Health & Safety

Health and Safety Policy

Policy Statement

Part 1: Statement of intent

This is the health and safety policy statement of ‘The Auckley Show’

We are subscribers to ‘The Purple Guide’ to health, safety and welfare at outdoor events. The guide is used to inform and assist decision making of the Auckley Show Committee. This enables us to utilise the best working practices available to organise a safe event.

Auckley Show is managed by a small dedicated number of volunteers, collectively known as the Auckley Show Committee. The committee take decisions at planning meetings on a regular basis throughout the year. Decisions are recorded through minutes and circulated to committee members. The committee are supported at the event by other volunteers and supporters to assist in the safe management of the event.

The Auckley Show is held annually, usually on the third weekend of August.

The event is none-profit making other than to generate funds to finance the event for the following year.

The event organiser is the Chair Neil Woodward who takes full responsibility for the safety of the event. Neil has been involved with the Show since 1983 and took over as Chair in 2008. 2025 will mark 41 years of the show on the current site.

His deputy, Howard Hill assists in practical guidance on Health and Safety issues and oversees Risk Assessment. Howard Hill has undergone training and completed ‘Health and Safety Training for Managers’. Training was last updated 28th April 2024. CPD certified, Assured ROSPA 2023/25 Qualification. Neil Woodward has prepared the policy using the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) template and guidance.

Having identified the main areas of health and safety are remote working, personal protective equipment, consultation, briefing, and training, it is accepted by the committee that Neil and Howard are the most experienced members to manage health and safety.

The Auckley Show has been part of the village social calendar in one form or another since at least the early part of the 20th century and probably goes back further still. We have a copy of the “Children’s Sports Day” from 1937 and older residents in the village can remember the rejuvenation of the Auckley Gala Day in the 1950s, when it was held on the then Village Green (now developed to accommodate the village shops on Ellers Lane). 

The Show as we know it today has been held annually on the Riverside Park since 1985 which is owned by the local Parish Council and used as a public amenity for dog walkers, sports fields with associated pavilion, basketball court and children’s play area which includes seating and picnic area.

The event has expanded to incorporate Social Evening Events, on the Friday before the Show for a Children’s Disco and on the night of the Show for an Adults only event with music, dancing, and catering as a finale to the main Show Day. The main focus of the Show has always been the horticultural produce and amateur competition, open to adults and children across a range of classes.

It is worthy of note that there were more than 1000 exhibits entered in 2024, real evidence of the support generated in the local community.

In addition to that we have outside a ‘Fun’ Dog Show attracting families with their pets (UPDATE FOR 2025 fun dog show cancelled), and recently a live stage for local musical talent in the field. The Main Marquee will be home to our ‘real ale’ bar and professional Entertainment Stage during the day and in the evening is the location for finale celebration. The local WI and also the local Scout Group provide tea and cakes. Catering concessions are there to provide more substantial fare to keep you going, and, of course, ice creams for the children. Our Craft Marquee is home to a wide variety of bespoke products and the show field accommodates traders’ stalls selling a variety of goods. The Children’s Entertainment Area is housed in a large marquee which provides more undercover space to insure against changeable British Summer weather. Local fairground operators provide a small scale children’s fairground and side stalls and the Show itself usually provides more free children’s sports and culminates in our traditional Tug-o-War. During the day we aim to provide exhibitions and displays of varying types, including our very popular Fun Dog Show. The Show attracts visitors mainly from the immediate area, including the villages of Auckley, Cantley, Blaxton,  Branton and Finningley. We expect to have up to about one to two thousand visitors at any one time with a total of a possible three thousand members of the public visiting us over the period of the Show.

The Show’s policy has always been to create a ‘free to attend’ event with free parking and no admittance fees. This is achieved partly through advance fund raising, charges made to traders and through the generosity of various sponsors. Our principal sponsor is Auckley Parish Council who provide the site and financial assistance as well. Cantley with Branton Parish Council also frequently support us with costs. Doncaster Borough Council has in the past given further grants and provided equipment. We have had over the years a number of major corporate sponsors and are currently enjoying the beneficence of Amazone, an agricultural machinery supplier, whose research site is now located in Auckley. Other local businesses, such as The Yorkshire Wildlife Park, also play their part in contributing both funding and services to the Show.  Our other sponsors include small local businesses, many of which are run by people who remember Auckley Show as part of their growing up experience.

The committee accept an event on this scale creates challenges with regard to health and safety measures to all involved. We believe our track record over the years provides evidence of how serious we take on Health and Safety Issues. During the last five years first aid has been administered 5 times, which were recorded as bee/wasp stings and one trip/fall. The latest 2024 one sprain due to boisterous activity on a bouncing castle.

Neil’s decision is to circulate the policy, which is reviewed annually, to Committee members at least once annually, or when there is cause to make significant changes. Other volunteers and supporters are briefed pre show verbally either by Neil or Howard. A full updated copy is made available on site at the information stand.

Our health and safety policy is to:-

·         Prevent accidents and cases of work related ill health

·         Manage health and safety risks in our working environment

·         Provide clear instructions and information, and adequate training proportionate to the role. Ensure everyone involved, Contractors Committee Volunteers are competent to fulfil their role.

·         Provide personal protective equipment

·         Ensure safe handling of equipment and substances

·         Maintain safe and healthy working conditions

·         Implement emergency procedures, including evacuation in case of fire or other significant major or critical incident.

·         Review and revise the policy regularly. 

Signed Neil Woodward reviewed February 2025

Next review 1st August 2025

Part 2: Responsibilities for Health and Safety

1. Overall and final responsibility for health and safety.

Neil Woodward

2. Day to day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice:

Howard Hill

3. To ensure health and safety standards are maintained and improved, the following people have responsibility in the following areas:

Neil Woodward and Howard Hill – safety risk assessments, consulting committee, accidents, first aid, monitoring accident and emergency procedures, fire and evacuation and maintain equipment information sharing, instruction and supervision training.

4. All Committee members, volunteers and supporters

·         Should co-operate with Neil Woodward and Howard Hill on health and safety matters.

·         Take reasonable care of their own health and safety

·         Report all health and safety concerns to an appropriate person detailed above.

Part 3: Arrangements for health and safety

Risk Assessment

·         We will complete risk assessments and take action.

·         We will review risk assessments when working habits or conditions change.

·         We will ensure traders and contractors attending the Auckley Show have relevant risk assessments in place.

·         We will provide help and guidance on the completion of risk assessments where necessary (Phil Raine)

Training

·         We will provide committee, volunteers and supporters and contractors. Proportionate and appropriate training to their role; including, working at height, manual lifting, car park marshalling, fire-fighting (use of fire extinguishers), evacuation, major incident and critical incident procedures.

·         We will provide personal protective equipment.

·         We will make sure suitable arrangements are in place for persons working remotely.

Consultation

·         We will consult committee members routinely on health and safety matters as they arise and formally when we review health and safety. 

·         Volunteers and supporters will be briefed pre show when full annual review has taken place. 

Evacuation

·         We will make sure escape routes are well signed and kept clear at all times.

·         Evacuation plans are reviewed from time to time and updated if necessary.