Customer Charter

Address: LNER Community Stadium, Kathryn Avenue, York, YO32 9AF

Contact number: 01904 624447

E-mail:  [email protected]

Website: www.yorkcityfootballclub.co.uk

CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTACTS

The following club staff are available to answer queries from supporters:

Club Shop

Roxanne Simpson – [email protected]

Roxanne is responsible for the day-to-day running of our Club Shop and oversees all online orders.

Commerical & Hospitality

Pete Sutton – [email protected]

Pete oversees all things club partnerships as well as our excellent match day hospitality packages.

Foundation

Phil Smith – [email protected]

Phil is the lead contact for the club’s brilliant Foundation team, which delivers a wide

range of programmes across the community.

General Enquiries/Supporter Liaison Officer

Steve Dorey – [email protected]

Steve is responsible for safeguarding, fan engagement and inclusion.

Media

Ed Simpson – [email protected]

Ed manages all of the club’s media, including website and official channels, as well as relationships with local and national media outlets.

York Stadium Management Company (SMC)

Responsible for all ticketing, including match tickets and booking parking spaces, security and stadium maintenance.

General enquiries e-mail: [email protected]

Tickets and parking e-mail: [email protected]

Contact number: 01904 950950

Website: www.yorksmc.co.uk

GLL

Responsible for the public-facing part of the stadium complex, including the leisure facilities and car parking.

Tickets and parking e-mail: [email protected]

Contact number: 01904 942255

Website: www.better.org.uk

CGC Event Caterers

Responsible for all food and beverage as well as room bookings at LNER Community Stadium.

E-mail: [email protected]

Contact number: 01132 876387

Website: www.cgceventcaterers.co.uk/

York City FC aims to communicate regularly and openly with its supporters. The primary source of information is the club website and official channels as well as official newsletters. The club will not comment on rumour, speculation or gossip released by other media outlets. This approach is taken to ensure that supporters can be confident of receiving accurate and trustworthy information directly from the club.

The club prides itself on its connection with its supporters and community. We actively encourage comments, constructive criticism and feedback from supporters in the following methods:

• Fans Forums
• Mid- and End of Season Supporter Surveys
• Regular communication via the club’s official channels
• Monthly newsletter
• York City Supporters Trust

York City FC welcomes complaints and praise from all members of our community. Your feedback offers incredible insight and makes a huge contribution in continually developing club resources, processes and practices.

Wherever possible, we request that complaints and praise are submitted via this form so that the club can retain a central record.

Please be aware that York City FC work in partnership with a number of stadium stakeholders for many aspects of our operations, particularly regarding home match days. As such, any feedback will be shared with the relevant stakeholders in order for us to address all comments submitted. In some circumstances, comments may be escalated for another stakeholder to resolve.

York City FC is committed to the continuous improvement of the services it provides. Our policy sets forth that complaints will be:

1. Received positively, treated seriously and in an open manner
2. Acknowledged as soon as possible
3. Investigated thoroughly with the relevant stakeholders e.g. York Stadium Management Company (SMC), GLL, CGC Event Caterers and others as required
4. Resolved, wherever is reasonably possible, within a maximum of 12 weeks
5. An opportunity to inform and develop current processes and practices

No complainant bringing a complaint under this procedure will be treated less favourably by any member of staff or volunteer. If there is evidence to the contrary, the member of staff or volunteer may be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Any supporter who is unsatisfied with the response to their complaint is entitled to refer the matter to The Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO).

Complaints to the IFO should be made in writing using the following details:

Address: The Independent Football Ombudsman, Premier House, 1-5 Argyle Way, Stevenage SG1 2AD

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.theifo.co.uk

York City FC is fully committed to embracing equality and diversity in all of its activities, from activities within the community through the Foundation, through engagement with young players within the Academy, to the hosting of sporting fixtures at The LNER Community Stadium and the operation of the football club as a business organisation.

