Terms & Conditions
All Aspire Gymnastics NI participants must abide by the following terms and conditions, codes of conduct and other policies that the club adopts.
ABOUT
Aspire – ‘to direct ones hopes or ambitions towards achieving something’
At Aspire Gymnastics NI we strive to deliver quality coaching in a happy, friendly and safe environment. We will support and encourage every gymnast through their participation in gymnastics to achieve their hopes and ambitions.
THE TEAM
Stephanie Hughes - Club Manager/Head Coach
L2 General Gymnastics Coach
Pre-school Gymnastics Coach
Safeguarding Qualification
Designated Safeguarding Children’s Officer Qualification
Access NI approved
Club Mobile: 07707 407454
Club Email: aspire.gym@outlook.com
Mairead O’Neill - Coach & Designated Welfare Officer
L1 Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Coach
Safeguarding qualification
Designated Safeguarding Children’s Officer Qualification
Access NI approved
Email: welfare-aspire.gym@outlook.com
Helen Hawthorne – Assistant Coach
Core proficiency qualification
Safeguarding qualification
Access NI approved
Micheala McCone – Young Helper
Young Helper qualification
Eimear Cox - Young Helper
Young Helper qualification
MEMBERSHIP AND FEES POLICY
Membership fees
British Gymnastics Membership is your child’s insurance to participate.
The club annual affiliation fee contributes to the development of the club and helps to buy resources and equipment for the gymnasts.
Please note:
· British Gymnastics (BG) membership is compulsory and non-refundable.
· Aspire Gymnastics NI Club Affiliation Fee is compulsory and non-refundable.
· At Aspire Gymnastics NI we offer preschool children two trial sessions at £16, and all other children one session at £8. After the trial, you will be invited by email to book your child to join the club. British Gymnastics Membership and the Club Affiliation fee must then be purchased.
· Parents/guardians are responsible for registering their child with British Gymnastics. As of September 2024 the club will no longer take the payment on behalf of BG. Parents must then register directly with British Gymnastics on the BG website after 1St October. The Membership year runs from 1St October to 30th September.
· Any child not insured via their membership with BG will not be able to participate in any gymnastics sessions.
Communication
All communication from Aspire Gymnastics NI will occur via email. It is therefore your responsibility to check your emails regularly and ensure you have provided the correct email address.
Booking
By registering your child on the Class for Kids system you will have already read and agreed to the terms and conditions which are within this Club handbook.
Terms of booking:
· Whilst on a waiting list your child will be invited to a trial session via email.
· You must either accept or reject the booking within 48 hours.
· You must also pay before your child attends their first session (or if paying by cash please confirm that you are accepting the trial session, and pay on the day).
Failure to do any of the above will mean your booking will be cancelled and offered to another child on the waiting list.
Rebooking
In accepting a place for your child after their trial session; you are committed to a month of sessions - Aspire Gymnastics NI does not offer refunds.
Rebooking for the next month of sessions will occur via email. Booking confirmations will be sent before the current month ends, giving at least 1-2 weeks notice for payment. Payment must be made before the first session in the new month.
If your child does not attend the first session in the new month and you haven’t paid any fees, we will assume you no longer require the place and offer it to a child on the waiting list. Please speak to Stephanie if you are unable to pay within the timescale.
Late Payment Fee
A late payment fee of £5 will be added to any invoices not paid by the first day in a new month of sessions.
Absences
We appreciate that from time to time your child will be unable to attend their session due to sickness or holidays etc. As you are also paying for your child’s place we unfortunately cannot offer refunds.
If you have not paid your child’s fees, and they are absent for at least two weeks without an explanation; the place will be offered to another child on the waiting list.
Session cancellation
On occasions, we may be forced to cancel/postpone session(s) due to circumstances beyond our control I.e. sickness, venue closures, adverse weather conditions, etc. On these occasions we will discount the next monthly fees or provide a session at another time as appropriate compensation.
Training attire
· Gymnasts should wear clothes which do not restrict movement. Suitable clothing consists of a leotard, or t-shirt and shorts/leggings/tracksuit bottoms.
· Crop tops, loose clothing and denim clothing are strictly prohibited for training.
· Tights and Socks are also prohibited - unless the socks are grip socks suitable for training.
· All gymnasts (male and female) must have their hair securely tied back at every session.
· Jewellery is not permitted to be worn during training, and this includes smart watches and fitness trackers.
· Makeup and face paints are also prohibited.
Aspire Gymnastics NI have club kit items available to purchase. Please ask for a form to order new items, or have a look at our Facebook swap shop for pre-loved items. Club leotards are a custom made item and can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. Club tracksuits will be available to order from Playr-fit at various times of the year.
As of October 2021, no items will be ordered without full payment.
