provides opportunities for the club to engage and develop relationships with people in a creative and dynamic forum where users are active participants. It is important that all staff, volunteers, coaches, officials, board members and anyone working on behalf of the club are aware of the club's Social Media Policy.

Anti-bullying

Every effort must be made to eradicate bullying in all its forms. Bullying can be difficult to define and takes many forms, which can be categorised as:

• Physical — hitting, kicking, theft.
• Verbal — homophobic or racist remarks, threats, name calling.
• Emotional — isolating an individual from activities or from a group.

All forms of bullying include deliberate hostility and aggression towards an individual, a victim who is weaker and less powerful than the bully or bullies, and an outcome which is always painful and distressing for the victim. Bullying behaviour may also include other forms of violence; sarcasm, spreading rumours and persistent teasing; tormenting, ridiculing and humiliation; racial taunts, graffiti and gestures; and unwanted physical contact or abusive or offensive comments of a sexual nature.

The club, its staff, volunteers and coaches will not tolerate bullying in any of its forms during club matches, competitions or coaching, or at any other time while at the club. We will:

• Provide a point of contact where those being bullied can report their concerns in confidence — the Club Welfare Officer.
• Take the problem seriously.
• Investigate any and all incidents and accusations of bullying.
• Talk to bullies and their victims separately, along with their parents and carers.
• Impose sanctions where appropriate.
• Keep a written record of all incidents referred to England Golf and of the action taken.
• Have discussions about bullying and why it matters.

Confidentiality

Details of all juniors are kept on file in the office and are not shared with a third party without the consent of a parent or carer. All concerns and allegations are dealt with confidentially by the club, and information is shared only on a need-to-know basis, internally or externally, depending on the nature and seriousness of the concern.

Changing rooms

The changing rooms are used by all members and visitors. Juniors are supervised only where needed at club-organised events. Parents should be aware that adults use the changing rooms throughout the day for changing and showering. Where a parent or carer does not consent to their child accessing the changing rooms, it is their responsibility either to supervise the child while in the changing rooms or to ensure that they do not use them.

7. Useful contacts

At the club

• Club Welfare Officer — Alan Lowes, Garesfield Golf Club, Clayton Terrace Road, Chopwell, Tyne and Wear NE17 7AP. Telephone the club on 01207 561309 or email garesfieldgc@btconnect.com.
• Club Secretary — Alan Vince, at the same address. Telephone the club on 01207 561309 or email garesfieldgc@btconnect.com.

In golf

• England Golf Lead Safeguarding Officer — England Golf, National Golf Centre, The Broadway, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6PU. Telephone 01526 351851, email compliance@englandgolf.org.

Local

• Gateshead Council Children's Services — Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, telephone 0191 433 2653. Out of hours, at weekends and on bank holidays, contact the Emergency Social Work Duty Team on 0191 477 0844.
• Local police child protection team — Whickham Child Protection Unit, telephone 101, or 999 in an emergency.
• Samaritans — 116 123.

National

• NSPCC Helpline — 0808 800 5000, help@nspcc.org.uk.
• NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line for professionals — 0800 028 0285.
• Childline — 0800 1111.
• NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit — cpsu@nspcc.org.uk.

Supporting documents

The policy is supported by a set of forms and guidance documents held at the club. Copies are available from the Club Welfare Officer or the Secretary:

• Volunteer and staff job application form, self-disclosure form and references.
• Codes of conduct for coaches and volunteers, for young golfers, and for parents and carers.
• Managing challenging behaviour.
• Incident report form and accident report form.
• Junior profile and parental consent forms, and photography consent.
• Parental guidance, and managing young people on away trips.
• Social media guidance and the whistleblowing policy.
• England Golf DBS flowchart, categories of child abuse, and the Club Welfare Officer poster.
• Safeguarding children and young people — a short guide for club members.
• Photography policy and anti-bullying policy.

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Statement of intent

Garesfield Golf Club is committed to the equitable and fair treatment of all members, guests, visitors, volunteers and present and potential employees.

The club will endeavour to ensure that every person, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy and maternity — the protected characteristics — has a genuine opportunity to participate to their full potential at all levels and roles within the club.

Our aims

Garesfield Golf Club aims to ensure that:

• The content and format of the club's policies, procedures, competitions, regulations and assessments provide equality for all, except where specific situations or conditions properly or reasonably prevent this. See Exemptions below.
• All materials prepared, produced or distributed by, or on behalf of, the club will endeavour to promote a clear image of diversity within the club.
• The club will consider the use of appropriate action to tackle under-representation where it has been identified.