For the club to operate in a fair and balanced manner across all business activities and community engagements, it is essential that sound foundations of equality and diversity, in the form of policies and procedures and a positive ethos exist. Improved operational performance will be achieved through effective equality and diversity strategies and learning and development for all members of staff and additional stakeholders as is applicable.

The club’s Ground Regulations can be found in full here.

York Stadium Management Company (SMC) take the safety of supporters very seriously. Under a recommendation from a security aspect, we may search supporters at the turnstiles on a matchday. This means that queues may occur prior to entry to the stadium, however we will do all we can to keep things moving. We are requesting that supporters do not bring bags to the stadium to avoid these search processes.

This policy addresses issues such as the importation of alcohol into the stadium, the delivery of potential weapons or pyrotechnics and includes measures to adhere to in order to prevent terrorism incidents.

The policy can be found in full here.

The club’s Ticketing Policy can be found in full here.

York City FC sells a wide range of merchandise which is available in store at LNER Community Stadium and online, with the option for international delivery, via our website.

This policy has been designed to ensure the secure handling, storage and processing of lost and found property at York City FC fixtures at LNER Community Stadium. The policy aims to ensure that lost property is held safely and reunited with the owner wherever possible and when not possible that the property is disposed of

in a fair manner. Property is defined in terms of its classification and value and treated appropriately, as detailed in the guidelines and definitions below.

Property is classified as follows:

Lost property: an item which the owner/keeper has lost without knowing where but wishes to recover it.

Mislaid property: an item which the owner has inadvertently left in a location and wishes to recover it.

Found property: an item not belonging to the finder that has either been lost or mislaid by the owner, or can be treated as abandoned property.

If property is found:

Any and all items of property are to be handed in to the York City FC office at their earliest convenience. Items will be logged centrally by club staff to provide an accurate record of current lost property.

Items of property will be kept for 30 days after the final home match of the playing season in which they are found. Should any item not be claimed by this stage, it will be disposed of.

If property is lost:

Please complete this form to let us know the details of the item(s) you have lost so that we can review the central log and contact you if the item(s) has been handed in.

As part of the Club’s policy of serving the local community, York City FC are pleased to support non-profit organisations. The club wants to support charities and voluntary organisations and understands the importance of their fund-raising efforts, and a small number of local organisations are selected to be the club’s official Charity Partners for each season.

However, every year the club receives a high volume of requests for one-off worthwhile causes and events. Due to this demand, the club has an agreed limit on donations each season and cannot guarantee that all requests will be granted and, if awarded, we will only donate match day tickets.

All match day tickets are provided through York City FC Foundation’s annual community ticket allocation, which are provided to add value to existing programmes delivered in partnership with local schools, youth groups, and grassroots clubs as well as to engage potential new supporters. To find out more about York City FC Foundation’s work, please click here.

To make this process as fair as possible and to ensure that all requests can be processed, we have put together the following guidelines for organisations to follow:

• We give preference to locations within which the YCFC Foundation Team operate or organisations with whom the Foundation may already work
• The donations cannot benefit specific individuals or families and must be for a registered charity or UK based charitable We will not support overseas organisations or fundraising for overseas trips.
• Cash donations/sponsorship will not be
• Development of grassroots football and the benefit of young people will be given preferential treatment.
• Requests from York and the surrounding areas will take preference, as well as locations within which the YCFC Foundation Team operate or organisations they may already engage with.
• Limited to one donation per calendar year for each
• The donations cannot benefit specific individuals or
• Requests must be for a registered charity or UK based charitable/voluntary/not for profit We will not support overseas organisations or fundraising for overseas trips.
• As donations take the form of matchday tickets, we are unable to accept any requests and provide support for any events from mid-April to mid-July each year.

All requests are subject to club approval and are not guaranteed and will not be considered unless the above criteria can be met.

In order to be considered, donation requests must be submitted in the following manner:

• At least four weeks prior to the date of the
• Providing information about the group/charity the funds are being raised
• Stating the date and details of the fundraising

To make a request, please complete this short form. Once received, all applications are reviewed on at least a monthly basis after which you will be notified by e-mail as to whether you have been successful or not.

