Child Protection Policy

Child Protection Policy

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The chess world has a simple policy, easily understood. Everyone connected with any junior club who takes a volunteering role must undergo child protection training and be Garda Vetted. This is our policy in Blanchardstown. There are no exceptions to our policy.

We do ask parents/guardians to volunteer to be team captains and to be on club committees; and to help with the parent rota.

What is involved to be a club volunteer?

You attend two short training sessions on child protection training in Blanchardstown Village [held  in evenings, approximately 2 hours involved at a time that suits you or more recently, after Covid, these are held online]; and you also complete a Garda Vetting form [this simply asks for your present and previous addresses]. We simply cannot exist as a club unless we enough club volunteers to supervise our activities safely. For example, we have 10 teams of children [40 children] who all want to play in chess leagues, but unless we have 10 adults to act as club volunteers for them, they cannot play in league matches under Leinster Chess Union rules.

So, Mariada, [our club child protection officer] will ask that you act as a club volunteer, and we hope you can agree to do that. It is simply a huge benefit to your child, and the other children in the club, if you are willing to be a volunteer in the club.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

John,

Junior Club coach