GARES on BBC Radio Gloucestershire

Cliff (G8CQZ) and Anne (2E1GKY) spoke to John Rockley about Amateur Radio. This was broadcast as an insert on Tuesday 14th August 2007. We are trying to obtain a copy of this insert so that we can include it on the web site. If you heard the broadcast and want more information about Amateur Radio and how you can get a licence, why not contact us. Our email address is gares AT g4aym DOT org DOT uk (This is not a link so you will have to type it in to your email system and change the words AT and DOT to the appropriate characters. We do this to try and stop the automatic spam senders).
You are also welcome to come along to one of our meetings. Click here for directions. We meet most Monday evenings but please check the home or meetings pages to make sure.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons Act 2006

This Act of Parliament, which came into force in 2008, means that everybody in the club will have to be registered if we allow children or vulnerable adults to attend the club. The act requires employers (and others with responsibility for managing activities) to ensure that people permitted to engage in "regulated activities" are vetted and subject to monitoring. Regulated activity can be defined as:
• Any activity in a specified place, such as schools.
• Where the activity is frequent - taking place on more than two days in a month.

This means that, if a child comes to the club and just one member (who does not even have direct contact with the child) is not vetted then both the individual and all of the club committee (who are classed as the employer even though this is ridiculous) are liable to six months in prison, a fine of £5000 and a criminal record. It is even an offence not to find out whether club members are subject to monitoring.

As a result of this draconian act, the committee has reluctantly agreed to introduce a "no children" rule. This means that children (under 18) and vulnerable people are not allowed to attend club meetings.

We think that this is madness. Many of us remember attending radio clubs as children and the excitement of listening to an adult making contacts with other hams. We are depriving them of many exciting activities on the pretext of "keeping them safe." Yet statistics show that children are at far more risk from family members and their close friends than from clubs and similar activities where there are groups of people. However the law is the law and, as law abiding citizens, we will obey it.

Committee
The new committee is:

• Chairman: Steve, G4HFT
• Vice Chairman: Position vacant
• Secretary: Anne, 2E1GKY
• Treasurer: Steve, G8IUN
• Ordinary Members: Mike, G6OTP and Cliff, G8CQZ