Overview

Please note that our policies have been adjusted to meet the regulations regarding social distancing and will be regularly reviewed and amended in the light of any changes to this.  The following should be read alongside the policies for Diversity and Safeguarding and the Covid 19 risk assessment for all groups using Yaxley Public Hall and to which we adhere.  

Membership

YAPY (Yaxley Amateur Players Youth) is affiliated to Yaxley Amateur Players.  This ensures that YAPY can benefit from the Public Liability Insurance provided to Yaxley Amateur Players.  In addition, Yaxley Public Hall has Public Liability Insurance and the group is subject to their policies and procedures.  

YAPY membership is for anyone aged between 6 and 16 years of age.  Anyone who joins prior to their 16th birthday will have the option to remain until they are 18 years of age.  The group does not accept applications for membership from anyone over the age of 16.  Instead they are encouraged to join the adult group of YAP.  

Payment

Following the Covid 19 crisis, in order to comply with high safety standards, the group is moving to a different system of payment.  In future:

• All payments will be in advance by Direct Debit on a monthly basis starting from when the group re-starts.  
• If payments become more than one month overdue, we will contact you to discuss this. 
• If you wish to give notice, in order to avoid incurring further charges, please do so within 2 working days of your payment leaving your account.   The notice period is 4 weeks/1 month; failure to give notice within the aforementioned two day period may result in a further full month’s payment being taken, at the discretion of the group.  
• YAPY does not meet during the school holidays., however, we do sometimes hold additional sessions.  In order to ensure these are covered, payments will be for a total of 40 weeks per year.   Spread over 12 months this will amount to:

First child £6.67 per month

Siblings £5.00 per month 

Club Ethos 

Yaxley Amateur Players Youth section has a membership aged between 6 and 16 (18 in the case of children who joined prior to their 16th birthday). The organisers and management committee are committed to ensuring that the group is open to, and inclusive of, all members of the community within this age range. 

We are committed to promoting diversity within the group and to providing children from all backgrounds and abilities with the opportunity to experience belonging to a drama group, taking part in a range of theatrical activities and shows and developing their skills and potential in multiple directions. We will do this through:

• Encouraging children from all backgrounds and cultures to join the group
• Staging performances which reflect different cultures and backgrounds
• Enabling children to experience and consider, through the media of drama and role play, a wide range of cultural contexts.
• Providing a rich and diverse programme of events for the children to take part in. 
• Encouraging participating in all aspects of the group. 

Personal Safety (read alongside the Child Protection Policy)

• Please ensure that you are there to collect your children at the end of the session.  If you are happy for them to leave on their own, please provide written confirmation of this.  
• Please notify us if your child needs to leave the session for any reason.  
• We do not allow children to leave the session to go to the shop as this is disruptive to the activities.  You are welcome to send a snack; these are also available at reasonable prices. 
• Children will always be led and supervised by adults who have completed a current DBS check.  
• We maintain a robust policy in relation to internet access and publication in order to ensure the safety of vulnerable children.   
• When the Public Hall re-opens it will be in accordance with the current safety standards relative to the pandemic.  We will ensure that these are in place and all participants will be required to comply.  Anyone failing to do so will be asked to leave. 

YAPY Organisers’ Responsibilities

• We will ensure that health and safety policies and procedures are in place and complied with, in order to safeguard your children.
• We will ensure that all children within the group are enabled to experience a range of creative, dramatic and fulfilling activities in line with the group’s stated ethos.
• We will endeavour to provide a learning environment which contributes to the development of skills and confidence for all members of the group.  
• We will ensure that incidences of bullying or intimidation within the group are addressed and dealt with.