Membership terms and conditions for Shoden Martial arts & fitness

Introduction

To help you get the best out of Shoden Martial arts & fitness and to understand our responsibilities to you and your responsibilities to us, please read these terms and conditions.

The language we use should make these terms and conditions as clear as possible. If you have any questions, the instructors will be happy to help you or you can e-mail admin@shoden.club .

To help make these terms and conditions easy to read, we have split them into two parts.

Part A – terms and conditions of membership

All members must keep to the same terms and conditions, including adult and child members whose memberships are linked to other members and child members whose online application form has been set up on their behalf by an adult.

Part B – rules and regulations for attending our classes and venues and activities

These terms and conditions apply to all our members and their guests. They are necessary to make sure we can offer an enjoyable and safe environment for you, your guests and our other members to share during every visit to Shoden Martial arts & fitness.

These terms and conditions apply at all times and take priority over anything a member of our team has told you.

These terms and conditions replace any previous versions.

Part A – terms and conditions of membership

Definitions that apply to part A

You – the lead member who is responsible for paying the membership fee
Linked member – anyone who is linked to your membership -if you are paying for your child or family they will be linked members
Your entire membership – your membership and the membership of your linked members
We and us – Shoden Martial arts & fitness
Your club – Shoden Martial arts & fitness and the class/es you attend
Venue – the facility such as a Sports club where the classes are held but not owned or operated by Shoden Martial arts & fitness

A1 Responsibilities of lead members and linked members

Every person who completes the online membership application will be individually responsible under this agreement.

This means that:

if that person tells us to do anything in relation to the membership (including ending it) we will take that as authority for all the linked members;
that person will be responsible for paying all the appropriate membership fees for themselves, and for all linked members (whether adults or children)

The responsibility in A1 for the fees and charges of any linked member continues until the linked member’s link with the lead member changes in any of the ways set out in A7 ‘Changing your membership’.

All of these terms and conditions of membership apply to you and all linked members unless we tell you otherwise.

You and all linked members must keep to the rules and regulations for attending classes at our venues set out in Part B.

A2 Notice

We calculate your membership in whole calendar months. This means that the following applies:

Anywhere in these terms and conditions where you can give notice to end your membership from the end of the month, when you give notice we will end your membership at the end of the month during which we receive your notice as long as you have met all other requirements associated with it.

For example, if we receive your notice on 23 May your membership will end on 31 May and you will not have to pay any more direct debits after 31 May. There are no exceptions to this rule. For example, if you give us notice on 1 June, your membership will end on 30 June and you will not have to pay any more direct debits after 30 June.

If you want to give notice, it must be by email (admin@shoden.club ).

Your notice is not effective until we have received it. We strongly advise that when you give notice you get proof that we have received it. For example when you send us your notice by email, ask for a delivery receipt.
We will confirm we have received your notice within 7 days of receiving it. If you do not receive this confirmation within 7 days, you must immediately let your instructor know so they can check whether we have received it.

From time to time we will need to contact you about your membership, so it is important you let us know if your contact phone number or email address changes.

If we need to give notice to you:

it will be effective if we send it to the email address we have in the records we hold about you and
if we give notice during a month, our notice period will run from the first day of the following month unless we cancel your membership under section A12 in which case it will be effective immediately.

A3 Membership categories

You are entitled to take part in classes available under your category of membership. Our website will give you information about the range of classes available to you and when you can use them.
Each category of membership may have certain restrictions which only apply to that category of membership. We will tell you about these restrictions when you join or when you change your category of membership, whichever applies. You can also get details from our website.
We have the right to limit the number of children linked to an adult’s membership.

A4 Membership types and length of membership

Your membership will begin on the day when you make your membership application.
Your membership will continue then indefinitely until you give us at least one full calendar month notice in writing by e-mail in line with A2 ‘Notice’, unless:
- you change your mind about joining within 7 days
- we cancel your membership (see A16 ‘Cancelling your membership’).

A5 Starting your membership

This means that your minimum commitment is to pay for the first calendar month of your membership with us.
If you ask us to reduce your membership fee because you meet a special condition, for example because of financial hardship or other circumstances we will take this into consideration. You may be asked to prove that you meet the condition before we will reduce your fee and, from time to time, we may ask you for up-to-date proof that you still qualify for the reduced fee.
You will need to pay an amount to cover your membership fee from the day that you join until the 1st of the following month. If you join after the 20th of the month, you will need to pay for the rest of the current month, plus the whole of the next month.
You can change your mind about joining. To do this you will need to give notice in writing by e-mail.
If you change your mind before taking part in a class, we will refund any fees you have already paid and your entire membership will end.
If you start taking classes then change your mind and your first payment has been taken for that month (or school term, if you are an afer school club student) we will not refund you.