Responsibilities and implementation

• The club's General Committee is responsible for ensuring the policy is followed, and for dealing with any allegations of breach.
• The Chairman is responsible for the implementation of the Equality Policy.
• All volunteers have a responsibility to respect, act in accordance with, and thereby support and promote the spirit and intentions of the policy.
• The Equality Policy is covered in the welcome pack for new members.
• A copy of this document is available to all volunteers and members on the club website.

Compliance

This policy is reviewed annually by the General Committee, to ensure that the requirements of the Equality Act and the terms of this policy are being adhered to.

Exemptions

• The club reserves the right to limit competition to specific age, gender or disability groups where this is necessary to ensure equitable, safe and fair competition.
• The club may take positive action in providing opportunities to increase the inclusion of people from under-represented groups.

Complaints

The content of this policy applies to members, associate members, guests, visitors and service providers of the club.

Any complaint or grievance should be communicated to the Secretary. The Chairman and Secretary will decide how the complaint will be investigated and resolved.

Approval

Approved by the General Committee on 25 April 2018.

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Why we have this policy

It is essential that staff and members make informed decisions about how they use social media, to protect Garesfield Golf Club, its staff and its other members.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of club staff and members to:

• Keep comments civil. Refrain from publishing derogatory comments about other clubs, the club's staff or members, or any controversial or potentially inflammatory subjects.
• Avoid hostile or harassing communications in any posts or other online communications. Harassment is any offensive conduct based on a person's race, sex, gender identity, national origin, colour, disability, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status, religion, or any other status protected by law.
• Use common sense. If you are uncertain whether something is inappropriate or questionable, do not post it. Anything posted on behalf of the club is permanent, and a reflection of the club and its members.
• Respect copyright and fair use. Always give people proper credit for their work, and make sure you have the right to use something before you publish it — for example, photographs taken by someone else.
• Be aware of confidentiality. Only reference information that is publicly available. Do not disclose any information which is confidential without prior consent — a personal telephone number, for example. If you are not certain about confidential information, do not publish it.
• Remember personal liability. You are personally responsible, and may be legally liable, for what you communicate on social media.
• Ask before setting up a group. Facebook groups containing the club's name, or any pages that can be associated with the club, must not be set up by members without the prior approval of the committee. There are other means of communicating with a group of members, such as WhatsApp — but please be aware that what you publish in any social media application may not remain confidential to that group.

Breaches

Failure by members to adhere to this policy could result in disciplinary action, or even expulsion from the club in extreme cases.

Approval

Approved by the General Committee on 25 April 2018.

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We are committed to respecting your privacy. This notice explains how we may use personal information we collect before, during and after your membership with us. It applies to you if you have registered to become, or are, a member of our club. It explains how we comply with the law on data protection and what your rights are. For the purposes of data protection, we are the controller of any of your personal information. References to we, our or us in this notice are to Garesfield Golf Club.

We have not appointed a Data Protection Officer to oversee our compliance with data protection laws, as we are not required to do so, but the Committee has overall responsibility for data protection compliance in our organisation.

1. Personal information we may collect from you

Depending on the type of membership you register for with us, you may provide us with — or we may obtain — personal information about you, such as:

• Personal contact details that allow us to contact you directly, such as name, title, email addresses and telephone numbers.
• Date of birth.
• Gender.
• Membership start and end date.
• Records of your interactions with us, such as telephone conversations, emails and other correspondence, and your instructions to us.
• Any payment details you provide so that we can receive payments from you, and details of the financial transactions with you.
• Use of and movements through our online systems, passwords, personal identification numbers, IP addresses, user names and other IT system identifying information.
• Records of your attendance on the golf course and at any events hosted by us.
• Images in video or photographic form.
• Your marketing preferences, so that we know whether and how we should contact you.
• Details of any county membership.
• Details of emergency contacts.
• Records and assessment of any player rankings, grading or ratings, competition results, details regarding events, matches and games attended, and performance.
• Any disciplinary and grievance information.

2. Special categories of personal information

We may also collect, store and use the following special categories of more sensitive personal information about you:

• Information about any special adjustments you have requested.

We may not collect all of the above types of special category personal information about you. In relation to the special category personal data that we do process, we do so on the basis that:

• the processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, on a lawful basis;
• it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims;
• it is necessary for the purposes of carrying out the obligations and exercising our or your rights in the field of employment and social security and social protection law; or
• it is based on your explicit consent.

Below, we refer to these as the special category reasons for processing of your personal data.

