Steel City Striders Online Safety and Social media policy

This policy has been developed to inform our club members about using social media so people feel enabled to participate, while being mindful of their responsibilities and obligations. In particular, this policy provides practical guidance allowing all parties to benefit from the use of social media, while minimising potential risks and protecting those involved.

A small number of people, mainly committee members, are authorised to speak on behalf of Steel City Striders, however most of us will speak not on behalf of, but about the club in club forums, both private and public. As members we are all part of the conversation. Social media can be of great benefit to us as individuals and to Steel City Striders to keep in touch as a community and find out what’s going on. There are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that we always apply common sense in our use of social media.

Managing our online presence

Our online presence through our website or social media platforms (which currently refers to the official Steel City Striders Instagram page, the Steel City Striders Facebook profile, Public and Members Facebook Pages, and Steel City Striders Strava Club), plus outgoing communications such as the monthly bulletin, and the Steel City Striders WhatsApp community, will adhere to the following guidelines:

  • social media platforms will be password-protected where applicable, and at least 2 committee appointed members of the club will have access to each account and password. Should you wish to know who has access, please email communications@steelcitystriders.co.uk and the Communications Secretary will be happy to supply this information
  • the designated volunteers managing our online presence will seek advice from our designated welfare officer to advise on safeguarding requirements where required
  • designated volunteers will remove inappropriate posts, explaining why, and informing anyone who may be affected (as well as the parents of any children involved) where required
  • administrators should decline requests from under 18s to join the club’s social media accounts
  • we’ll make sure all club members know who to contact if they have any concerns about something that’s happened online – please email the Communications Secretary on communications@steelcitystriders.co.uk
  • The Members only Facebook Group, and associated event settings, will be set to ‘private’ so that only members (approved by admins) can see their content
  • identifying details such as a club member’s address or telephone number should not be posted on social media platforms, including the private Members group
  • any posts or correspondence should be consistent with our aims and tone as a club
  • permission for photographs or videos should be given before posting on social media
  • Please remember that our committee are all volunteers. Posts are not routinely moderated and we rely on the conduct of the members to allow social media to operate smoothly. If you have any concerns and wish to complain about any post please email communications@steelcitystriders.co.uk detailing your complaint. The complaint will then be investigated by the Club Committee, either quickly and informally by speaking to the poster and the complainant, or if further action is required through our formal procedures as detailed in the constitution.

Online behaviours

Our Running Club Charter and Code of Conduct require that we all treat each other with respect and do not engage in actions which would bring the club into disrepute – this includes how we conduct ourselves in all our activities with the club, including social media and networking. Have fun, demonstrate how great it is to be part of the Steel City Striders community but be respectful online just as you would be in person.

Here are some specific does and don’ts that we would expect all our members to consider before posting on social media anything which may reasonably be associated with Steel City Striders (including but not limited to; sharing information about runs/races such as race reports, images taken whilst wearing a club vest, or when promoting activity as part of or on behalf of the club)

  • Pause and think about what you are sharing and the impact it might have. If you wouldn’t want your employer, parents, friends, colleagues or future employer to see your post, or you wouldn’t say it face-to-face to someone, don’t post it.
  • Be careful, respectful and positive. You are personally responsible for what you post. If in doubt, don’t post it.
  • Think about your image – ‘what do I want people to think about me or my club?’
  • Respect confidentiality within the team e.g. tactics, squad information, announcements, coaching advice, training sessions.
  • Remember many different audiences will see your posts including Club members, potential members, children, member’s relatives, and friends. Consider who you are interacting with – although Steel City Striders is a club for over 18s only, be aware you may come into contact online with under 18s. Familiarise yourself with safeguarding regulations in relation to engaging with under 18s.
  • Be smart about protecting yourself, your privacy, and confidential information. What you publish is widely accessible and will be around for a long time, so consider the content carefully and your privacy settings.
  • Don’t post content that discriminates against individuals or groups on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.
  • Avoid posting inflammatory, extraneous, objectionable or off-topic messages that may provoke others into an emotional response (trolling/flaming)
  • Don’t speak negatively about other club members, competitors, officials or governing bodies. Never use slurs, personal insults or obscenity. Be professional and respectful.
  • Be in the right state of mind when you make a post. Don’t post when you’re angry, upset, or your judgement is impaired in any way. Be very careful what you say, do and post because once it’s on a social media channel, it can go viral very quickly.
  • Don’t engage in on-line disputes and don’t allow family or friends to argue on your behalf.
  • Remember that Steel City Striders reserve the right to delete any post or comment within any club forum, without warning or notice. Persistent flouting of this code will result in banning from the forums and/ or club disciplinary action.
  • We are aware that club members may wish to set up informal channels such as Facebook chats and WhatsApp groups to discuss matters which may relate to certain club activities. Please note these are not moderated by committee members or administrators and therefore we consider such groups outside of the remit of this policy – the club cannot be held responsible for any communication which takes place outside of official forums. It is the responsibility of the member to decide if they wish to participate in such groups and provide their personal mobile number to fellow members for this purpose. However, we would expect all our members to engage with each other in line with the above in such groups, in particular being mindful of confidentiality. Under no circumstances should you pass on personal details of fellow members, including phone numbers, without their permission, or use the phone numbers of fellow members for any purposes other than the purpose of the group (eg. Arranging lift shares, relay teams, etc)

What we expect from our club volunteers/social media administrators

  • volunteers should be aware of this policy and behave in accordance with it
  • volunteers should seek the advice of the designated welfare officer if they have any concerns about the use of the internet or social media
  • emails or messages sent on behalf of the club should maintain the club’s tone and be written in a professional manner
  • volunteers should not delete any messages or communications sent to or from club accounts
  • volunteers should have a basic knowledge of the platforms and how to report or remove inappropriate content online
  • any concerns reported through social media should be dealt with in the same way as a face-to-face disclosure, according to our safeguarding procedure

What we expect of club members

  • members should be aware of this online safety and social media policy and the behaviours set out within and use social media in accordance with it
  • we expect members behaviour online to be consistent with the guidelines set out in the code of conducts and anti bullying statement
  • members are responsible for their own online safety and should take the necessary steps to protect themselves online.

Policy breach

Club members who breach this policy (and other related policies) will face a warning in the first instance, persistent breaches will be dealt with through the clubs grievance and disciplinary policy.

Any breaches of a safeguarding nature will be addressed through the clubs safeguarding policy and procedure and where appropriate will be reported to UK Athletics.

Whilst the club will try to moderate social media posts, if you do have any concerns or would like to make a complaint please contact the club welfare officer or communications secretary.

Related policies and procedures:

Useful Contacts

Steel City Striders Welfare Officers steelcitystriderswelfare@gmail.com

Steel City Striders Communication Secretary communications@steelcitystriders.co.uk

UKA safeguarding@uka.org.uk

England Athletics welfare@englandathletics.org

The UK Safer Internet Centre https://saferinternet.org.uk/

Anti-Bullying Alliance www.antibullyingalliance.org

—

Last updated: December 2025