Blackrod Now Terms of Use

These Terms of Use apply to:

• the Blackrod Now website;
• Blackrod Now newsletters and digital communications;
• event, activity and community-information submission forms;
• content published through Blackrod Now; and
• other online services operated under the Blackrod Now name.

By using these services or submitting information to Blackrod Now, you agree to these terms.

If you do not agree to these terms, you should not use the relevant service or submit content.

Blackrod Now is a volunteer-led community communications and coordination initiative.

Its purpose is to help residents and organisations find and share information about Blackrod, including:

• local events;
• community activities;
• clubs and voluntary organisations;
• public information;
• local opportunities;
• community notices; and
• matters of local interest.

Blackrod Now

Email: terms@communityalliances.co.uk

Website: blackrodnow.co.uk

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, Blackrod Now:

• publicises and coordinates information;
• does not organise or manage third-party events;
• does not control third-party venues or premises;
• does not supervise event participants;
• does not sell tickets or take bookings on behalf of organisers;
• does not provide event security, first aid or stewarding;
• does not undertake an organiser’s health and safety duties; and
• is not responsible for delivering the activities it publicises.

Publication by Blackrod Now does not make Blackrod Now:

• the event organiser;
• a co-organiser;
• the venue operator;
• the employer of event staff or volunteers;
• an agent of the organiser;
• responsible for an organiser’s actions; or
• responsible for the safety or suitability of an event.

Any exception must be expressly confirmed by Blackrod Now in writing.

The organisation or person responsible for an event, activity or service remains solely responsible for its planning, management and delivery.

This includes responsibility for:

• public and other appropriate insurance;
• health and safety;
• suitable risk assessments;
• safeguarding arrangements;
• premises and venue safety;
• licences, permits and permissions;
• road closures or traffic arrangements;
• first aid and emergency planning;
• food safety and hygiene;
• accessibility arrangements;
• security and stewarding;
• photography and media consent;
• performers, contractors, staff and volunteers;
• ticketing, bookings, payments and refunds;
• compliance with equality, employment and consumer law;
• cancellation, postponement and amendment notices; and
• compliance with all other applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

Blackrod Now does not inspect or certify these arrangements.

Organisers should obtain their own professional, legal, insurance or regulatory advice where necessary.

Blackrod Now aims to publish useful and accurate community information. However:

• much of the information is supplied by third parties;
• event details may change after publication;
• errors, omissions and delays may occur;
• events may be postponed or cancelled;
• availability, prices, eligibility and booking arrangements may change; and
• online information may not always reflect the latest position.

Users should confirm important information directly with the named organiser before:

• travelling;
• attending an event;
• making a booking;
• making a payment;
• relying on accessibility information; or
• making any other commitment.

Blackrod Now does not guarantee that all published information is complete, accurate, current or available.

A person submitting information to Blackrod Now confirms that:

• the information is accurate to the best of their knowledge;
• they are authorised to submit it;
• they are authorised to act for the named organisation where applicable;
• they have permission to provide all text, images, logos, posters and other material;
• publication will not infringe copyright, confidentiality, privacy or other rights;
• any personal contact details supplied for publication may lawfully be published;
• any necessary photography, participant or parental permissions have been obtained;
• the submission is not misleading;
• the event or activity complies with applicable law; and
• the organiser accepts the responsibilities set out in these terms.

The submitter must promptly notify Blackrod Now if:

• information becomes inaccurate;
• an event is amended;
• an event is postponed or cancelled;
• published contact details change;
• permission to use submitted material is withdrawn; or
• a safeguarding, safety, legal or privacy concern arises.

A submitter retains ownership of material they own.

By submitting content, the submitter gives Blackrod Now a non-exclusive, royalty-free permission to:

• review the content;
• copy and store it;
• edit it for spelling, formatting, clarity, accessibility or length;
• publish it on the Blackrod Now website;
• include it in newsletters;
• publish it through Blackrod Now social-media channels;
• reproduce it in printed community material;
• resize or crop images where reasonably necessary; and
• use it to publicise the relevant event, organisation, activity or community information.

