Members Information

Find out more about being a member of Blackpool’s leading Youth Charity

Two young BHY members standing back to back smiling

Information for members

This page is designed to help existing or new members of The Boathouse Youth understand a little bit more about our charity.

The Boathouse Youth is a Membership Organisation. This means you have to formally register with our charity to become an Active Member. As with all membership organisations, clubs, groups and charities there are conditions to ensure that being a beneficiary is an enjoyable experience.

 

Love. Respect. Discipline.

WAITING LIST

When you register online via ww.thebhy.co.uk/join you’ll join our waiting list. We process new applications every half-term at which point you’ll be sent a new membership pack with a Green Registration Form, a timetable and other useful information to get you started.

  1. Parents register their child with The BHY via this Upshot Form.
  2. The child is automatically added to the Universal Provision waiting list. This list is checked and processed every half-term, where a place is not yet available the parents will be informed.
  3. The Young Persons personal details are checked and assigned a place based on age & location. Their membership will then be accepted onto Upshot and become ‘Active’.
  4. New Members will be posted out a New Member Pack consisting of a ‘Welcome to The BHY Letter’, New Member Handbook and current Timetable.
  5. Members will then be able to attend sessions immediately from receiving their pack.

MEMBERSHIP EXPIRY

After 12 months from the first day your child attended their membership will expire and they will be unable to attend sessions until we have received updated contact details. Approximately 6 weeks before their membership expires we will send out a Blue Re-Registration Form to fill in and return to continue their membership with The BHY.

Once accepted to The BHY these young people will gain a Full Membership for a minimum of 12 months, pursuant to the criteria below:

  1. In most cases, Young People should attend an average of one session per week over a period of one term to retain their place & full membership rights. (i.e., over a 12-week period they must have attended a minimum of 12 sessions).
  2. The membership list will be reviewed half-termly, any members who have not attended the minimum number of sessions will be contacted by email and post. They will have 14 days to respond and contact The BHY if they wish to retain their place.
  3. If they contact The BHY within the 14-day period, their membership will continue otherwise they will become an ‘Inactive Member’ and will not be able to attend sessions until their membership has been reactivated by re-joining the waiting list and being allocated a place.
  • Free Admission

    Admission to The BHY is, and always will be, free of charge.

  • Minimum Attendance

    In most cases, to retain your Active Membership status you should attend an average of at least once per week.

  • Impact on Extra Activities

    A good attendance figure is important if you wish to participate in extra activities such as day-trips and residential experiences.

BEHAVIOUR AFFECTS YOUR ATTENDANCE…

…and this could affect your chance of participating in trips and residential experiences.

As you would expect from any organisation whose core values are ‘Love, Respect & Discipline’ good behaviour is something we place great emphasis on. In summary: poor behaviour will not be tolerated and will result in sanctions including time-outs, contact with parents and exclusions from sessions, day-trips and residential experiences.

We have great pride in our ability as an organisation to provide interesting and exciting activities for children and young people. We endeavour to meet their expectations, keep them engaged and we always treat them with the utmost respect. In effect, we give them the perfect environment and opportunity in which to behave well.

When any instance of challenging behaviour is being dealt with, a member of The BHY’s Senior Leadership team will always review to ensure that the appropriate investigation and action has been taken.

Parents can expect to be informed for any incident that exceeds a ‘Stage 2’. All behaviour incidents are recorded on our Membership Database. Parents are welcome to request a viewing of their child’s behaviour record at any time.

  • Stage 1 - Reminder

    Children are reminded about the rules and given a chance to correct their behaviour. This includes behaviours that are unintentionally disruptive but is starting to have an effect on others in the session or activity.

  • Stage 2 - Cool Down

    Children are asked to take some time out to cool down. If the behaviour continues they may not be able to finish the activity. Stage 2 behaviours are those that are having an effect on the session and are causing upset or distraction to others.

  • Stage 3 - Removal

    Children will miss out on most of the activity, possibly sent home and may also miss their next session. Parents will be contacted to arrange collection (if necessary) and be informed of the decision. These behaviours cause a major disruption to the session.

  • Stage 4 - Exclusion

    Children will miss out on the rest of their activity, may be sent home or given a further exclusion depending on the incident. We reserve Stage 4’s for behaviours which are intentional or malicious and need a longer period of reflection.