A6 Membership fees

For Standard Monthly membership your membership fees are due on the 1st of each month
You must pay for your membership by making monthly payments by Direct Debit or unless we agree otherwise.
Where you pay by direct debit we will ask your bank for your monthly payment around the first working day of each month unless otherwise agreed.

A7 Changing your membership categories and linked members

We realise that your needs can change over time, so you can apply to change your membership category by contacting admin@shoden.club .
When you change categories, your membership fees will change to the current fees advertised for that category for new members.
If you are linked to another member, either you or the linked member can ask to remove that link. If we remove someone from a linked membership, the member who is left will become an individual member.
Any changes to your monthly payments caused by adding or removing a linked member will apply from the 1st of the month after the change takes place, as long as we receive notice of the change by the 20th of the month.

A8 Other charges

There may be an optional extra charge for a small number of services such as extra courses or one off events. We will display these on our website and in our newsletter when they occur.

A9 Guests

You and any other linked adult member can introduce guests to your class. You or the linked member introducing the guest must:
- sign in any guests with the instructor;
- make sure the guests are aware of, and keep to, our rules and regulations set out in ‘Part B – rules and regulations for using facilities’.
Guests must pay the appropriate fee to join a class unless they sign up for a free trial period. You can get details of the guest fees which apply from your instructor.
The fee for guests do not apply to someone you sign in as your assistant to help you use the facilities should you require assistance.

A10 Suspending your membership

At any time (other than after you have given us notice to end your membership) you can suspend your membership, for example due to prolonged illness or a medical condition.
We do not encourage suspension due to holidays unless it is for more than a month, this is because we have kept membership costs as low as possible but it is only possible if we pro rata across the year where some holidays are taken into account. The club remains open all year round and we need to make it economically sustainable.
If you want to suspend your membership you will need to send us a membership suspension e-mail request to admin@shoden.club
You will automatically become a social member while your membership is suspended. This means you will not be able to participate in any classes while your membership is suspended, but you are welcome to come and watch and socialise with other members. You will also remain on the club mailing list and will receive newsletters.
Throughout the time any membership is suspended, we will not charge you.
You will be suspending the entire membership for yourself and all linked adult members and children. It may be easier to start a new membership for those linked members wishing to continue then restarting the combined membership later. It is all done online and is only takes a few minutes.
The suspension will take effect from the first day of the month following the date we receive your membership suspension e-mail request.

Please make sure that we have received your membership suspension e-mail. As the suspension will not take effect until we have received the e-mail, we strongly advise that you get proof that we have received it. You can set a read receipt on your e-mail and keep a copy of the sent e-mail.
We will confirm, in writing by e-mail that we have received this form and the date when the suspension will begin. If you do not receive this confirmation within 7 days, you must immediately let us know.

If we find that you are participating in classes while your membership is suspended, your membership will immediately restart and you must pay any appropriate membership fees that are due for the period while your membership was suspended.
The suspension will take effect from the first day of the month following the date we receive your request.
Suspending your membership is not the same as ending your membership.

A11 Ending your membership

At any time, you can end your membership if you give us notice as in A2. Only you can give notice to end it.

If your membership has linked members, the following rules apply for ending membership.
- if you give notice to end the membership, we will treat it as applying to you and to all linked members.
- if your membership is ended, it automatically ends the membership of all linked members.
- You can end the membership of individual linked children by giving us notice.
You must continue to pay your membership fees until your membership ends.
Your membership will end at the end of your notice period.
You must not attend classes once your membership has ended.

A12 Cancelling your membership

We will not tolerate our staff or other members being verbally abused or intimidated or being physically threatened. If we find this to be the case, we have the right to report you to the police, to ban you immediately and permanently from Shoden Martial arts & fitness and to cancel your entire membership.
We may also cancel your entire membership in the following circumstances:
- if you, your linked member or your (or a linked member’s) guest uses rude or abusive language or behaves or threatens to behave in a violent or aggressive way at any Shoden Martial arts & fitness class.
- if for a period of longer than 6 calendar months, neither you nor any linked member attends any classes.
- if we receive any complaint about your behaviour or that of a linked member at any Shoden Martial arts & fitness class or if you or a linked member persistently behave inappropriately, or if we believe that your continued membership (or that of a linked member) is not in the interests of other members, we have the right to suspend your entire membership.
- if you or a linked member breaks or repeatedly breaks this membership agreement or the club rules and you do not or cannot put it right within seven days of us writing to you about it.

