Safeguarding, Integrity, Governance and Legal update – February 2024
Safer Internet Day, Children’s Mental Health Week, iRow Clean, Regional Rowing Council Representatives Update, Club/Competition Constitution and Policy Review, and the British Rowing Legal and Tax Helpline
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day takes place in February of each year (it’s Tuesday, 6 February in 2024) to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, and especially for children and young people.
Parents and carers play a crucial role in empowering and supporting children and young people to use digital technologies responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. Indeed, parental influence, guidance and education have a significant and long-lasting impact on children’s safety and wellbeing in the online world.
To help you support your children, you may want to have a look at the SID resource gallery, where you’ll find a range of resources to use with your children, from information sheets on various online opportunities and risks to conversation starters and even games.
British Rowing also has its own handbook Safety in the Digital World.
Children’s Mental Health Week
Children’s Mental Health Week will take place from 5-11 February 2024, with the theme of My Voice Matters. It was set up by children’s mental health charity Place2Be and shines a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.
My Voice Matters is about empowering children and young people by providing them with the tools they need to express themselves.
When we feel empowered, this can have a positive impact on our wellbeing. Children and young people who feel that their voices are heard and can make a difference have a greater sense of community and self-esteem.
Tools and resources for organisations and families can be found here.
iRowClean!
Want to upskill your anti-doping knowledge? There are many ways you can do this!
Access the British Rowing iRowClean Online modules.
Take one of the three e-learning courses hosted by the UK Anti-Doping’s Clean Sport Hub:
- Introduction to Clean Sport
- Coach Clean (coach-focused)
- Compete Clean+ (athlete-focused).
Further details of these can be found on the UAKD website.
Legal and Governance
Regional Rowing Council Representatives Update
As we start a new year there have been changes to the Regional Rowing Council Representatives. A full list of the representatives for each region can be found here.
Club/Competition Constitution and Policy Review
We recommend that clubs periodically review their constitutions and policies.
For example – did you know that a club’s discipline and grievance procedures should align with the principles of the British Rowing Regulations? See British Rowing Regulations Appendix 5 – Club Disputes and Regional Disputes: Procedural Guidelines for full details.
A number of clubs have sought advice from British Rowing in managing a club dispute and found that their constitutions have not been updated for some time and were inadequate, making effective management and resolution of the dispute more challenging.
British Rowing Legal and Tax Helpline
Do remember British Rowing’s legal partner Irwin Mitchell has a dedicated legal helpline for affiliated clubs and competitions. If you have any questions or you’d like to speak with someone, you can call the free British Rowing Legal and Tax Helpline on 0333 010 0345.
