Victoria Playing Fields Football Club (VPFC) are an FA Accredited club. Our affiliation number with the FA is Y-HER5083 and our Organisation ID is: 81541.
VPFC Terms and Conditions 📜
Victoria Playing Fields FC operates under a clear set of Terms & Conditions to ensure smooth running, safety, and fairness for all members. These outline key policies on membership, attendance, cancellations, subscription fees, and player conduct.
By becoming a member of VPFC, you acknowledge and accept these Terms & Conditions.
💾 Download the full VPFC Terms & Conditions document below:
Policies
We are committed to adhering to the FA’s template policies and recommended best practices. As part of our effort to become an FA Accredited Club, we ensure all our policies reflect the highest standards of governance and club management. You can find our key policies below.
Club Welfare Officer
VPFC’s Club Welfare Officer (CWO) is Chris Whalley. Should any club member have any concerns about the welfare of a child or the behaviour of an adult towards a child or young person, please use the contact below:
- Club Welfare Officer – Chris Whalley
- Tel: 07843 422 327
- Email: whalleychris@hotmail.com
Chris has kids at the club so you can usually find on the field, if you would prefer to speak him in person.
If a child or young person is in immediate danger, ALWAYS call 999
Safeguarding Additional Routes for Support
If you feel your report about poor practice or abuse has been ignored or insufficient action has been taken, you can contact the County FA designated Safeguarding Officer, Gemma Chaffey on:
- Tel: 01462 650215 / 07538 990836
- Email: safeguarding@hertfordshirefa.com
Alternatively you can email the nationwide FA safeguarding team directly via:
- Email: safeguarding@thefa.com
- Tel: 0800 169 1863 (extension 6300 or 6400).
Other useful resources include:
Childline 24 hour free service on Tel: 0800 1111, www.childline.org.uk
If the matter is urgent and you cannot contact your club or County FA designated safeguarding officer, you can call The NSPCC 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 5000 – or if it is an emergency because a child or children are at immediate risk, then call the police or children’s social care in the area.
If you are concerned that someone may be behaving inappropriately or seeking to groom a child in an online environment, then please contact the Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre (CEOP) www.ceop.police.uk/ which takes you directly to the team at the National Crime Agency, as well as informing your County FA or The FA via safeguarding@thefa.com
Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
VPFC has taken the decision to adopt the FA Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures template in full. The policy is designed to be adapted to include details specific to the club, which we have done, including VPFC and Herts FA details. You will find the document through the link below. (NB: you may need to download Acrobat to view depending on your device)
FA Anti-Bullying Policy
The FA offers an Anti-Bullying Policy which VPFC adopts in full. The policy references our CWO as contact. You can find our CWO’s contact details above. The CWO will listen to and take seriously any instance of bullying raised. (NB: you may need to download Acrobat to view depending on your device)
FA Equality Policy
It was central to our foundation, is a core part of our ethos, and is within the first lines of our website introduction today, that VPFC is an inclusive club, welcoming primary school aged children to play football.
Accordingly, we are fully committed to the FA’s Equalities Policy and hope to be a standard bearer in broadening access to football in the area.
You can download and read the policy here
FA Respect Code of Conduct
VPFC is fully committed to upholding the principles of respect, integrity, and sportsmanship both on and off the field. As part of our efforts to create a positive and inclusive environment for all players, coaches, and supporters, we have adopted the FA Respect Code of Conduct.
This code outlines the standards of behaviour we expect from everyone involved in our club. It emphasises respect for all participants, adherence to the rules, and the promotion of fair play and high standards of behaviour. By following this code, we aim to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and supportive atmosphere for our community.
We encourage all members and volunteers to download and familiarise themselves with the FA Respect Code of Conduct.
FA Football Leadership Diversity Code
At VPFC, we are committed to upholding the principles of the FA Football Leadership Diversity Code.
We confirm this commitment annually within the FA Whole Game System, which is used to manage our club details and safeguarding compliance.
The code is detailed in the attached document, and we encourage all volunteers and members to download and read it to understand our dedication to diversity and inclusion in football leadership.
The Grassroots Code (Youth Football)
From the 2025/26 season the FA requires every Accredited club to adopt The Grassroots Code – a concise, child-friendly set of standards covering enjoyment, respect, inclusion, teamwork and safeguarding.
VPFC’s committee unanimously approved the Code on 12 May 2025. We now ask every player, parent and coach to read it and uphold the standards at all sessions and fixtures.
Club Policy – Messaging Platform
Why VPFC Uses Signal for Club Communications
| Reason | What it means for our members |
|---|---|
| 1. Alignment with our values | VPFC is a community, not-for-profit club. Using a non-profit messaging service mirrors that ethos far better than relying on commercial, data-driven platforms. |
| 2. Diversifying the digital landscape | Healthy competition matters. Choosing Signal is a small, practical way to avoid further concentrating data and influence in the hands of a few US tech giants when a genuine alternative exists. |
| 3. Privacy first | Signal is end-to-end encrypted by default and run by an independent foundation. It collects almost no personal data and shares none with advertisers. |
| 4. Innovation & reliability | Signal pioneered features (reactions, disappearing messages) later copied elsewhere. It remains fast, secure and free on iOS, Android and desktop. |
| 5. Simplicity once installed | Download → verify your number → pin the app. Day-to-day use feels identical to WhatsApp: open the chat, type, tap send. |
| 6. One club, one channel | Standardising on a single platform avoids fragmented conversations and ensures every coach, parent and committee member knows exactly where to find VPFC information. |
How to join:
- Install Signal – Private Messenger from the App Store / Google Play.
