Code of Conduct for Bowls Surrey including all Affiliated Clubs and All Members

 General Principles

 As a Bowls Surrey or Club Officer or Member you should at all times:

 •        Respect all players, coaches, officials, volunteers and spectators.

 •        Participate in the right spirit – the sport should be fun for all.

 •        Take reasonable measures to keep yourself and others safe.

 •        Promote the sport in the best possible light through your actions and behaviour.

 •        Abide by the rules/regulations of the sport, and any additional competition rules.

 •        Abide by the policies of the sport and Bowls England and Bowls Surrey.

 •        Speak to someone if you are concerned that any of this code is being broken.

 You should not:

  •        Show dissent towards officials and their decisions.

 •        Discriminate on any grounds against another person.

 •        Publicly criticise or engage in demeaning descriptions of others, including online

 •        Engage in any behaviour that constitutes abuse.

 •        Keep your concerns about abuse or poor practice secret.

 The general principles above apply to everyone involved in the sport of bowls in Surrey.

1.           Code of Conduct for Bowls Surrey and Club Officers and other volunteers

You have an essential role to play in upholding and implementing the code of conduct in bowls. All should be advocates of equality, fair play and safety. You should:

 •        Operate within the letter and spirit of the code.

 •        Promote the etiquette of the sport of bowls.

 •        Treat everyone with dignity and respect.

 •        Listen carefully to all individuals and respect their views.

 •        Promote the bowls Safeguarding and Equality Policies to foster a safe and inclusive culture.

 2.           Code of Conduct for Players

 As a player you have a responsibility to maintain the highest standards in the enjoyment of the sport of bowls. You should:

 •        Be punctual for games.

 •        Respect the spirit of fair play whilst bowling. This is more than playing within the rules. It also incorporates the concepts of friendship, and respect for umpires, officials, coaches, players, juniors, and spectators.

 •        Behave in a manner that takes all reasonable measures to protect your own safety and the safety of others.

 •        Signal when you are about to “fire” by raising an arm and/or giving a verbal warning out of courtesy to fellow bowlers, spectators and clubs and in order to avoid injury and/or damage to property.

•        Not drink alcohol on the green or within one metre of the green, nor render yourself unfit to play in a match through alcohol misuse.

•        Adhere to the Anti-Doping policies as set by UK Anti-Doping.

•        Promote the reputation of the sport and take all possible steps to prevent the sport, Bowls Surrey or your Club from being brought into disrepute.

•        Accept success and failure, victory, and defeat, with dignity.

•        Set a positive example for others, particularly for younger participants, and spectators.

•        Protect others involved in the game from verbal or physical abuse and threatening or intimidating behaviour.

•        Never use inappropriate language or gestures on or off the green. Never use foul, sexist, abusive, racist or any other prejudicial language or tolerate it from fellow players and/or team officials.

•        Abide by the accepted etiquette of the sport.

3.          Code of Conduct for Young Players (Under 18s)

 Everyone has the responsibility to make the sport fun for all. If you are a young player, you should:

 •        Always play fairly and apply bowls’ standards both on and off the rink.

•        Treat others as you would wish to be treated.

•        Always report anything which worries you to a responsible adult e.g. a Club Safeguarding Officer. Speak out if you consider that you or others are being poorly treated.

•        Always tell someone if you are leaving a venue or competition.

4.          Code of Conduct for Spectators including Parents and Carers

 The sport of bowls welcomes spectators and values the part parents and carers play in supporting and encouraging the participation of children and adults at risk. As a spectator you should:

 •        Remember that bowls is fun.

 •        Applaud effort and good play as well as success.

 •        Appreciate good play by the opposition.

 •        Encourage all players to respect the opposition, coaches, umpires and other bowls’ officials.

 •        Offer encouragement at all times.

 •        Leave the coach to communicate with individual players.

 •        Respect the decisions of officials.

 •        Show an appreciation of all volunteers and their efforts.

5.          Code of Conduct for Coaches

 As a coach in bowls you are in a position of trust and have a central role in promoting and developing the sport at all levels. You should:

•        Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person.

•        Help create an environment where all children and adults at risk have an equal opportunity to participate.

•        Help create and maintain an environment free of fear and harassment.

•        Recognise the rights of parents, children and adults at risk to confer with other coaches.

•        Develop relationships with parents, children and adults at risk based on openness, honesty, mutual trust and respect.

•        Do not condone or allow to go unchallenged any form of discrimination or prejudice.

•        Be aware of the physical limits of children and adults at risk and ensure that training is appropriate.

•        Ensure that physical contact is appropriate and necessary and is carried out within recommended guidelines.

•        Always work in an open environment (e.g. avoid private or unobserved situations)

•        Do not engage in any form of sexually-related contact with children or adults at risk. Sexual innuendo, flirting or inappropriate gestures and terms are also unacceptable. Do not have a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 18 who you are coaching.

•        Report any concerns you may have in relation to a child or an adult at risk or the behaviour of an adult, to the most appropriate person.

•        Always emphasise that the well-being and safety of the child or adult at risk is more important than the development of performance.

•        Do not smoke, or drink alcohol, while actively working with children or adults at risk. Never use recreational or performance-enhancing drugs.

•        Attend appropriate training to enable you to keep up-to-date with your role and matters relating to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk.

•        Hold “Coach Bowls” membership and relevant qualifications.

•        Ensure necessary insurance cover is in place for you to perform your coaching role.

Dated January 2025

Code of Conduct - WhatsApp & Social media.

Best Practices for WhatsApp Group Administration

1. Set Clear Group Rules

• Define the purpose of the group (e.g., match updates, training info, social events).

• Outline acceptable behaviour (e.g., no spam, respectful language).

• Pin the rules or send them periodically as reminders.

 2. Use Multiple Admins Wisely

• Assign admins based on roles (e.g., team captain, coach, social secretary).

• Ensure admins are active and understand their responsibilities.

• Avoid admin overload—too many can lead to confusion.

 3. Keep Communication Relevant

• Use the group for essential updates only.

• Create separate groups for social chat or sub-teams if needed.

• Use broadcast lists for one-way communication when appropriate.

 4. Respect Privacy

• Avoid sharing personal information without consent.

• Don’t add people without asking first.

• Allow members to mute or leave without pressure.

 5. Be Inclusive

• Make sure all relevant members are added.

• Use language that everyone understands.

• Avoid cliques or inside jokes that exclude others.

 6. Manage Conflicts Calmly

• Address issues privately when possible.

• Use admin tools (e.g., message deletion, member removal) sparingly and fairly.

• Encourage open but respectful dialogue.

 7. Keep It Organised

• Use emojis or tags to highlight key messages (e.g., 📅 for events).

• Pin important messages (if using WhatsApp Communities).

• Avoid flooding the group with too many messages at once.

 Specifically, benefits of multiple admins:

• Crisis Management: If one admin is unavailable, others can step in to handle urgent issues.

• Removing Spam or Inappropriate Content: More eyes mean quicker action.

• Avoiding Single Point of Failure: If one admin leaves or loses access or loses their phone, others can maintain the group without having to shut the group down & start again.

 Dated October 2025