CODES OF CONDUCT
Aspire Gymnastics NI is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all its members. The club believes that it is important that members, coaches and parents associated with the club should, always, show respect and understanding for the safety and welfare of others. Therefore, members are always encouraged to be open and to share any concerns or complaints that they may have about any aspect of the club with Mairead O’Neill, Designated Welfare Officer.
The club aims for members to have fun, whilst learning in a safe and happy environment, and therefore our codes of conduct and policies are set to help us achieve our aims.
GYMNASTS ARE EXPECTED TO:
· Arrive on time and remain outside the hall until a coach invites them in
· Remove socks and shoes, leave them on their spots and sit down on the gym mats
· Not use any equipment or apparatus until instructed to do so by coaches
· Not attempt any new skills without permission from the coaches
· Participate fully in the warm-up
· Listen to coaches and other club officials
· Not talk when coaches are talking
· Inform coaches of any illnesses or injuries before the session begins
· Speak to the coach immediately if they have concerns about the skill they are trying, or if they are feeling unwell.
· Always use correct and proper language within the gym hall.
· Keep a good attitude and be friendly, respectful and encouraging to other gymnasts and coaches.
· Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.
· Not use mobile phones during sessions.
· Not chew gum or sweets during sessions.
· Keep drinks bottles and personal belongings at the side of the hall. No fizzy drinks are permitted.
· Visit the toilet before coming to sessions, and always ask for permission to leave the hall if they need to re-visit during the session.
· Remain in the hall at the end of the session until a coach takes them to the rear exit where their parents/guardians are waiting.
PARENT(S) / GUARDIAN(S) ARE EXPECTED TO:
· Bring gymnasts to their sessions on time and drop off gymnasts at the hall doors for their session.
· Your child is insured for their designated session time only, we cannot allow gymnasts to sit in on other sessions i.e. if a sibling is in that session.
· Parents and guardians are not allowed to remain in the gym for insurance purposes and the safety of the gymnasts.
· Keep the club informed if your child is ill or unable to attend. Please do not bring your child to their session if they are feeling unwell.
· Complete all club registration forms (on our online system ClassForKids) and keep details up to date.
· Obtain medical consent for your child to participate if necessary, for example post long term or severe illness or injuries, or for specific special needs.
· Keep the club informed of any ongoing medical issues or medication your child may need to take during the session, such as an inhaler or EpiPen etc., and make sure your child has access to that medication during every session they attend. If your child cannot use their medication by themselves, please speak to Stephanie Hughes.
· Share all information such as medical conditions, allergies, physical impairments, sensory impairments, learning difficulties/disabilities, with the club so that any adaptions can be made prior to your child’s session.
· Make sure your child visits the toilet before coming to their session as toilet breaks are extremely disruptive.
· Please be aware that your child must be able to visit the toilet by themselves.
· Make sure your child is wearing the appropriate clothing for training as specified.
· Ensure your child brings a drink should they need one. We recommend gymnasts bring water. Fizzy drinks are not permitted.
· Help your child enjoy their sport, congratulate them on a good performance, and never force your child to take part.
· Always collect your child on time after the session. Inform a coach if there is a possibility you will be late or if someone other than you will be collecting them.
· Endeavour to have a good relationship and communication with the club and coaches.
· Always use correct and proper language within the club venue and towards coaches, in person or in writing.
· Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion
· Not take any photographs or videos during sessions or competitions, unless otherwise advised. Please ask for permission if you would like to take a photo of your child after their session/competition.
· Spectators are NOT allowed to take photographs or videos of gymnasts while they are training. Please let a coach know if you see someone operating a camera without permission.
· Inform the club immediately if your child no longer wishes to attend the club.
· Any concerns about child welfare, should be reported directly to the Club Welfare Officer Mairead O’Neill.
ALLERGEN POLICY
At Aspire Gymnastics NI, the health and wellbeing of each gymnast is paramount. Therefore, the following foods and drinks are strictly forbidden:
· Nuts
· Peanuts
· Blackcurrant fruit
· Blackcurrant juice
· Kiwi fruit
NB: This list will be updated regularly as members join or leave.
GYMNAST DROP OFF & COLLECTION POLICY
· Gymnasts should be taken to the gym hall doors on time, where a coach will invite them in for their session. Gymnasts should NOT enter the gym hall prior to their session starting.
· Gymnasts should be collected on time at the end of their session from the rear door of the main hall.
· Parents are responsible for advising the club if they will be late to collect their gymnast, or if someone unexpected will collect them.
· No under 17s are permitted to collect children from their sessions.
· Gymnasts under the age of 17 who wish to come to and/or from sessions alone or with someone under 17, should bring written permission from a parent or guardian.
· Gymnasts are expected to remain within in the building until collected.
Aspire Gymnastics NI cannot be held responsible for any breach of this policy.
SAFEGUARDING POLICY
Aspire Gymnastics NI has a responsibility to protect the welfare and safety of all children participating in club activities. As a club affiliated to British Gymnastics (BG), we are bound by their policies and procedures which can be viewed on the British Gymnastics website. www.british-gymnastics.org
Safeguarding concerns should be reported to the Designated Club Welfare Officer, or alternatively, contact a member of the British Gymnastics Safeguarding Team by calling 0345 129 7129 (Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes).
