At LVO, the safety and wellbeing of our junior members is a priority. We recognise the important role that photographs and social media play in celebrating participation, achievements, and our community, while also ensuring we take a responsible approach to safeguarding young people online.
In line with guidance from the NSPCC, Child Protection in Sport Unit, and British Orienteering, the club is committed to the following principles when sharing images of members under 18:
We will:
- Avoid using a young person’s full name or sensitive personal information alongside a clear, identifiable image.
- Use photography that focuses on the activity and experience of orienteering — such as maps, compasses, controls, terrain, group participation and coaching moments.
- When recognising junior achievements, we will prioritise safer image choices including: action shots, side-on images, wider-angle photographs, or pictures focused on the activity rather than clear front-facing portraits. These approaches help reduce the risk of images being copied, misused, or manipulated online.
We will also:
- Take care when tagging or identifying young people on social media and avoid tagging under-18s directly through club channels.
- Encourage parents and young people to make informed choices about their own online interactions, recognising that many juniors follow and engage with club content independently.
- Any concerns regarding our sharing of images should be immediately communicated to our Safeguarding Officer so that we can take appropriate action: LVO.safeguarding@niorienteering.org.uk
Parents/carers can also refer to this information letter about what they can do regarding AI generated and manipulated images involving young people: https://saferschoolsni.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Information-for-parents-and-carers-on-AI-generated-and-manipulated-images-involving-young-people95.pdf?utm
General information can also be found on https://thecpsu.org.uk and https://www.nspcc.org.uk sites. Guidance from British Orienteering can be found here:
https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/doc/policies-and-guidance/safeguarding/photo-and-filming
https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/doc/policies-and-guidance/safeguarding/social-media-policy
By working together, we can continue to celebrate junior participation and success while supporting safe and responsible online sharing.