It would be wonderful to live in a bully-free world. Sadly, this is very unlikely to ever be the case. On that basis, we do not promote and cannot guarantee a Bully Free Zone.

However, we do not tolerate bullying and we will always ensure that every single incident that is reported to us is dealt with appropriately.

All of our staff are told to look-out for any bullying that exists within The Boathouse Youth. All incidents, no matter how small are recorded. This can help us to identify patterns of bullying and act accordingly.

Please remember that if we do not know about it – we can’t deal with it.

Bullying MUST be reported. 

  • It Is Unacceptable To Bully

  • Bullying Must Be Reported

  • We Always Take Action

The Boathouse Youth has high-levels of attendance from its members. Day-trips, residential experiences and other special projects will always have a limited number of spaces available, this unfortunately means that some members may miss out.

We decide who gains a place on extra activities based on attendance and behaviour over the previous term of sessions (a period of around 10 weeks attendance).

ACTIVITY CATEGORIES

Our Extra-Activities and Residential’s are split into two main categories, known as CLOSED ENTRY or OPEN ENTRY.

OPEN ENTRY:

All BHY Members are eligible to attend OPEN ENTRY activities offered on a first-come first-served basis. This includes shuttle buses, select day trips (such as BHY Explorers), and other recurrent activities.

CLOSED ENTRY

These trips are offered by letter to the highest attenders from the previous term of sessions. If these initial places are not filled, the places will then be re-issued to the next highest attender, or offered out as Open Entry for all eligible members.

You can contact The BHY for confirmation on the classification of individual trips and activities.

‘CLOSED ENTRY’ SELECTION PROCESS

  • Member letter

    A personalised letter will be issued to the member confirming that they have been allocated a place on the trip/activity. Letters will be available to collect from The BHY for 2 weeks. Members will also be contacted via email issuing them a place.

  • Book tickets

    Each letter will outline how to redeem the place and book their ticket via the preferred platform. (Places are specific to individual members and cannot be transferred).

  • Deadline

    Tickets not confirmed by the date marked on the letter will automatically be released for any eligible members to book.

  • Final arrangements

    At least 7 days before the activity, The BHY will email final arrangements including kit list and meeting/pickup times to the email listed on sign up form. Printed letters are available on request.

It is really important to us that your child is safe all of the time. We encourage all parents to drop-off and collect their child. However, we also respect that some parents consider their children mature enough to be able to walk to Youth Club and home again unaccompanied.

If your child is in the Infants Section then this is not optional. Your child MUST be dropped-off and collected by an authorised and responsible person who is Aged 16+.

If your child is in the Juniors/Junior Plus Section or Seniors/Senior Plus Section then you must state when completing the registration form what your preference is. If you select that your child is ‘Collected’ then this must be by an authorised and responsible person who is Aged 16+

Please note that if you arrive to take a child in an unsuitable condition, i.e. under the influence of drugs/alcohol – you will NOT be allowed to leave with them until the Police / Social Services have been contacted. 

  • We Encourage Pick-Up

    We Encourage All Parents To Accompany Their Child In The Journey To And From The BHY

  • Infants

    Must Be Collected By A Responsible Person.

  • Juniors / Juniors Plus

    Parents Can Specify A Collection Preference.

  • Seniors / Seniors Plus

    Parents Can Specify A Collection Preference.

Keeping Children Safe from Harm – Safeguarding

Our NUMBER ONE priority is that your child is always safe from harm when they are in the care of The BHY. Whilst we pride ourselves in the element of risk we introduce to children’s play we also pride ourselves on our commitment to ensuring it is controlled and well-managed.

Safeguarding encompasses many different elements and we have listed some of the key-elements below. If you have any questions, concerns, comments or ideas for improvement then please make-contact with a member of our Senior Leadership Team who will be delighted to talk with you. We are constantly seeking improvement.

  • Easy To Identify Staff

    Members of staff working for The Boathouse Youth are easily identified. All members of staff will be wearing a uniform and a photographic identification card around their necks. Some members of the Senior Leadership Team may attend sessions not in uniform - however, they will always have their Photo ID and are usually recognised faces. If an adult is in a BHY Uniform and has an ID Badge then this means we expect them to behave to our standard.