You have the right to appeal against our decision (unless your behaviour is covered by the three clauses above). You can get details of our complaints procedures from our website. If we are not able to sort out the issue following your appeal, or if you do not appeal in line with our appeal procedures we have the right to cancel your entire membership.
If we cancel your membership for any of the reasons in these clauses section (A12) above, we have the right to keep a proportion of the money you have paid under this agreement to cover any reasonable costs we have had to pay. We will also not accept any future applications you make for membership to Shoden Martial arts & fitness and you will not be allowed to enter any Shoden Martial arts & fitness classes as a guest or for any other reason.

A13 If you do not pay your membership fee when it is due

If you do not pay your membership fee when it is due, we will write to you by e-mail to let you know. If you are paying by direct debit, we will try to take this payment from your account again later in the month. If that is unsuccessful, but your direct debit instruction is still in force, we will try to take payment again in the following month for the payment you have missed and the amount due for the current month.
If you fall behind with your membership payments for more than 30 days, we will charge you an administration fee of £10 for each missed payment.
If you do not pay for your membership, we may prevent you and any linked members (adults or children) from attending any classes. This does not mean we will end your membership.
Cancelling your direct debit does not mean you have given us notice to end your membership.
You must give us written notice in line with A2 ‘Notice’.

A14 Changing your membership fees and this agreement

If we plan to increase the membership fees, we will give you at least three months’ notice. We will give you notice of the change by e-mailing you (as described in A2 ‘Notice’)
We may make reasonable changes to this agreement, to these terms and conditions in Part A and to the rules and regulations in Part B or displayed on our website, at any time, as long as we give you notice before we make the changes.

A15 Making changes to your classes or its venue and activities

If we decide to change the location of your class or to close it permanently the following will apply:
- We will make every reasonable effort to give you at least one month notice of the change or closure (either in writing by e-mail or through your instructor and by displaying a notice on our website).
- You can end your membership by giving us notice in writing by e-mail in line with A2 ‘Notice’.
- If we cannot give you one month notice of the change or closure but you want to end your membership, you can give us written notice by e-mail which ends on the date when the changes start to apply. We will refund any part of your membership fee you have already paid for a period after that date.

We have the right to increase, reduce or withdraw certain classes, or activities in any of our venues either permanently or temporarily (for example, for the venue to carry out cleaning, repairs, maintenance or security work).
If we have to close classes for reasons outside our control, we will try our best to provide other classes or consider whether we should pay you any compensation.
We will display details of the class times on our website. Class times may vary during the Christmas period, school holidays and on other bank holidays.
We will let you know about these temporary changes on our website and by e-mail.
We will give you at least one month notice if we change the times of your class- unless this is out of our control due to the venue where we hold our classes enforcing changes upon Shoden martial arts & fitness whereupon we will notify you as soon as possible.

A16 Complaints

We are committed to making sure our members are satisfied with the service we provide, but we are realistic enough to know that things don’t go according to plan all the time. If you or your guests have a complaint, we want to know about it as soon as possible so that we may fully investigate it and sort the matter out.

If you have a complaint, you should first tell your instructor. If you are not satisfied with their response, you should contact admin@shoden.club and refer to our ‘Complaint’s Policy’ on our website.

A17 Liability

We do not accept liability for damage or loss to your property or a guest’s property that may happen on the premises or within the grounds of the venue at which your classes are held, other than the liability which arises from our negligence or our failure to take reasonable care.

Karate is a contact sport. While we take care to conduct our classes in a safe and responsible manner there is an inherent risk of injury. We do not accept liability for the injury or death of any member, child or guest that may happen whilst the member knowingly and willingly attends and/or participates in our martial arts classes either on the premises or within the grounds of the venue where your classes are held or any other Shoden Martial arts & fitness venue, other than the liability which arises from our negligence or our failure to take reasonable care.

Nothing in these terms and conditions is meant to limit any rights you might have as a consumer.

A18 Data protection

We keep to the Data Protection Act 1998, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
We will deal with all information we hold about you in line with our privacy policy which you can get from our website at www.shoden.club .
If you want to know what information we hold about you, or you want us to correct any information we hold about you, the appropriate procedures are set out in our privacy policy.