- Tap the invite link your team admin sends. That’s it.
Responsible Use of Social Media
As the use of phones amongst young people is on the rise, please see below the recommended practice around social networks. VPFC’s social presence is managed by the Club’s communication officer with regular ongoing monitoring and this is regularly reviewed alongside current trends in social media use.
Emergency Procedures
Risk Assessments
- Victoria Playing Fields, St Albans
- The Brickie, St Albans
- Aboyne Lodge Playing Fields, St Albans
- Harpenden Rugby Club, Harpenden
Other Codes of Practice
In addition here are a number of our other codes of practice:
GDPR:
When parents, guardians or players register for the first time with the club personal information is collected. This information is collected, kept confidential, and held securely through the Pitchero system. The information collected is predominantly contact information, including for emergency contact, and means of identifying the individual eg emails, contact numbers, date of birth. Optionally members can opt to provide medical information, address, gender, etc.
Over the course of members time with the club we augment the information by assigning roles to parents or guardians who become involved with the club, recording communication from and to the club, and we also retain a record of purchases made such that we can track who has paid for subscriptions or services.
The club asks team managers to continually review member information held about their teams and remove any members who have left the club. Members can also choose to log in to pitchero and delete their own account at any time. The club runs until children complete Year 6 at primary school. Prior to the commencement of the following season all departing Year 6 accounts are removed from the pitchero system.
To facilitate effective and timely communication about training sessions or other events during the year managers, coaches, parents and guardians may find other means of communication convenient. Examples would include Whatsapp, Facebook, Text Message. Engagement is always at the discretion of the individual who is free to withdraw from groups or stop following the team or group – as applicable to the platform – at any time using the inbuilt functionality within the platform.
First Aid:
As an FA Accredited club we are required to have at least one coach who has completed FA Introduction to First Aid in each group.
We provide each team with a First Aid kit and this can be used for non-emergency situations, such as providing plasters for cuts or scrapes, during sessions.
In the case of more serious medical emergency, we will engage the emergency services on 999 and be guided by the operator.
Ratios:
We adhere to Ofsted adult to child ratios whereby one adult to every eight children up to the age of eight years old and one adult to every ten children for those over 8 years old.
Photography:
We make it a priority to obtain explicit consent for photography from parents or guardians for themselves and their children. This consent covers the use of photographs for promotional and educational purposes, including on the club’s website, social media channels, and marketing materials. We adhere to the FA’s guidelines on photography and safeguarding in all our practices.
On an ongoing basis and as VPFC grows, we will look use many more of the FA’s best practice guidelines and policies which can be found here.
Club Rules and Annual Plan
Club Rules
At VPFC, we strive to uphold the highest standards of conduct and organization within our club. To ensure consistency, transparency, and alignment with best practices in grassroots football, we have adopted the FA Club Rules template.
This template provides a comprehensive framework for club operations, including governance, membership, conduct, and disciplinary procedures. By adhering to these established guidelines, we ensure that our club runs smoothly, fairly, and in the best interests of all our members.
Our commitment to these rules reflects our dedication to maintaining a well-managed and inclusive environment for everyone involved in VPFC. We encourage all members, coaches, and volunteers to familiarize themselves with the FA Club Rules, which you can download and read here.
VPFC Development Plan 2024/25
At VPFC, we are committed to continuous improvement and development to provide the best possible experience for our players, coaches, and community. Our Development Plan for the season outlines our strategic goals and the steps we will take to achieve them.
You can download and read the full plan here:
VPFC grows mainly through word of mouth. If you’re happy to recommend us, here are ready-to-share leaflets and images. They’re intentionally “timeless” (no dates, coach names or prices), so you can post them on school parent chats, notice boards or community groups whenever you like.
Download & share:
– A4 Flyer (PDF)
– Social Media Tile (PNG)
Please don’t alter the artwork or add personal data before sharing. If you spot anything that needs updating, let us know rather than editing locally—so we keep a single, accurate version.
Insurance
As an FA-affiliated club, VPFC participates in the FA’s group-purchase insurance scheme. For the 2025/26 season, this is provided by Sportsguard.
The cover includes:
- Public Liability Insurance – Cover for the club, its officers, coaches, and members against claims made for injury to third parties or damage to property arising from club activities.
- Personal Accident Insurance – Benefits for players, coaches, and officials injured during official club activities, including training and matches. Cover extends to permanent disability, temporary total disablement, and other specified injuries.
- Death Benefit – A lump sum payable to the next of kin in the event of accidental death occurring during official club activities.
This cover applies to players, coaches, and officials who are recorded as VPFC members — either via the FA Club Portal (for league players) or Pitchero (for Skills players) — and who are participating in official club activities.
If you ever need to make a claim under this cover, please use our FA Affiliation Number (shown at the top of this page) to identify VPFC and confirm our status as an affiliated club.
You can view the full policy documents here: