Procedures & Code of Conduct

Gladstone Centre, Bunkhouse and Campsite
Procedures and Code of Conduct for Users

Purpose of the Gladstone Centre, Bunkhouse and campsite
A not for profit, accessible, Centre building, Bunkhouse and Campsite provides a facility for outdoor adventure for members of the Flintshire District Scouts, Hawarden Scout Group and other local uniformed organisations and groups in North Wales, Cheshire, The Wirral and beyond.

The Vision
To create an accessible outdoor adventure and training centre with facilities which are regularly used by every Group in the District and make positive memories for young people regardless of age or ability.

Booking Procedure
On the Gladstone Centre website and you will find a link under “fees and booking”. Booking can be done online and a calendar will be available to check dates and confirm bookings throughout the year.  Confirmation of booking is done after a deposit is paid via BACS and the calendar is updated from ’provisional’ to ‘booked’.
Please note that the site is shared with 1st Hawarden Scout Group, who use it for their regular meetings and camps throughout the year. Their use will be shown on the calendar to help avoid any clashes of facilities.

Arrival and Departure Procedure

On Arrival

• Can the Nights Away holder or Camp Leader check in with the with the Duty Warden on arrival before pitching on the booked pitch please.
• When hiring a building – the keys will be provided by the Duty Warden along with any current instructions. The Duty Warden will be happy to answer any questions and demonstrate the equipment in the buildings.
• In order to manage traffic on the site, we ask that only vehicles that are staying on site overnight, use the car parking area and it is recommended that leaders meet their young people in the car park where they are dropped off. Parents can help bring kit onto the site however they should be supervised by a warranted leader.
• In line with POR, only adults with an enhanced Scout DBS are permitted overnight on the site. It is the responsibility of the Nights Away Permit holder (NAP) to ensure that all adults have a DBS.

Before you Depart
Please settle all remaining camp fees

• Please ensure the campfire circle is tidy and any wood returned to the wood stores and not left on the concrete or campfire areas.
• Please return any equipment that has been borrowed to the correct storage area, such as pioneering poles, altar fires etc..
• Please help the Duty Warden by ensuring that your site or building is left clean and tidy. Please note that if the oven is not left clean, we will not return your deposit, instead using to pay for the oven to be cleaned.
• Carry out a litter sweep of your areas (items such as tent pegs can harm the mower)
• Please ensure all waste and rubbish is placed in the bins by the main gate.
• Please report any issues/breakages/maintenance issues to the Duty Warden
• The Duty Warden will check all sites and buildings after groups have left. In the unlikely event that additional cleaning is required after hiring, the Gladstone Centre management reserves the right to pass on any additional charges
• We would like all buildings to be vacated by the agreed time with the Duty Warden.
• Please ensure that young people have left Gladstone before the last leader leaves.

Campsite Code

Vehicles (including trailers)

• Please park vehicles in authorised car parks as roads need to be kept clear for emergency vehicle access.  Please park trailers on the designated car parks where possible.
• Please keep to the site speed limit of 5mph
• Camper vans and Caravans are only allowed in the main car park with prior agreement of the Warden

Fires and firewood

• A campfire circle is available as well as several brick-built altar fires.
• There is plenty of dead wood for fires on the ground or in the Wood Stores in the Woodland Area. Please do not cut from standing trees. Firewood is not to be collected from the out of bound areas.
• All fires on the main field must be an alter fire or half barrel a minimum of 30cm off the ground as a matter of safety to prevent grass fires
• Feel free to use the half barrels and stands stored in the locked compound area. The Duty Warden will unlock this on arrival. Please return after use.
• Before disposing of any ashes, please remove all un-burnt litter and put with the relevant rubbish. Please ensure that all fires are totally extinguished and emptied off your camp site before departure

