The goals of Bristol Girls Surf Club are to provide a supportive and empowering community for anyone who identifies as a woman or non-binary, to promote the club within the local community, to promote the sport of surfing amongst women, and to create opportunities for members to participate in organised surfing events and activities.

In order to ensure this club remains safe and respectful, we ask that you read and adhere to the guidelines that follow:

General Community Guidelines

1. Treat others with respect and kindness.
2. Create a welcoming space for each other - all boards, all bodies and all abilities.
3. Be tolerant of the opinions of others - we may not always agree with each other, but we can always be respectful.
4. When offering advice, please be constructive and helpful - we all have different levels of surf experience and local knowledge.
5. We have zero tolerance of homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, racism, religious intolerance, sexism, ableism, ageism, body shaming, harassment, gatekeeping, bullying and all other forms of non-acceptance and hate speech. 

Online Community Guidelines

1. Please be aware that individuals on BGSC community chats are not verified. Be careful and keep this in mind if you plan to organise unofficial meet-ups.
2. Report anyone that is making you feel uncomfortable or unsafe to community admins immediately.
3. Do not post excessively. Be mindful that you are sharing the online communities with up to 2000+ people. On WhatsApp, please use relevant chats (‘Skateboarding’, ‘Porthcawl meet-ups’ etc.) when appropriate.
4. We have lots of talented individuals in the club and we’re keen for our community to share the things they are working on. Promotion of events/services/products are only allowed if they are relevant to the community (e.g. surf related/adjacent) and are being hosted by an individual/group within BGSC. If directly relevant, individuals may post sparingly about events/services/products. If you are deemed to be spamming the chat or your events/services/products posts are not relevant, your posts will be removed. 
5. On WhatsApp, if there is a chat that is related to your event/service/product, please post there instead of in the main Bristol Girls Surf Club chat. (e.g. if your event is about skateboarding, please post in the ‘Skateboarding’ chat)
6. Do not post any spam or irrelevant content.

If you do not abide by the community guidelines, you may be removed from the online community and/or the club as a whole.

The club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures. 

LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Statement

Bristol Girls Surf Club acknowledges that each part of the LGBTQIA+ community can face different forms of adversity, sometimes resulting in them not feeling welcome in the surfing community. BGSC wants to make explicitly clear that this club is welcoming of all Transgender, Non-Binary, Intersex and Gender Diverse people.

As part of this the club is examining how barriers to attendance for these groups can be reduced or removed in their entirety. We are dedicated to continuing to learn and grow as a club to ensure we are always prioritising inclusivity. This includes the nomination of a LGBTQIA+ representative, who is a point of contact for additional support, or any questions or concerns you may have about attending any BGSC events or trips. Matilda Jackson (our Director of Operations) is the designated point of contact, and is part of the LGBTQIA+ community herself. Please feel free to reach out to her directly through WhatsApp, our website contact form, or through social media.

As part of promoting an inclusive culture within BGSC, when meeting new people we encourage you to share your pronouns and ask for theirs. If you are ever unsure of someone’s gender please check with them instead of guessing. However, sometimes mistakes are made and if you do accidentally misgender someone the best thing to do is simply apologise, correct yourself and move on. Additionally, if you hear someone else be misgendered we encourage you to politely and kindly correct the person who made the mistake. The ocean is for everyone, trans people included!