Reigate Priory CC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the well being of all its members. We are a Clubmark club and adhere to the ‘Safe Hands’ Policy: http://www.ecb.co.uk/safeguarding of the ECB. A hard copy of ‘Safe Hands’ is maintained in the clubhouse for reference.

The Club believes that it is important that members, coaches, administrators and parents associated with the club should, at all times, show respect, be encouraged to be open at all times and to share any concerns or complaints that they may have about any aspect of the Club with Jim Harmer, Director of Youth Cricket and Welfare Officer, Vicki Howard or Mr Ewan McDowall, joint Welfare Officers.

Youth members are expected to abide by the following rules:

• Play within the Laws of Cricket, respect officials and their decision
• Respect opponents and their club facilities
• Keep to timings for training and matches or inform their coach or team manager if they are going to be late
• Wear suitable kit as agreed with the team coach or manager. Protective helmet, pads, ‘box’ and gloves are compulsory when batting and when ‘keeping up to the wicket'
• Junior members are not allowed to smoke or consume alcohol or drugs of any kind on the club premises or whilst representing the Club
• Abide by a separate set of rules to be provided relating to conduct at home grounds.

Code of Conduct for Parents

• Encourage your child to learn the Laws and play within them
• Discourage unfair play and arguing with officials
• Recognise fair play
• Help your child to recognise good performances by all and not just results
• Never force your child to take part in sports
• Never punish or belittle a child for losing or making mistakes
• Publicly accept officials judgements
• Support your child’s involvement and help them to enjoy their sport
• Use correct and proper language at all times
• Assist the Club in enforcing a separate set of rules to be provided concerning conduct at home grounds
• Subscriptions should be paid promptly.

Away Fixtures (relating to fixtures as provided by the Club’s fixture list or as subsequently arranged)

• A fixture card will be provided to all members. Details of arrangements for each match will be provided later
• Parents should be aware of the ECB ‘Safe Hands’ guidelines in relation to away fixtures at ‘Safeguarding resources’ under the above link)
• Parents should consent to their child taking part in the away fixtures and acknowledge that the Club will be liable in the event of any accident only if they have failed to take reasonable steps in their duty of care during the away fixture. If a parent does not take their own child(ren) to matches, they consent to another parent or, if there is no feasible alternative, a club volunteer transporting him/her
• Parents agree to be at the pick-up /drop off point (usually the Clubhouse) or away ground at the agreed time
• Parents confirm to the best of their knowledge that their child does not suffer from any medical condition other than detailed in the Pitchero Registration Form and consent to him/her receiving medical treatment which, in the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner, be necessary
• Transport to Matches and Practice Sessions (See ‘Safe Hands’ as above, at ‘Safeguarding resources’)
• The Club’s policy is that parents (or other responsible adults authorised by parents) should transport players to and from all matches and practice sessions and therefore the Club will not be registering private vehicles for this purpose
• This policy is not intended to exclude any player from participation and in the event of any problem with transportation, you should contact your age group manager

Use of Photography and video camera (see ‘Safe Hands’ as above, ‘Safeguarding resources’)

We wish to promote positive images of young people playing cricket but we will take steps in an effort to avoid inappropriate photos or film footage being taken.

By completing the Pitchero Registration Form you will give the Club permission to use images in newsletters, newspapers, the Club’s website etc. promoting and celebrating the activities of the Club. We will avoid using a name and photo together.

Occasionally we use video recording to analyse performance. Care will be taken in the storage of videos and by completing the Pitchero Registration Form you are giving consent to such use.

Please email rpcc.youthmembership@live.com if you wish any image to be removed from the website.

Changing Policy

Particularly when older boys play in senior sides, there may be circumstances under which players under the age of 16 years find themselves changing clothes in the presence of persons over 18 years. If any parent or player is not comfortable with this arrangement then it is their responsibility to ensure the following:

• Young players who do not wish to change or shower with adults are under no obligation to do so and are advised to change and shower at home
• Parent consent must be given if young players are to share changing facilities with adults
• It is the responsibility of the parent concerned to ensure that their child does not enter changing facilities at any time if consent is not given.

Junior players playing adult (‘open age’) cricket

Any player in the Under 13 age group must have explicit written consent from a parent or guardian before participating in open age cricket.

Written consent will be deemed as given if the Pitchero Registration Form has been completed.

No junior cricketers younger than Under 13 can play in open age cricket with or without written consent, except in the case of a player selected in a County Under 12 team who is eligible to play open age cricket with written parental and coach permission in exceptional circumstances with prime consideration being the child’s safety and wellbeing.