  • Safer Recruitment

    Every single member of our Adult Team has undergone a rigorous recruitment process. They must complete an application form, attend an interview and provide references before we will consider them for the next stage.

  • Disclosure & Barring Service

    We complete an enhanced criminal-records check on all Young Leaders and Adult Leaders before they are given access to our young people. This means they must provide photographic ID, proof of their address and legal residency in the UK. No member of staff with any historical safeguarding convictions is allowed to work within our setting.

  • Child Protection Training

    All members of our Adult Team have undergone a full induction combined with a Level 2 Certificate in Child Protection. This means they are trained to spot signs of abuse, know how to deal with suspicions and allegations and can support young people who need it.

  • Challenging Behaviour Training

    All members of our Senior & Middle Leadership Team are trained in Understanding Young People’s Challenging Behaviour. This means they are able to provide environments conducive for positive behaviour and manage young people who are displaying behaviour that is not appropriate.

  • First Aid Training

    All members of our Senior & Middle Leadership Team are trained to a high standard of First Aid. The Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid covers serious conditions such as Cardiac Arrest, Choking and Severe Bleeding in addition to understanding the management of illnesses and conditions such as Asthma, Diabetes and Meningitis.

  • Automated External Defibrillator

    All sites that The BHY operates on have an Automated External Defibrillator. The BHY will also take an AED on residential experiences such as Canal Boating and Camping. Members of the Senior & Middle Leadership Teams are qualified and trained to use these devices in the event of a Cardiac Arrest.

  • High Level Of Security

    All sites that The BHY operates on have a high level of security. This means that where is reasonable practicable we can control entry and egress from our buildings. We use magnetic and manual door locks to prevent people accessing our premises without our consent.

  • CCTV

    All of The BHY sites are covered by Closed Circuit Television that is permanently recording. Unfortunately this does not extend to residential experiences and day-trips. However, staff are extra-vigilant in these environments and ensure a culture of transparency exists.

  • Risk Assessments

    All locations and activities are Risk Assessed by The Boathouse Youth. This includes the shortest minibus-journey (which will have had its route planned, include a full register of passengers and of course be in a road-worthy vehicle) to the riskiest of residential experiences such as Canal Boating where young people will be taught to manage their own personal safety in addition to abiding by our controls. Every time you see a member of staff taking a register, using a two-way radio, completing a form on their mobile phone or giving clear instructions to young people you can be sure they are probably following the guidance of a pre-written Risk Assessment!

The Boathouse Youth always endeavours to conform to a self-imposed high-standard at all of its provision.

However, occasionally we do fall-short and you may wish to let us know. If we have done something wrong – we are happy to be held to account and will always apologise.

However, we would ask you to consider your tone and the level of publicity you apply to your complaint. The best people to speak to about a problem is us… and please remember the following:

  • We are a charity. We are not a public service.
  • We provide your child with a vast array of opportunities – usually free of charge.
  • Many of our staff are volunteers and paid staff always exceed their contracted weekly hours.
  • We always try our best.
  • We do what we do because we want to – not because we are obligated to.

 

If you want to congratulate us or thank us then we would invite you to do so via our Facebook Page.

Send your Comments or Complaints

Privacy Notice

The Boathouse Youth (The BHY) respects your right to privacy. We’ve put in place security measures for your personal data and manage your personal data in accordance with applicable data privacy regulations.

Please note that The Boathouse Youth is the Data Controller of your personal data. The principles set out in this Privacy Notice apply to all instances in which The BHY receives your personal data as a Data Controller for the purposes described in this notice.

In order to easily explain the data which The BHY controls and processes we have created a simple WHO, WHY, WHAT, HOW & WHERE document available below which answers these key questions.

If you have any questions that aren’t answered in our Privacy Policy please do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection Officer using the form below.

  • Right To Erasure & Restriction

    You have the right to ask for personal data to be deleted or to restrict the processing of that data.

  • Right To Data Portability & Objection

    You have the right to request your data to be sent to another person, or object to it’s use at any future point.

  • Safeguarding & Child Protection

    The BHY has a right and a duty to share relevant information when related to the safety and welfare of its members or their families.

Contact our Data Protection Officer

The next step

Ready to become a member of Blackpool’s leading Youth Charity? Request to join using the button below.  If you have a question that we haven’t already answered then please contact us.