We Grow Policies and Terms & Conditions

 

We Grow Collective CIC is a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee and bound by its Memorandum and Articles of Associations. The company number is 14279132.

A guide to this set of Policies and Terms & Conditions:

“Growing Group” : A Landowner offering to share their land with people interested in joining a growing group (Joiners). We Grow are only involved in the connecting of Landowners with interested potential Joiners. The growing activities happen after We Grow has done the work of connecting members of the group.

“Landowner” : Someone who is offering to share their land for people to grow food together. A Landowner may choose to be part of the Growing Group, or they may choose to just offer their land and instead of being part of the Growing Group, they may ask to receive a weekly veg box from the group, in exchange for use of the land.

“Joiner” : Someone who joins a Growing Group on a Landowner’s land.

“Funded Project” : A specific project that We Grow has obtained funding which the We Grow team oversees in terms of organising, as well as teaching the group how to grow food onsite.

“Project Organsier” : We Grow team member who organises the Funded Projects.

“Gardener” : We Grow team member who teaches groups at the Funded Projects how to grow food.

 

Health & Safety

Funded Projects

We Grow’s Health & Safety Policy is in place to ensure that Funded Projects run safely. The Project Organiser will ensure that at least one qualified first aider is on site during sessions (from the We Grow team or from the partner project) and that the Gardener is able to maintain a safe environment by:

• Establishing, maintaining and evaluating appropriate procedures, policies and risk assessments.
• Ensure the provision of sufficient information on instruction for all adults so that they can contribute to their own health and safety, and that of any children that they are responsible for.
• Establish all emergency procedures, including the reporting and recording of procedures.
• Show that risk assessments and pre-site visits take place before adults and children are permitted onto the site. Risk assessments will be held safely in the Health & Safety folder.
• Ensure alternative plans are in place should a planned activity be compromised by health and safety concerns.
• Ensure that We Grow Gardeners leading sessions are aware of their responsibilities towards the participants, in terms of health and safety and in terms of risk assessment.
• Investigate any accidents and use information gathered to inform future risk assessment and policy making.
• Ensure all members of the Funded Project groups maintain their own and others’ health and safety, by involving them in the risk assessment process at appropriate opportunities.
• Ensure that tools and safety equipment is in good working order and is used appropriately.

Growing Groups

We Grow accepts no responsibility for the growing activities, health and safety and risk assessment in Growing Groups. This is because the service from We Grow ends once we have connected Landowners with Joiners and the “Starting your Growing Group: A Guide” document has been sent to the Landowner and the Joiners. As soon as growing activities commence in a Growing Group, it is the Joiners and Landowner that are responsible to discuss and agree with each other how they will ensure their own and each others’ health and safety. There are suggestions for this in the “Starting your Growing Group: A Guide” document.

 

Privacy

The privacy and security of your personal information is very important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how and why we use your personal data, to make sure we can complete our service and you can be confident about giving us your information.

Data you share with us: At We Grow the use of personal data any information which identifies you, or which can be identified as relating to you personally (for example name, address, phone number, e-mail address) will be collected by us and only used by us. We will only collect the personal data that we need. We do not share data and people can opt out at any time.

No data will be passed on to any third parties. Any data will be stored securely both on paper and computer.

When joining We Grow via our website, you will be asked on a Joining Form to enter your name, e-mail address and phone number. We use your information to contact you about your land, or a growing group you would like to join, or land you would like to view. We will only use your information to do this if you have filled out our Joining Form.

Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of people who have special access rights to such systems and are required to keep the information confidential.

We do not put Landowners’ names or addresses on our interactive web website map. Land listings are referred to by a numerical code.

Once the We Grow team has looked through a Joiner’s form and confirmed that their preferences match the Landowner’s preferences, we pass the Joiner’s phone number to the Landowner, so that they can arrange a suitable time for a visit, to view the land and chat between themselves.

Landowners make a personal choice to give out their address to Joiners that We Grow put them in touch with. It is a Landowners’ choice who they give their address to and who they choose to invite to view their land.

It is also a Landowner’s choice who they would like to accept to join a Growing Group attending growing activities regularly on their land, and a Joiner’s choice whether they accept a Landowner’s offer for them to join.

Third party disclosure: We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. We do not include or offer third party products or services on our website.