This permission continues for as long as reasonably necessary to publicise or archive the relevant information.

Blackrod Now will not knowingly claim ownership of third-party content merely because it has been submitted or published.

Users must not submit, upload, send or attempt to publish material that:

• is unlawful;
• is fraudulent, false or deliberately misleading;
• is defamatory;
• is threatening, abusive or harassing;
• promotes hatred, discrimination or violence;
• sexually exploits or endangers a child;
• creates an unreasonable safeguarding risk;
• reveals private information without authority;
• infringes copyright, trademark or other intellectual-property rights;
• impersonates another person or organisation;
• contains malware, harmful code or deceptive links;
• promotes unlawful goods, services or activities;
• interferes with an investigation or court order;
• constitutes unauthorised advertising or spam;
• is unrelated to Blackrod or the purposes of Blackrod Now; or
• could reasonably expose Blackrod Now, its volunteers or the public to legal, financial, safety or reputational harm.

Submission does not guarantee publication.

Blackrod Now may, acting reasonably:

• request clarification or evidence;
• correct spelling or formatting;
• shorten or reorganise content;
• decline a submission;
• delay publication;
• remove information;
• suspend a listing;
• add a correction, warning or clarification;
• refer a concern to the relevant organisation or authority; or
• restrict further submissions from a person or organisation.

Reasons may include:

• the information cannot be verified;
• it is incomplete or inaccurate;
• it falls outside the purpose of Blackrod Now;
• it creates a safety, privacy or safeguarding concern;
• it may breach the law or another person’s rights;
• it appears to be primarily commercial advertising;
• the event has passed;
• the organiser has failed to provide requested clarification; or
• publication would be inappropriate or impractical.

Blackrod Now is not required to publish every legitimate event or explain every editorial decision, although reasonable enquiries will be considered.

Users and submitters must not use Blackrod Now in a way that could place a child or adult at risk.

Submissions must not include:

• a child’s private address, telephone number or personal email address;
• unnecessary identifying information about a child;
• information revealing a child’s routine or live location where this creates a risk;
• inappropriate or exploitative imagery;
• confidential safeguarding information; or
• allegations about an identifiable person that should instead be reported to an appropriate authority.

Organisations promoting activities involving children or adults at risk remain responsible for:

• their own safeguarding policy;
• safer recruitment;
• appropriate checks;
• supervision;
• staff and volunteer training;
• consent arrangements;
• reporting procedures; and
• responding to concerns.

Blackrod Now may remove content and contact the police, local authority, safeguarding services or another appropriate body where a genuine concern arises.

Blackrod Now is not an emergency or safeguarding-reporting service. Immediate danger should be reported to the emergency services.

Users may use the website for lawful personal, community and organisational purposes.

Users must not:

• attempt to gain unauthorised access to the website or administrative systems;
• interfere with the website’s operation;
• introduce malware or harmful code;
• scrape or harvest personal contact details;
• use contact information for spam or unsolicited mass marketing;
• circumvent website security;
• overload the website;
• falsely imply endorsement by Blackrod Now;
• reproduce Blackrod Now branding without permission; or
• use the website in a way that breaches applicable law.

Unless stated otherwise, original Blackrod Now material, including its:

• name;
• logo;
• branding;
• website design;
• original written content; and
• original graphics

belongs to Blackrod Now or is used with permission.

Users may:

• view the website;
• share links to published pages;
• print reasonable extracts for personal or community use; and
• share event information for the purpose of publicising the relevant event.

Users must not, without permission:

• reproduce substantial parts of the website;
• use Blackrod Now branding as their own;
• remove copyright or attribution notices;
• sell or license Blackrod Now material;
• create a misleading copy of the service; or
• imply that Blackrod Now endorses them.

Material supplied by third parties remains subject to the rights and permissions of the relevant owner.

Blackrod Now may link to:

• event organisers;
• community groups;
• businesses;
• local authorities;
• ticketing providers;
• social-media platforms;
• maps;
• payment services; and
• other third-party websites.