INCLUSION POLICY
Aspire Gymnastics NI has a firm belief that gymnastics is a sport with something for everyone, and values diversity in its membership. We aim to actively encourage and support the participation in gymnastics of people with a disability or those who may feel excluded by reason of culture, nationality, or other factors.
The Club will endeavour to engage with each participant in a way that is appropriate, meaningful to the individual and equitable to other participants. Parents/Guardians must therefore share all information such as medical conditions, allergies, physical impairments, sensory impairments, learning difficulties/disabilities with the club so that any adaptions can be made prior to your child’s session.
The Club will strive to identify and eliminate unlawful direct, indirect, and systemic discrimination from its structures and practices to ensure that people with disabilities and other exclusion factors are given maximal opportunity to participate in all aspects of gymnastics.
PHOTOGRAPHY POLICY
Aspire Gymnastics NI is aware of the prevalence of cameras, videos and the ease with which recordings and images can now be shared.
This policy applies to all gymnasts, staff, parents, visitors and volunteers attending the club during sessions.
· No photographs or videos are to be taken during sessions or competitions, unless otherwise advised. Please ask for permission if you would like to take a photo of your child after their session.
· Gymnasts are not permitted to take photos during sessions on personal phones.
· Spectators are NOT allowed to take photographs or videos of gymnasts during sessions. Please let a coach know if you see someone operating a camera without permission.
The focus of any images/videos taken by the club/photographer will be a gymnast or group of gymnasts whom the photographer has a justifiable reason to photograph/video.
Images/videos will only be published of those whom parents have given permission on the Class for kids account. This includes publication in print or digital formats, and includes publication on social networking websites, such as Facebook and Instagram
Members, Parents and Coaches are responsible for ensuring they take and distribute photographs or videos only as permitted by this policy and report any breaches of the policy observed, particularly in relation to the publication of images/video.
Any person found to be in breach of this policy will firstly be asked to remedy their actions and be made aware of this policy.
BEHAVIOURAL POLICY
We believe in a positive approach to behaviour management based on positive reinforcement, recognition and reward. In the event of codes of conducts being broken;
- The club will assess the situation and discuss with the gymnast the behaviour they are displaying
- If, following assessment and an attempt to resolve the issue, the gymnast is still displaying challenging behaviour, we will directly encourage the entire group to adhere to the behavioural standards we would like to be shown, whilst ensuring a positive tone of voice and emphasis on the desired behaviour.
- If poor behaviour continues, we will give the gymnast a warning indicating that, for the safety of everyone within the environment, you may have to remove them from the activity.
- If the behaviour shown does not improve, the most suitable course of action is to remove the gymnast from the activity to ensure their safety and the safety of all others within the gym.
- We will then clearly explain to the gymnast at that point why they are being removed from the activity.
- Excluding a gymnast from activity will only be done if the attempted resolutions to change behaviour do not have an effect, and the safety of themselves and/or others is compromised.
- The gymnast will be placed in a safe time out area for a suitably short period of time and will remain effectively supervised.
- Before returning the gymnast to the activity, we will reiterate our expectations in relation to behaviour, including safety guidance and codes of conducts and why positive behaviour is important for everyone’s safety.
- The gymnast will be integrated back into the activity safely with the understanding from other gymnasts in the session.
Positivity is key and we like to focus wherever possible on positive behaviour. Repeated episodes of poor behaviour will be communicated to parents.
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
Aspire Gymnastics NI is committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our members. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our club. We believe it is important that gymnasts, coaches, parents and visitors should, always, show respect and understanding for the welfare of others.
We operate an open-door policy - it is advised that you contact Stephanie Hughes via email or telephone to discuss any queries, concerns or questions you may have. If bullying does occur, all members are expected to tell a coach or the Club Welfare Officer Mairead O’Neill, and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.
Procedure;
1. Report bullying incidents to the Club Welfare Officer.
2. Where the alleged bully is a child (children), if applicable, parents should be informed and will be asked to come to a meeting to discuss the problem.
3. The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated and stopped.
4. An attempt will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their behaviour through discussion about bullying.
5. If bullying continues they will be asked to leave the Club.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
As a club affiliated to British Gymnastics, the club is bound by the British Gymnastics Procedures for complaints, disciplinary issues and membership suspensions and expulsions. The club places the welfare and safety of its members at the highest priority.
Aspire Gymnastics NI has a Designated Welfare Officer to whom all complaints, grievances and suspicions of poor practice should be addressed. Matters will be dealt with confidentially and only those who need to know will be informed. The British Gymnastics procedures for dealing with complaints will be followed and if an issue cannot be suitably addressed at club level, the British Gymnastics procedures will be implemented.