 

Your Rights

In relation to data about you, for which we are the data controller, the GDPR requires us to inform you of the rights listed below:

• You have the right to ask us for access to and ratification or erasure of, personal data or restriction of processing.
• You have the right to object to processing information on the basis of Legitimate Interests.
• You have the right to data portability for the data that you provided about yourself on the basis of Consent of Contract.
• You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing.
• You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
• You can find more information about these rights on the website of the Information Commissioner’s Office.
• If you require a copy of our Legitimate Interests Assessment (LIA) ((updated may 2018)), please contact us via wegrowcic@proton.me

This policy was updated in ((may 2018))

 

GDPR

We are relying on Legitimate Interests, which means that:

• We are using a targeted and proportionate way of achieving our purpose.
• We take on extra responsibility for ensuring people’s rights and interests are fully considered and protected.
• Legitimate Interests means that we use data in ways that people would reasonably expect and that have a minimal privacy impact.
• We rely on Legitimate Interests for marketing activities having a proportionate and minimal privacy impact, would not be likely to surprise will be objected to.
• The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) regulates compliance with data protection legislation and can provide you with independent and impartial advice and guidance.

Cookie policy

Cookies are tiny text files which are stored on your computer cookies and are useful for remembering whether you visited the site. Cookies do not harm your computer.

The use of cookies on this website: We do not use cookies to collect or record information such as your name, address or payment details. We use cookies on this website for the following main purposes:

• For technical purposes essential for the operation of this website.
• To distinguish you from other users of this website.
• To collect statistical information about how visitors use this website, so we can improve the way this website works and measure the success of campaigns.
• Most web browsers automatically accept cookies. Unless you have adjusted your browser settings so that it will refuse cookies, cookies will be sent when you access his website. By using this website, you consent to cookies being used in accordance with this cookie policy. If you do not consent, you must either disable cookies or refrain from using this website.

If you would like to learn more about cookies in general, you can visit www.allaboutcookies.org or if you have any questions about our cookie policy, you can contact us by sending an e-mail to wegrowcic@proton.me

 

Terms and conditions

Please read these Terms & Conditions carefully before completing your Joining Form. Once a completed Joining Form has been accepted by We Grow, the person named on the form will have entered a binding contract on the basis of these Terms & Conditions.

1. Agreement:

On the basis these Terms & Conditions arise upon the fulfilment of all of the following: receipt by We Grow of a properly completed Joining Form, accompanied by the payment to join (if there is a payment, unless joining a Funded Project) and clearance of the payment into the bank account.

We Grow reserves the right to refuse a person joining, without the need to give reason. In such a circumstance, any payment accompanying the joining form will be refunded.

In Funded Projects, the agreement is between We Grow and the person applying to join and is the sole agreement between these two parties. In Growing Groups, the agreement is between We Grow and the Landowner or Joiner and is the sole agreement between these two parties.

2. Booking onto a Funded Project:

By completing the Application to join a Funded Project form, you are applying to join a Funded Project. Once We Grow has responded to this and accepted you to join the project, you will need to read, complete and sign a Joining Form. At this point, you enter an agreement with We Grow and you are committing to be part of the group. If for any reason during the course of the Funded Project you choose to leave, we ask respectfully for at least 2 weeks’ notice, in order for our team to find someone to take your place in the group.

3. Payment from Landowners and Joiners:

Upon receiving your payment or payment instalments to join We Grow, it is understood that you will have entered into a contract with We Grow in terms of us supporting you to find people to share your land (Landowners) or finding a Growing Group to join (Joiners). The contract includes the We Grow team connecting people with each other, offering written and verbal suggestions and support in finding and forming a Growing Group, and sharing Joiners’ phone numbers with Landowners. At the point of sharing this phone number, the responsibility is handed over to Landowners and Joiners to communicate, discuss and decide with each other as to whether they will form a Growing Group.

4. Amendments or Cancellations:

We Grow endeavours to accommodate amendments for people applying to join a Funded Project, and we will endeavour to support Landowners’ and Joiners’ needs, however, we cannot guarantee that it will be possible to refund anyone who changes their mind after having joined a group.

In the event that a Joiner leaves a Growing Group, as the work of connecting members of a group together will have already been done and our team already paid for their time, we would not refund the joining fee. However, we offer to support the person to find another Growing Group and we also offer to act as a mediator between Landowners and Joiners, if that is helpful. We would not charge for mediation time, out of goodwill. We can offer this up to maximum of 3 hours of our team’s time.

5. Force Majure:

We Grow will not be liable to pay any compensation if we are forced to cancel or make changes to any aspect of a Funded Project due to circumstances beyond our control which we or our partners could not have reasonably foreseen. Such circumstances include, but are not restricted to, war or threats of war, terrorist activity, riots or civil strife, industrial disputes, natural or nuclear disasters, fire, bad weather, closure of airports, ports or stations, cancellation or charges in schedules by air, land or sea carriers.

6. Insurance:

We Grow has the full 5 million public liability insurance.

7. Complaints:

In the event that participants of Funded Projects wish to raise a complaint, we would appreciate that it is brought to the attention of the Gardener leading the sessions, during or after the group sessions. This is so that corrective action can be taken as soon as the complaint is raised.

However, should the problem not be resolved, a complaint should be made in writing within 28 days about the raising of the complaint to the Project Organiser. To the extent permitted by law, We Grow would not be liable in respect of claims first intimated later than 28 days from the raising of the initial complaint.

8. Photo consent form:

By signing the photo and video consent section of the Joining Form for a Funded Project, that person allows We Grow the right to use photos, videos, voice clips and quotes for publishing, funding bids, or any other need we deem necessary. This is for material in print, as part of our newsletters, or on our website or social media posts. Completion of the photo consent form is optional. For Growing Groups, We Grow asks all groups to send photos and videos of their growing activities, to contribute to our website, newsletters and social media. It is a personal choice for people to send these in, and in sending these to our team, we assume consent to these being used for our publicity.

9. Medical Consent and Personal Safety

People applying to join a Funded Project are asked to advise us of medical issues or health issues on their Joining Form. This allows us to be sensitive to your needs. The gardening sessions are attended at your own risk; by signing the agreement on the Joining Form, you are agreeing that you are responsible for your own well-being and if you are bringing children with you, the well-being of your children. Participants must expect to be involved in the physical activity of gardening. No previous training or experience is required, but you must be of good general health.

We can take no responsibility in the event of any ailment or aggravation of ailments suffered either during or after the sessions which arises from an undeclared injury or illness. We Grow states that outdoors and land based activities are potentially dangerous and the use of tools on these plots and sites may cause harm. Whilst we alert participants to these possible dangers, it is impossible to list all such hazards and dangers.

Participants agree they’re fully aware that there may be risks involved during a We Grow Funded Project or during the time gardening, even under the safest conditions.

Whilst we take every effort possible to minimise risk and ensure a safe environment, participants hereby agree to accept full responsibility for themselves and their children, and assume all risks, including those caused by acts of God, of injury, death and or lost to his or her person under property, are taken knowingly and voluntarily.

The responsibility of medical wellbeing and personal safety is different in the situation of Growing Groups. In this situation, the agreement is between members of the group (Joiners) and the person who owns or is the legal custodian of, the land (Landowners). We Grow takes no responsibility for the gardening activities of Growing Groups; this is because the service for We Grow begins when a person signs up to join We Grow, and the service ends when the person has found a Growing Group.

We Grow is an introductory and support service, but we do not decide or oversee how groups organise themselves or how they choose to carry out their gardening activities together. It is the responsibility of the Landowner and the Joiners to discuss medical wellbeing and their own needs, and to discuss and decide ways to mitigate any risks of working on the land, the tools shared and the activities at the plot, when they decide to join together in their Growing Group. We Grow offers suggestions to groups as to self-organising in the aforementioned pack.

We Grow does ask on the initial Joining Form whether Joiners have additional needs; this is so that we can filter the pieces of land which may be suitable or unsuitable for Joiners to view. Ultimately, it is the Joiners and Landowners responsibilities to discuss their own needs and risks, when a Joiner visits and views a piece of land.

10. Behaviour at Funded Projects:

We reserve the right to exclude any participant before or after a Funded Project starts, if we have not been fully advised regarding personal issues details, and if in the opinion of the Gardener or Project Organiser, his/ her/ their behaviour is incompatible with other participants or with the activities during the sessions.

In Growing Groups, We Grow supports people in their process of connecting with each other, but as our service is to connect people and to offer suggestions, we do not oversee the smaller aspects of the ways the parties communicate, whether people reply to one another, nor the tone that people use with one another. This is peoples’ own responsibility.

11. Sponsors

Anyone is free to donate money to We Grow, to support the work of the CIC. If a company or business is interested in sponsoring We Grow, a conversation needs to happen between the company and We Grow first, before we would agree to displaying a logo on our website or mention the company in our publicity. We Grow will only accept sponsorship from companies that align with our values and ethics, and whose values and ethics we support.

12. Changes to this Agreement

We Grow reserves the right to update the Terms & Conditions at any time, without notice. In the event that these are updated, each person attending a Funded Project will receive a copy within 5 working days. For Growing Groups, updated Terms & Conditions can be found on our website.

Last Updated July 2024