Links are provided for information and convenience. They do not necessarily represent approval, recommendation or endorsement.

Blackrod Now does not control third-party websites and is not responsible for:

• their availability;
• accuracy;
• security;
• accessibility;
• privacy practices;
• content;
• prices;
• contractual terms; or
• goods and services.

Users should make their own checks before providing information, booking, paying or entering into an arrangement with a third party.

Blackrod Now may publish information about local businesses, commercial events or sponsored activity where this supports its community purpose.

Commercial organisations have no automatic right to publication.

Where content is paid for or sponsored, Blackrod Now will take reasonable steps to identify it appropriately.

Publication does not guarantee:

• the quality of a product or service;
• the reliability of the advertiser;
• the outcome of a transaction; or
• that Blackrod Now recommends the advertiser.

Blackrod Now is operated by volunteers and may not be continuously available.

We may:

• suspend the website;
• change its functions;
• remove content;
• carry out maintenance;
• change service providers;
• restrict submissions; or
• discontinue part or all of the service.

We do not guarantee that:

• the website will always be available;
• access will be uninterrupted;
• all errors will be corrected;
• every submission will be reviewed within a particular period; or
• archived content will remain permanently available.

Blackrod Now takes proportionate steps to protect its website and systems. However, no online service can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Users are responsible for:

• protecting their own devices;
• checking links before selecting them;
• maintaining appropriate security software; and
• avoiding the transmission of unnecessary sensitive information.

Users must notify Blackrod Now promptly if they identify a suspected security weakness or unauthorised use of the service.

Blackrod Now provides general community information. It does not provide:

• legal advice;
• medical advice;
• financial advice;
• professional safety advice;
• emergency information; or
• an official substitute for information from an event organiser, local authority or emergency service.

Users remain responsible for making their own decisions and checks.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
• any other liability that cannot legally be excluded.

Subject to this, Blackrod Now and its volunteers will not be responsible for loss or damage arising solely from:

• inaccurate or outdated information supplied by a third party;
• cancellation, postponement or alteration of an event;
• the conduct of an event organiser, venue, supplier or participant;
• injury, loss or damage occurring at a third-party event or premises;
• goods, services, bookings or payments provided by a third party;
• reliance on information that the user should reasonably have confirmed with the organiser;
• third-party websites;
• temporary website unavailability;
• unauthorised access beyond Blackrod Now’s reasonable control; or
• information submitted in breach of these terms.

Nothing in these terms affects any rights a consumer has that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

A submitter is responsible for any material they provide and for ensuring that it complies with these terms.

Where a third party makes a credible complaint about submitted material, the submitter may be asked to:

• provide evidence of ownership or permission;
• correct the information;
• confirm its accuracy;
• explain the basis for publication; or
• cooperate with removal or investigation.

Blackrod Now may remove disputed material while a concern is considered.

Personal information is handled in accordance with the Blackrod Now Privacy Policy and applicable data protection requirements.

By submitting content, users acknowledge that information intended for publication may become publicly accessible.

Submitters should not provide private personal information unless it is necessary and they are authorised to do so.

Requests to:

• correct information;
• report inappropriate content;
• report a safeguarding concern;
• report copyright infringement;
• report a privacy concern; or
• request removal

should be sent to:

terms@communityalliances.co.uk

The request should identify:

• the relevant page or content;
• the nature of the concern;
• the correction or action requested; and
• the requester’s connection to the information.

Blackrod Now may request supporting evidence before changing or removing content.

Blackrod Now may update these Terms of Use where necessary to reflect:

• changes to the service;
• operational experience;
• new risks;
• legal or regulatory developments; or
• changes to submission and publication arrangements.

The current version will be published on the website and will display its effective date.

Continued use of the website after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms from the date they take effect.

If any part of these terms is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

A failure by Blackrod Now to enforce a provision on one occasion does not prevent it from enforcing that provision later.

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.

The courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction over disputes relating to these terms, subject to any mandatory rights a consumer has to bring proceedings elsewhere within the United Kingdom.