Health, safety and volunteers at events

Future for Water is a charitable incorporated organisation, registered charity number 1212554.

Adopted by the trustees 1 August 2026. The trustees will review this policy every three years, and sooner after a serious incident or a significant change in the law or in our activities.

Who this covers: trustees, volunteers, contractors and anyone taking part or attending activities we run.

Health and safety lead: Chris Szweda or a delegate on the day.

We are below the threshold at which an employer must have a written health and safety policy. The trustees have adopted one anyway, because we run public events on a riverbank.

Health and safety

• Risks are assessed before an activity and again on the day. The person leading assesses as they go and stops anything that is not safe. Anyone may raise a concern and any volunteer may stop taking part in something they consider unsafe.

• The River Summit and the community day each have a written assessment covering the site, the water’s edge, structures, power, food, alcohol at the evening event, and crowd numbers. 

• Routine river monitoring is considered as an on the river bank activity and is covered by a standing assessment plus judgement on the day and includes hygiene protocols.

• Future for Water does not currently organise any activity in or on the water. If that changes it needs its own risk assessment and trustee approval before it goes into the programme.

• Where a partner or contractor runs an activity for us, we review their risk assessment and their insurance and they remain responsible for the activity.

• The event lead arranges first aid cover suited to the size of the event and tells everyone where it is.

• Accidents, injuries and near misses are recorded and reported to the trustees. Serious incidents are reported to the Charity Commission, and to the enforcing authority where legally required. 

• Public liability insurance is in place and current before any public event.

• Anyone working near the water follows the water safety arrangements set out in the event assessment.

Volunteers

• Volunteers receive a brief induction on what they are doing, who leads, the relevant health and safety protocols, who the safeguarding contact is, and how to report a problem.

• Volunteers are not asked to do anything they have not agreed to or are not equipped for.

• Volunteers under 18 take part only with the written consent of a parent or carer, are not left in sole charge of an activity, and are not asked to work alone with the public.

• Volunteers are covered by our insurance while carrying out agreed activities.