RYA affiliation FAQs
The RYA Strategy, Together on Water seeks to support an inspired, inclusive, and connected community in sailing and boating. We are very aware that the network of RYA affiliated organisations are key enablers to achieve this vision.
There are now greater expectations on organisations who run or facilitate activity (including boating activity) of all shapes and sizes from potential members, regulatory and funding bodies. Therefore, these changes will help our affiliates to meet expectations.
Why is this being introduced?
Whilst the RYA has a record of the types of activity undertaken by our affiliate network, historically we have not had a record of who is participating in that activity, specifically around activity that involves children and adults at risk. Affiliation 2024 has taken great strides in improving this, and affiliation 2025 will again help improve the picture further.
The information provided by your organisation will then allow us to see how we can better support clubs and other affiliated organisations so that they have the most up to date and suitable procedures in place for the activity they deliver.
How do we collect the information?
To make this process as easy as possible we have launched the RYA affiliation Portal. Each RYA affiliate has been provided with a unique profile where they can answer questions and find associated information and resources. The portal also offers the ability for you to manage key contacts and store relevant and useful documentation.
The information stored on the RYA affiliation Portal is only accessible to those with in your affiliate, who have been granted access by your primary contact, and key RYA team members. Any data inputted onto the portal will not be shared to a third party for any reason.
What if we didn’t provide a response for the 2024 renewal?
If you couldn’t complete the affiliation questions before 31 March 2024, don’t worry, please complete the questions for affiliation 2025.
What is the benefit to us and why should we meet these new recommendations?
- These policies and procedures ensure that your organisation knows what to do, should unforeseen incidents happen. This clarity not only protects your organisation but also your volunteers
- By having robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place clearly demonstrates that your organisation is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment
- By ignoring our recommendations, you are placing your organisation at risk in the event of an incident
- Whether you are affiliated or not to the RYA, agencies expect organisations what facilitate activity to have the relevant policies and procedures in place to support that activity
- The affiliation Portal provides organisations with a central storage place to store documents, minutes etc on one platform for those who have access to the portal
- The Portal allows your organisation to share the contact details of your many roles in your organisation, allowing us to share with them information which will better support them in their volunteering role
- this information will be used to reassure the national sports councils that all our affiliates operate in a safe, inclusive environment. In turn, increasing our ability to campaign for the rights of sailors and boaters.
Our vision is to have a connected, inspired, and inclusive sailing and boating community. As an affiliate you are part of this vision. The information you provide will help us to understand our ‘activity’ landscape and inform us how we can better support you going forward.
What are the timescales for the changes?
Access to the questions for affiliation 2025 will start at this autumns RYA Connected Conferences.
All RYA affiliates will be asked to respond to the affiliation questions when they renew each year. The level of recommendations is based on the type and scope of activity delivered.
Affiliation questions
What if we do not want to answer these questions?
All affiliates will be asked to answer these questions every year to renew their affiliation. This will help us to ensure the safety and welfare of our community on the water.
What will the recommendations be for our organisation?
- Those organisations who deliver activity should have proportionate safety management in place
- Those organisations who have children, young people or adults at risk within their community (both in person and online) should have proportionate welfare and safeguarding including Criminal Record Disclosure Checks for regulated activities in place
- An Equality Policy
- A complaint handling process
- Those organisations who race should display the RYA Sail Clean poster in line with the RYA Sail Clean strategy.
The following guidance and templates are available to support affiliates in developing their policies and procedures.
What if we don’t meet all the recommendations?
We are all on a journey together with the changes to RYA affiliation and understand that different organisations have different levels of volunteer support. We will do all we can to support your volunteers in enabling them to put in place our recommendations.
The RYA Connected conferences and forthcoming webinar series have a wealth of workshops on all of the topics to help you meet all of the recommendations to support your organisation.
We hold RYA recognised training centre status, does that replace these recommendations?
Training Centre inspections cover training centre activity, not Affiliate run activity, as such we require all Affiliates to complete the questions, all of which relate to Affiliate run activity.
We complete annual requirements list for Sailability – will this replace this?
No, you still need to complete the annual return for Sailability, but you also need to complete the affiliation process. The information you are asked for in each element is different and shouldn't take long.
We are affiliated through our parent body, do we need to meet these recommendations?
The recommendations relate to organisations directly affiliated with the RYA, not it’s individual members. In the situation of an association of clubs, such as BUSA, holding RYA affiliation we would only need responses from the parent body. However, if your parent body is affiliated to the RYA you are welcome to access the support either online or through our conferences and webinars.Affiliation portal
How do we access the RYA affiliation portal?
