Bury Clarion Cycling Club Equality and Diversity Policy.
Aims.
Bury Clarion Cycling Club (“the Club”) is committed to inclusion and diversity providing the opportunity for everyone who wants to be involved in cycling in our area and participate in club activities to be able to do so in a safe, accessible and supportive environment.
The Club will take action to promote these aims:
- Among its members by publicising and supporting this policy.
- In the wider community to encourage participation in our sport by all. It will support relevant local activities that share these aims.
- With people and organisations with which it has business or voluntary relationships.
These aims rest on our desire for fairness expressed in our club rule 2: “The object of the Club shall be the promotion of all kinds of cycling as determined by members from time to time. Good fellowship should be seen as a prime aim” and the legal requirements of the Equality Act 2010 (see “The law” below).
Policy.
The Club will not support or tolerate any behaviour:
- By members or their guests that breach these aims and will investigate and, if proved, impose sanctions against members.
- Towards its members or their guests by others that breach these aims and will support its members or guests to take action against such behaviour.
Questions, and complaints about behaviour covered by this policy, should be addressed in confidence to the Committee via buryccsec@gmail.com . The Committee must investigate complaints fairly and promptly allowing all concerned to state their case.
The scope of this policy includes but is not limited to:
- The Club in its dealings with members, potential members and the public.
- Members when representing the Club – for example on a Club ride, in a race, or in a meeting with another organisation.
- The Club in its dealing with volunteers, or with people it employs – for example we may employ a coach to develop members’ racing skills.
- The Club in its dealings with people, businesses or organisations contracted to provide services on behalf of the Club – for example timing services if we hold a race, or caterers at an event.
- Activities organised by the Club or on its behalf, whether they are social or competitive, on or off the bike.
- The physical, verbal, and online and social media activities and communications of the Club and its members (where they are relevant to club activities).
The Club reserves the right to restrict some of its activities, for example on the basis of age or gender, where this is necessary to ensure safety, safeguarding, equitable activity or encourage participation from under-represented groups.
Review and responsibility.
- The Club will regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of this policy through its Committee and elected Officers and report to members at the AGM.
- The policy will be updated as required to increase its effectiveness, and to take into account changes in law or policy changes required by, for example, British Cycling or National Clarion.
Help and support.
- In a situation where a person is in immediate danger call the police.
- You can get advice on equality and discrimination issues from EASS (the Equality Advisory and Support Service). This helpline advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality and human rights, across England, Scotland and Wales. It also accepts referrals from organisations which, due to capacity or funding issues, are unable to provide in depth help and support to local users of their services. Go to http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/app/home or call 0808 800 0082.
- You can confidentially report bullying, discrimination or harassment to Stop Hate UK, an independent organisation that works alongside local strategic partnerships to tackle Hate Crime and discrimination, encourage reporting and support the individuals and communities it affects. Go to https://www.stophateuk.org/ or call 0800 138 1625.
The law.
The Equality Act 2010 provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. It provides Britain with a discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society. It defines nine “protected characteristics” of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
The Equality Act 2010 not only protects people who have these characteristics, it also protects people from being discriminated against because they are associated with someone who has a protected characteristic, or someone wrongly perceives them to have one of the protected characteristics.
Equality does not mean being the same. Diversity means different needs are treated on equal terms, the Equality Act 2010 acknowledges and celebrates these differences.
The Act’s prohibition of discrimination applies only in defined areas, such as employment, services and public functions. Several of these areas are relevant in the sporting context, including:
- Sports clubs and associations are subject to the Act in relation to decisions about membership and the benefits and services provided to members.
- Where sports organisations are ‘service providers’ under the Act (e.g. where events or training are provided to customers), they will be subject to the Act’s prohibition of discrimination.
- Employees of sports organisations will be protected by the Act.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2019-0143/