We may also collect criminal records information about you. For criminal records history we process it on the basis of legal obligations or based on your explicit consent.

3. Where we collect your information

We typically collect personal information about our members when you apply to become a member of the club using the membership form, and when you make a query or complaint, or when you correspond with us by phone, email or in some other way. You will be registered on:

• The ClubV1 system, which manages your handicap.
• The BRS booking system, which allows you to book a tee time and enter competitions. You will be given a username and password, and you can change your password.

If you are providing us with details of emergency contacts, they have a right to know what personal information we hold about them, how we collect it, and how we use and may share that information. Please share this privacy notice with those of them whom you feel are sufficiently mature to understand it. They also have the same rights as set out in the section on your rights below.

4. Uses made of the information

The purposes for which we process your personal information, the categories of information involved, and our lawful basis for being able to do this, are set out below.

To administer your membership and manage our relationship with you, including payments, support, service and product enquiries

• Information used: all contact and membership details, transaction and payment information, records of your interactions with us, and marketing preferences.
• Lawful basis: this is necessary to enable us to properly manage and administer your membership contract with us.

To arrange and manage any contracts for the provision of services or products

• Information used: contact details, transaction and payment information, and records of your interactions with us.
• Lawful basis: this is necessary to enable us to properly administer and perform any contract for the provision of services and products you have purchased from us.

To send you information included within your membership benefits package — advance ticket information, competitions and events, partner offers and discounts, and updates on golf and the club

• Information used: contact and membership details.
• Lawful basis: this is necessary to enable us to properly manage and administer your membership contract with us.

To send you other marketing information we think you might find useful, or which you have requested, including products and information about our commercial partners

• Information used: contact details and marketing preferences.
• Lawful basis: where you have given us your explicit consent to do so.

To answer your queries or complaints

• Information used: contact details and records of your interactions with us.
• Lawful basis: we have a legitimate interest to provide complaint handling services to you, in case there are any issues with your membership.

Retention of records

• Information used: all the personal information we collect.
• Lawful basis: we have a legitimate interest in retaining records whilst they may be required in relation to complaints or claims. We need to retain records in order to properly administer and manage your membership and run our club, and in some cases we may have legal or regulatory obligations to retain records. We process special category personal data on the basis of the special category reasons set out in section 2. For criminal records history we process it on the basis of legal obligations or based on your explicit consent.

The security of our IT systems

• Information used: your usage of our IT systems and online portals.
• Lawful basis: we have a legitimate interest to ensure that our IT systems are secure.

To conduct data analytics studies, to better understand event attendance and trends within the sport

• Information used: records of your attendance at any events or competitions hosted by us.
• Lawful basis: we have a legitimate interest in doing so, to ensure that our membership is targeted and relevant.

For the purposes of promoting the club, our events and membership packages

• Information used: images in video or photographic form.
• Lawful basis: where you have given us your explicit consent to do so.

To comply with health and safety requirements

• Information used: records of attendance.
• Lawful basis: we have a legal obligation and a legitimate interest to provide you and other members with a safe environment in which to participate in sport. We process special category personal data on the basis of the special category reasons set out in section 2.

To administer your attendance at any courses or programmes you sign up to

• Information used: all contact and membership details, transaction and payment data, details of any county membership, and performance data.
• Lawful basis: this is necessary to enable us to register you and properly manage and administer your attendance on the course or programme.

To arrange any trip or transportation to and from an event

• Information used: identification document details, details of next of kin, family members and emergency contacts, transaction and payment information, and health and medical information.
• Lawful basis: this is necessary to enable us to make the necessary arrangements for the trip or transportation. We process special category personal data on the basis of the special category reasons set out in section 2.

To use information about your physical or mental health, including any injuries, or disability status

We use this to ensure your health and safety, to assess your fitness to participate in any events or activities we host, and to provide appropriate adjustments to our sports facilities.

• Information used: health and medical information.
• Lawful basis: we process special category personal data on the basis of the special category reasons set out in section 2.

To gather evidence for possible grievance or disciplinary hearings

• Information used: all the personal information we collect.
• Lawful basis: we have a legitimate interest in doing so, to provide a safe and fair environment for all members and to ensure the effective management of any disciplinary hearings, appeals and adjudications. We process special category personal data on the basis of the special category reasons set out in section 2. For criminal records history we process it on the basis of legal obligations or based on your explicit consent.

For the purposes of equal opportunities monitoring

• Information used: name, title, date of birth and gender.
• Lawful basis: we have a legitimate interest to promote a sports environment that is inclusive, fair and accessible. We process special category personal data on the basis of the special category reasons set out in section 2.

