Photographing and Filming Children and Adults at Risk in Bowls
Photographing and Filming
People generally welcome opportunities to celebrate or publicise their involvement and achievements when taking part in sport. Photos of children and adults at risk enjoying the sport can also be great promotional tools for clubs and sports organisations.
However, when personal information is added to photographs, these images can be used to identify children or adults at risk. This may compromise their safety and privacy making them more vulnerable to individuals looking to locate, contact or groom them. Bear in mind that some children and adults at risk may be under the care of local authorities or be estranged from people who might want to track them down.
Photograph can also be adapted for inappropriate use. Digital tools can be used to adapt photographs for abusive reasons.
First principles for photography and video
The welfare of children and adults at risk who are taking part in bowls is paramount. Parents, children, adults and carers have a right to decide whether images can be taken and how they will be used.
• Parents/carers of under 18s must give written consent for images to be taken and used. See the Photography Permission Form.
• In terms of content, images should only convey best practice and positive aspects of bowls.
• Care should be taken to ensure that images are not sexual or exploitative in nature, or open to misinterpretation and misuse.
• Efforts should be made to ensure that images are only taken by authorised persons, as agreed in the protocol for a particular event.
Publishing images
If a bowls club wants to recognise the achievement of an individual bowler by publishing their name with their photograph, consent will be required. Other personal details should NEVER accompany the image (e.g. postal or email address, telephone numbers).
Photographs should focus on the activity, rather than a particular child or vulnerable person. Where possible, use images that represent the diverse range of individuals who take part in bowls.
Images should reflect positive aspects of children and adults at risk involvement in bowls, like fun, competition and special achievements.
Report any inappropriate image use to the relevant NGB Safeguarding Officer.
Filming and photography at competitions
If you are inviting a member of the press or a professional photographer to a session, make sure they understand their responsibilities when it comes to child protection issues.
Provide a clear brief about what is appropriate in terms of image content and their behaviour around the players.
Inform all attendees that a photographer will be present.
Make it clear that unsupervised access to children or adults at risk or one-on-one photography or filming sessions, at the event or elsewhere, will not be permitted.
If parents or other spectators plan to photograph or film the event, they should be prepared to identify themselves and explain their reasons for recording the event on camera.
Decide on a spectator photography policy during the planning stages of the event which could involve any of the options below:
• a total ban on any photography
• registration of individuals who intend to take photos
• no public photography for the event
• the event venue is a public area, so no ban is possible
Clarify and promote the photography rules for the event to all staff, volunteers, spectators, parents and participants. This should include information on any areas where photography is banned eg. changing rooms. Guidance should also be given on the risks associated with online posting of photographs - see Online safety & social networking in sport | CPSU (thecpsu.org.uk)
- who want to use photographic equipment at the event should be asked to register.
Parents, children, adults and carers should be made aware that if they have concerns, they can report them to the event organiser or the Club’s Safeguarding Officer. The organiser or Safeguarding Officer should address these concerns as they would any child protection issue.
More detailed guidance on photography in sport can be found at
Photography – safeguarding children in sport | CPSU (thecpsu.org.uk)
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Date of First Issue |
October 2024 |
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Review Date |
October 2025 |