Throughout each season, we are sadly informed of the deaths of many supporters, as well as former players, managers, and club officials. We understand how important the club is to our community, and for many families who lose a family member they are keen to acknowledge the role that York City played in their loved one’s life.

Many of the messages received by the club are accompanied by requests for tributes to be paid on a matchday, in the form of a minute’s applause or silence, amongst other suggestions, at a first-team match. Whilst we would love to accommodate every single request, due to the sheer volume we receive it is regrettably not possible to formally grant each one. However, the club does reserve the right to make alternative arrangements based on individual requests.

The club will instead honour those Minstermen no longer with us with a minute’s silence at the first home match of the calendar year.

Supporters are invited to continue to send their Stadium Announcements Requests for specific matches. We will include as many of these as possible in our match day programme where space allows due to existing commercial and sponsorship agreements.

We believe that every child has the right to protection from the abuse and exploitation. Safeguarding and protection of all children is everyone’s responsibility. York City FC believes that it is always unacceptable for any child to experience abuse of any kind and recognises its responsibility to safeguard and protect the welfare of all children. By adhering to our safeguarding policies, procedures and processes we will do everything possible to safeguard children at our club, affiliated teams and within our Community Club Organisation (CCO).

How to Report a Concern

• If the child is in danger or injured, then call the emergency services.
• If you receive an allegation, or have suspicion, or disclosure of poor practice or Report this to your DSO directly or via this form.
• DSO will gather the relevant information and inform the EFL and/or County FA DSO so that a decision can be made as to who should investigate the matter or escalate to the FA Safeguarding Case Management Team should the matter meet the
• DSO to submit an incident form within 24 hours and send to CFA

Please be aware that on first team home match days, safeguarding concerns may be reported to York Stadium Management Company (SMC) in the first instance. In such instances, SMC will contact the club DSO to attend any incident in person. A match day safeguarding log is maintained for all home fixtures and any incidents arising will be discussed at the weekly multi-stakeholder debrief meeting.

Possible outcomes:

Report a Safeguarding Concern to York City FC

York City FC | Report a Safeguarding Concern Form

Whistleblowing in a safeguarding context means revealing and raising concerns over misconduct or malpractice within an organisation, or with an independent structure associated with it.

It can be used as an early warning system or when it’s recognised that appropriate actions have not been taken. This approach or policy is adopted in many different walks of life.

Any adult or young person with concerns about colleagues conduct towards a child, young person or adult at risk can also use whistle blowing by contacting the people and organisation as listed below.

The law provides protection for those who raise legitimate concerns about specified matters, known as qualifying disclosures. A qualifying disclosure is one made in the public interest if an employee has a reasonable belief that one of the following has taken place:

• fraud and/or money
• a bribe, offered or
• a criminal
• a miscarriage of
• an act creating risk to health and
• an act causing damage to the
• breach of any laws, regulations, other legal obligations or The FA Group’s policies or procedures; or
• other serious risk that threatens clients, colleagues, the public, the environment, or The FA Group’s reputation; and
• concealment of any of the above; is being, has been, or is likely to be It is not necessary for you to have proof that such an act is being, has been, or is likely to be, committed – a reasonable belief is sufficient. Please be aware that you have no responsibility for investigating the matter as it is The FA Group’s responsibility to ensure that an investigation takes place.

If you have reported a safeguarding concern about a child or an adult at risk and feel that it has not been dealt with correctly, there are a number of organisations you can and should escalate your concern to. This the same if you wish to raise a concern around the behaviour or actions of someone which could lead to potential repercussions against you within you club environment. This whistleblowing policy affords you the chance to get the correct outcome without the risk of it coming back on you from within the club.

Reporting a Concern Reporting Forms

York City FC | Report a Safeguarding Concern – Fill in form York City FC | Whistleblowing Form – Fill in form