Welfare and Conduct

Welfare Officers

VAC’s Welfare Officers are Stuart Matthews and Peter Kennedy. They can be emailed at welfare@vetsac.org.uk. Alternatively, they can be contacted individually via their email addresses or phone numbers shown on the Officers webpage.

VAC’s Welfare Officers play a key role in ensuring that club members have a safe and positive experience at the club.  They are the people whom members should contact if they have a safeguarding or discipline or conduct concern. The Welfare Officers will also manage lower-level club issues and disputes and flag concerns for early intervention to prevent escalation and behaviours which might spoil enjoyment of the sport.  VAC’s Welfare Officers form part of the club’s committee and have a role in implementing good safeguarding governance at VAC. By completing the training provided by England Athletics and understanding the policies and procedures set out by UK Athletics, the Welfare Officers have the right level of knowledge for the role and know who to contact within the sport for further advice or to escalate a matter if necessary.   

Code of Conduct for Athletes 

VAC has adopted the UKA Code of Conduct for senior athletes. It is a condition of VAC membership that VAC members must agree to abide by the Code of Conduct. This is included in the Terms and Conditions that members must accept when joining VAC or renewing their membership.  

UKA Code of Conduct: Senior Athletes

Safeguarding  

VAC has adopted the UKA Club Safeguarding Code of Conduct and will follow the policies, procedures and processes set out by the UKA for managing safeguarding concerns.  

UKA Club Safeguarding Code of Conduct 

Anti-Doping 

VAC has adopted the following statement as part of the club’s Terms and Conditions for entering a VAC event: 

“An entrant shall be deemed to have made him/herself/their self, familiar with, and agreed to be bound by the UKA Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping in the application and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Rules. The UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply to entrants participating in the sport of Athletics, for 12 months from the [date of entry], whether or not the entrant is a citizen of, or resident in, the UK.” 

Further information about anti-doping rules including prohibited substances can be found on the England Athletics and BMAF websites at these links: 

England Athletics “Clean Athletics” 

BMAF Anti-Doping Advice and Rules