During your stay

• Drinking water is available from the outside tap between the main building and bunkhouse.
• Water is a scarce resource and we ask that washing up is not carried out at the outside tap area.
• Please help us look after the environment by not dropping litter and also picking up any others have dropped.
• To respect campers of all ages, we request that camp is silent between 23:00 and 07:00
• Please ensure that the young people in your charge do not climb the trees as we have not assessed the suitability of our trees for climbing.
• Please respect the camping areas that other groups are using and ensure that shared areas are mutually respected
• The following areas are out of bounds and we request that you brief the members of your party and monitor accordingly
  • The area past the track at the bottom of the woods
  • The Pond Area which is fenced around.
  • The Lodge beyond the Pond Area.
  • The Septic Tank Area in the Woods
  • The surrounding fields (unless on the public footpath).
  • The gas container area adjacent to the car park.
• You are responsible for your group’s safety, first aid and summoning medical assistance should it be required. The Duty Warden can provide telephone support and assistance if required. In addition to your own standard procedures, the Duty Warden must be told of any accidents requiring medical assistance. If a 999 call is made, please ensure the main gate and height barrier is open prior to the arrival of the emergency services and a responsible person is available to direct the emergency teams to where they are required. Any accidents on site must be managed in line with the Scout Associations Purple Card policy
• Please help keep the toilet blocks clean and report any serious problems to the Duty Warden
• Smoking/vaping is not permitted in any building or shelter and should not take place in sight of young people. The designated smoking/vaping area for the site behind the Main Building. Please dispose of fully extinguished butts in a bin.
• Please ensure that any audio equipment is not audible beyond your site
• We value our wildlife, please do not disturb them; we do not allow snaring or trapping of wildlife.
• Alcohol: We follow the principles of the Green Card issued by the Scout Association. Please ensure that all adults are aware of the provisions in the green card and that they are followed. For non-scouting groups, we will provide copies of the green card.

Activities

• Generic risk assessments for the site and buildings are available which will be provided to all groups using the site
• Each Nights Away Permit holder or Camp Leader will be responsible for producing their own written risk assessment for the camp and the safety for all activities that take place on the camp. Flintshire Scout District reserves the right to review these, however the responsibility for managing the safety whilst on the campsite lies with the Nights Away Permit holder or Camp Leader
• It is recommended that leaders are aware of the “Staying Safe” Safety Checklist for scout leaders and that they use this to manage the safety of the young people on the camp
• For any adventurous activities that require a permit under POR, the Nights Away Permit holder or Camp Leader is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate permits or Adventurous Activity licences are in place for these activities. We have a designated site for archery and shooting activities and these can be booked in advance. We can arrange to provide certain activities, with or without equipment by prior arrangement at the time of booking. Please advise in advance if you are carrying out an adventurous activity. The Nights Away Permit holder or Camp Leader is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate parental permissions are obtained for any shooting activities

Safeguarding

• As a Scout run Centre, Bunkhouse and Campsite, we follow the Scouting Safeguarding rules as detailed in the yellow card. All adults who use the Gladstone must be aware of the provisions outlined in the yellow card and any adult staying overnight on the campsite must have a current Scout DBS or in the case of other youth organisations a current Enhanced Disclosure. If wardens become aware of anything that gives rise to a safeguarding concern, they will follow the reporting procedures detailed on the yellow card.

Please note that

• All valuables brought onto site are at the owner’s risk
• Any damage to buildings, site or equipment will be charged for
• Cars are parked at owners’ risk

Individuals or groups not complying with the code of conduct or arrival/departure procedures may be required to leave the site or be declined future bookings.

Most importantly, we hope you have fun whilst at Gladstone, enjoy the surroundings whilst on site and make new friends.

Finally, the Wardens are all unpaid volunteers giving up their time to provide this facility. Please respect them as they work with you to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience at Gladstone. In the, hopefully, unlikely event of any complaints, please raise them with the warden team during your stay. If this cannot be resolved then please raise them the District Commissioner for Flintshire Scouts.