Statement of Intent
Sunshine Swing is a young and growing organisation wanting to foster a family ethos and it is important to ensure all attending our events enjoy everything we provide in a safe and enjoyable environment.
All those attending our event should not feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any event we provided organised by any of our management, teachers, member or volunteers.
We will not tolerate any forms of harassment or bullying by anyone no matter in which capacity they are attending and all agree all others with care, respect without harassment and bullying and all agreed to abide by our code of conduct.
We at Sunshine Swing will always endeavour to provide a safe environment for all those attending any event officially organised by any management, teachers or volunteers. Behaviour which could be considered to be inappropriate will be investigated and deemed appropriate action may be taken which could include a person or persons being banned for a period of time or permanently from attending any of Sunshine Swing’s events.
Contact
If you or anyone else are injured and in need of medical help, or if you or others around you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or threatened, please speak to one of the managers, teachers or the person at the door.
If you would like to make a complaint or pursue a concern, please contact either Karen or Rebecca:
Rebecca: 07956177868 or by email rebecca.kelsall@sky.com
Karen: karen-kelsall@sky.com.
If the situation is considered to be more serious than their experience can deal with, we will take appropriate action to refer the issue to appropriate professionals and act on their guidance.
Code of Conduct
1. Person or Persons Banned from Other Dance Organisations
All those attending our events should be aware if they are banned from other dance organisations for whatever reason and that ban is in place at the time of the wanting to attend one of our events Sunshine Swing reserves the right to refuse them entry to an event. If the ban from other events has expired Sunshine Swing reserve the right to continue the said person or persons to continue to be banned from their events.
2. All are Welcome
Everyone unless banned are welcome at Sunshine Swing and this is always regardless of gender/gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, religion or employment status.
All attending can choose whether they wish to follow or lead, we just ask your choice is made known to other dancers.
3. Respect Everyone and Take Care of Each Other
Always show respect to others and be aware that we will not tolerate the use of any sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or racist language in any circumstances, to do so may result in a person or persons being banned.
If anyone says no remember that is what it means, that person may need to rest or be injured or just not want to dance at that time and no offence is intended.
Ensure you are aware of others, space on the dancefloor and generally what is going on around you. Be aware of close contact with others both on and off the dancefloor and respect personal space. If someone is uncomfortable ensure you take immediate action to withdraw from close contact and provide space.
If someone needs help, looks to be unwell or looks to be upset please offer help to them and ask them if they are feeling ok or need assistance. Do ask others for help if a situation needs more than you.
If you feel upset, uncomfortable or harassed please tell the person at the door, a teacher or one of the managers immediately. If you are unsure on who to approach ask the person who was at the door who you can speak to.
If an incident occurs which warrants the Police will be called and this could result in a ban against anyone who has caused such an incident.
4. It is OK to say “No”
It is OK to say “no thank you” if someone asks you to dance. You do not need to explain why. You can also withdraw from a dance at any point if you feel needed.
If someone says no to your request for a dance, remember that is okay too. Please respect their decision and move on to ask someone else. No one is ever required or obliged to dance with you and do not need to explain their reasons. Very often someone\’s “no” is because they need a rest, they may have an injury or could be feeling overly warm from dancing, please do not be offended if someone says no.
5. Lifts, Drops and Aerials
Lifts, Drops and Aerials look fabulous however the social dance floor is not the place to undertake these moves as they present a danger to those around. Exceptions are when there is a jam circle with a lot of space to safely undertake these moves. Generally, be aware of the dance space and treading on feet and bumping into each other. If accidents do happen, be polite, apologise, and ensure everyone is okay.
Sexual Harassment
The Equality Act of 2010 outlines the definition of sexual harassment under UK law.
We strongly encourage anyone who has experienced any sexual harassment to report it to the police. The official advice is to dial 999. You can also report a crime online at any time via the Met’s website and it can be at any time after the offense has happened.
If you would like impartial advice, we recommend contacting a group such as The Havens who can advise you anonymously. The national helpline (0808 802 9999) for Rape Crisis England & Wales is open twice a day, everyday, though it can sometimes be difficult to get through. The team at Good Night Out have provided us a link to resources you might find useful and you can access them here.
Thanks for reading this far, it shows us that you take these issues seriously. We will happily listen to any suggestions you have so we can continually improve and monitor this part of our growing organisation.
The Sunshine Swing Team