To comply with legal obligations, for example regarding people working with children or vulnerable adults, to meet our safeguarding requirements

• Information used: information about your criminal convictions and offences.
• Lawful basis: for criminal records history we process it on the basis of legal obligations or based on your explicit consent.

For some of your personal information you will have a legal, contractual or other requirement or obligation to provide it to us. If you do not provide us with the requested personal information, we may not be able to admit you as a member, or we may not be able to properly perform our contract with you or comply with legal obligations, and we may have to terminate your membership. For other personal information you may not be under an obligation to provide it, but if you do not provide it then we may not be able to properly perform our contract with you.

Where you have given us your consent to use your personal information in a particular manner, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, which you may do by contacting us as described in the section on contacting us below. Please note, however, that the withdrawal of your consent will not affect any use of the data made before you withdrew it, and we may still be entitled to hold and process the relevant personal information to the extent that we are entitled to do so on bases other than your consent. Withdrawing consent may also have the same effects as not providing the information in the first place — for example, we may no longer be able to provide certain member benefits to you.

5. Direct marketing

We will only send marketing messages to you in accordance with the marketing preferences you set. You can let us know at any time that you do not wish to receive marketing messages by emailing us at garesfieldgc@btconnect.com. You can also unsubscribe from our marketing by clicking the unsubscribe link in the marketing messages we send you.

6. Disclosure of your personal information

We share personal information with the following parties:

• Any party approved by you.
• Governing bodies or regional bodies for the sports covered by our club, to allow them to properly administer the sport at local, regional and national level.
• Other service providers — for example, payment processors and IT services, including customer records, website, video and teleconference services.
• The Government or our regulators, where we are required to do so by law or to assist with their investigations or initiatives.
• Police, law enforcement and security services, to assist with the investigation and prevention of crime and the protection of national security.

7. Transferring your personal information internationally

The personal information we collect is not transferred to or stored in countries outside the UK and the European Union.

8. How long do we keep personal information for?

The duration for which we retain your personal information differs depending on the type of information and the reason why we collected it from you. In some cases personal information may be retained on a long-term basis: for example, personal information that we need to retain for legal purposes will normally be retained in accordance with usual commercial practice and regulatory requirements. Generally, where there is no legal requirement, we retain all physical and electronic records for a period of two years after your last contact with us, or the end of your membership. The exceptions are:

• Details regarding unsuccessful membership applicants, where we hold records for a period of not more than 12 months.
• Information that may be relevant to personal injury or discrimination claims, which may be retained until the limitation period for those types of claim has expired. For personal injury or discrimination claims this can be an extended period, as the limitation period might not start to run until a long time after the event.

It is important to ensure that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please let us know if anything changes — if you change your phone number or email address, for example.

9. Your rights in relation to personal information

You have the following rights in relation to your personal information:

• The right to be informed about how your personal information is being used.
• The right to access the personal information we hold about you.
• The right to request the correction of inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
• The right to request the erasure of your personal information in certain limited circumstances.
• The right to restrict processing of your personal information where certain requirements are met.
• The right to object to the processing of your personal information.
• The right to request that we transfer elements of your data either to you or to another service provider.
• The right to object to certain automated decision-making processes using your personal information.

Some of these rights — for example, the right to require us to transfer your data to another service provider, or the right to object to automated decision making — may not apply, as they have specific requirements and exemptions and may not apply to personal information recorded and stored by us. We do not use automated decision making in relation to your personal data. Others have no conditions attached, so your right to withdraw consent, or to object to processing for direct marketing, are absolute rights.

Whilst this notice sets out a general summary of your legal rights in respect of personal information, this is a very complex area of law. More information about your legal rights can be found on the Information Commissioner's website at https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/.

To exercise any of the above rights, or if you have any questions relating to your rights, please contact us using the details below.

If you are unhappy with the way we are using your personal information, you can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office or your local data protection regulator. We are here to help, and encourage you to contact us to resolve your complaint first.

10. Changes to this notice

We may update this privacy notice from time to time. When we change this notice in a material way, we will update the version date. For significant changes we will try to give you reasonable notice, unless we are prevented from doing so. Where required by law, we will seek your consent to changes in the way we use your personal information.

11. Contacting us

In the event of any query or complaint in connection with the information we hold about you, please email garesfieldgc@btconnect.com or write to The Secretary, Garesfield Golf Club, Chopwell, NE17 7AP.

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