A19 Children

We welcome children to our club but they must behave reasonably. They must not put themselves or other people in danger or prevent other members from enjoying the classes or the venue facilities. If your child is behaving unreasonably, we have the right to speak to you or the child about this.
If your child continues to behave unreasonably, whether on one visit to our classes or over a number of visits, we will try to sort out the issue by meeting with you. If we cannot sort out the issue during the meeting, we have the right to suspend the child from attending any classes.
Children must also adhere to the club ‘Code of conduct’ and ‘anti-bullying’ policy.
If we suspend your child from attending classes and you want to appeal against this, you must appeal in writing to the admin@shoden.club

Part B – rules and regulations for attending our classes, venues and activities

Definitions that apply to part B

You – any person using the club facilities under your membership
Linked member – Anyone who is linked to your membership
Your entire membership – your membership and the membership of your linked members
We and us – Shoden Martial arts & fitness
Your club – Shoden Martial arts & fitness and the class/es which you attend
Venue – the facility such as a Sports club where the classes are held but not owned or operated by Shoden Martial arts & fitness

B1 General Health and safety

To protect the safety of all members and guests, you must pay particular attention to all signs relating to health and safety at the venues where we hold classes. If you do not understand a notice or sign please ask one of our instructors at the venue.
If you suffer an accident or injury on our premises, you must report it and the circumstances under which it happened to the instructor and/or senior manager on duty at the venue immediately.
While you are attending our classes, we expect you to behave appropriately, respectfully and politely, and dress appropriately at all times.
You must adhere to our ‘Code of conduct’ and ‘anti-bullying’ policy.
We can prevent you from entering the venue or ask you to leave if we think that your behaviour or appearance is not suitable.
You should not attend classes if you have an infectious illness or condition.

B2 Your children’s health and safety

If your child is at a class or activity, he or she must be registered with the instructor in charge of the activity, who must also have details of who will be collecting your child. We will not allow any other person to collect your child unless you have made a specific arrangement beforehand with the person you have left your child with.
We are not responsible for supervising children outside of the classes, this includes changing rooms and communal areas of the venues where we hold our classes.
All our instructors have undertaken Children’s Safeguarding training in accordance with the club Safeguarding policy and will not knowingly place themselves in a situation where they are alone with a child or are in a changing facility with children unless in an emergency as indicated in our Safeguarding policy.
It is your responsibility to collect your children on time at the end of a class.
If you are expecting to be late due to an emergency please phone Sensei Jack or the venue reception and ask for a message to be given to the instructor.
If you are habitually late to collect your child/ren at the end of a class and potentially cause a Safeguarding situation for our instructors we will write to you and ask you to resolve the situation but we may take action as detailed in section A12 above.
You must not bring your children into the club or childcare facilities if they have an infectious illness or condition.

B3 Car parking

You are only entitled to use the venue car park while you are attending classes. You must park only in the spaces in the car park. If you do not have a disabled badge you must not park in the spaces reserved for disabled badge holders.
We do not guarantee that car parking is available at any of our classes.
You park in the car park at your own risk. We do not accept liability for any loss or damage to your car, or personal belongings in it, while you are parked in the car parks provided by the venue where the classes are held.

B4 Personal belongings

You bring all personal belongings to our classes at your own risk. We do not accept legal responsibility for any loss or damage to these items.
If you find lost property, you must hand it to an instructor immediately. The club website will show lost property that we are holding. We will hold items for three weeks only before giving them to charity.
If you have lost something it may have also been handed in to lost property at the venue where your class was held.

B5 Your health and fitness to participate

Our aim is to give you the best instruction possible, and we try to make this as much fun as possible. We know that everyone has different aims, levels of skill, tolerance and fitness. Every moment you spend with one of our instructors is designed to focus on your goals.
Before you start any class you must tell the instructor about any medical conditions, injuries or allergies that may affect your health.
If you have concerns about your physical condition, you must not do strenuous physical activities without first getting medical advice.
To make sure you get the most from every activity that you do at the club in the safest possible way, you should always make sure that you warm up properly and take time to cool down after your activity.
You should not take part in any physical activity that you may not be fit for. You are responsible for monitoring your own condition during physical activity.
You should tell us when you join about anything that is relevant to your physical condition. You should continue to keep this information up to date throughout your membership.
You are responsible for monitoring your own physical condition. If you suffer any unusual symptoms, you must immediately stop the activity and tell the instructor or any other member of staff at the venue where your class is held.

B6 Photographs and videos

You may take photographs and video recordings in your club for your own personal use provided that you keep to these rules and any extra rules displayed at the venue where the class is held.
You must not take photographs or videos of any children under 18 other than your own.
Anyone who appears in your photographs or videos must be aware that you are filming them and you must get their permission first.
You must not take photographs or video recordings in a changing area or toilets.
If another member is unhappy that you are filming them and makes a complaint to us, we may ask you to show us any images which you have taken in the club and to delete them if appropriate. If a member of our team asks you to stop filming or taking photographs you must do so.

Reviewed March 2023