The main contact for your affiliated organisation will have been emailed with registration details. Once your main contact has accessed the portal, they will also be able to grant permission for other key contacts at your affiliate to log in and access your profile.
If you are the main contact for your organisation and haven’t received the email, please contact the RYA affiliation team.
What if we forget our RYA affiliation Portal Login?
You can contact the RYA directly through our affiliation team for details on how to reset your login.
How many members of our organisation can use the portal?
The invitation to join the portal has been sent to the main contact that your organisation has provided to the RYA. Once you have followed the sign-up process you will be able to add additional officers, members or staff to the portal.
What will the RYA do with the information we provide?
Information will be stored on each club's portal. Only those you give permission to will have access to your portal. The RYA will use the information to support those venues who may need to develop their policies. Additionally, this information will be used to reassure the national sports councils that all our affiliates operate in a safe, inclusive environment. In turn, increasing our ability to campaign for the rights of sailors and boaters.
Safety Management
What is a safety management system and what needs to be included?
A safety management system is a proactive approach to managing the safety and risks of activities on the water. We have a series of resources and support available to help develop or review current practices and will be covered in more detail at the RYA Connected events.
Equality/Equity Policy
What is an Equality/Equity Policy?
This is a written agreement outlining how RYA affiliated organisations can avoid discriminating against people. This actively creates a safe and inclusive atmosphere for members, customers, or service users.
We are open to all, why do we need an equality policy?
It’s a great step to acknowledge that you are open to all. Equality policies are a great way of making sure that the community within your organisation feels supported. They also ensure that your organisation is in line with anti-discrimination legislation (such as the Equality Act 2010). Equality policies help to prevent discrimination against everybody in your setting, they also provide a platform for concerns to be raised.
Does the RYA have an Equality Policy template we can adopt?
Yes, absolutely! You can find the policy templates within the RYA Community Engagement Guide. You can also contact the RYA Equality Team for support with reviewing and implementing equality policies or call 02380 01 2796 (select option 2 for equality).
Safeguarding
How do we know if we need to have a safeguarding policy and procedure in place?
We encourage all our affiliates to have a strong safeguarding culture within their organisations. Strong safeguarding cultures start with a safeguarding policy which considers the nature of your club, and potential risks.
What experience or qualification should the person responsible for welfare have?
Whilst it may be advantageous to have someone with experience responsible for welfare, we offer a suite of support and development for all our Welfare Officers to support them in their role.
We offer a range of courses and support, both online and in person, helping your Welfare Officers keep up to date with changes in legislation and key safeguarding themes. More information can be found on the safeguarding hub.
Who within our affiliate, should hold a criminal records disclosure check?
Anyone aged 16 years or over deemed to be in ‘regulated activity’, which is defined as teaching, training or supervising children or adults at risk four times or more in any 30-day period or overnight. More information can be found on the safeguarding hub.
Additional information can be found directly on the home country disclosure schemes at DBS, PVG , and AccessNI.
How can we get a criminal record check?
The RYA are umbrella bodies for DBS (disclosure and barring service) in England and Wales and AccessNI in Northern Ireland. Scottish affiliates should contact Volunteer Scotland for PVG checks.
You can email the RYA team or call 02380 012796 ext 1 for safeguarding team and ext 2 for Inclusion team.
Who can we contact for more information on disclosure checks and/or safeguarding recommendations?
You can email the disclosures team or the safeguarding team, or give us a call on 02380 012796 Ext 1.
If you have a safeguarding concern or are looking for specific advice, you can also complete the RYA safeguarding referral form.
We don’t have adults at risk, do we still need a policy to include them?
We would encourage all clubs and centres to have policy and procedures in place. It is possible that we could all be defined as an adult at risk at different points in our lives. For example, due to illness, bereavement, and mental health issues etc. We may all need extra support or sign posting to a safeguarding policy and procedure. A policy provides the foundation to offer support and guidance should a concern arise.
We don’t have a junior membership, but sometimes there are children on site, should we have a safeguarding policy?
Even if you don’t have children and young people regularly accessing the club, we still recommend you have a policy and procedure in place. Of course, one organisations policy which has occasional visits from children will look very different to an organisation that delivers lots of youth activity.
If you have any questions about welfare and safeguarding including Criminal Records Disclosure Checks, creating an inclusive environment, or complaint resolution please email the affiliation team.