Our Principles

  1. We exist to fight racism and celebrate ESEA representation in the UK outdoors. We have built this community to connect ESEA outdoor enthusiasts in the UK. While we appreciate we all have other interests, please be mindful of what you promote or discuss in the ESEA Outdoors WhatsApp community, and keep messages to these topics.
  2. We value inclusive representation, equity and equality within our own community, and we acknowledge the intersectionality of our community. We operate a Safer Spaces policy during all activities, events, in our WhatsApp community and online: see below.
  3. Our community is run by its members, so please actively participate in building our community, engage with others and help to plan activities. We all run ESEA Outdoors in our free time, so please be respectful of the efforts of others and how you communicate with each other.
  4. We reserve the right to limit or delete comments on our Instagram page, and to remove or ban members from our WhatsApp groups, Instagram page and at in-person events who breach our Principles or Safer Spaces policy.

Our Safer Spaces policy

This policy is a guideline. It draws on the policy of others, including the Scottish BPOC Writers Network, and it should change as we learn and grow.

It should tell you what you can expect from ESEA Outdoors and what you commit to as part of our community, whether in-person at one of our events, in our WhatsApp groups or online. We have high expectations of how we behave towards each other in any space we are a part of, within and outwith ESEA Outdoors.

Our community should be an inclusive and supportive space for all, and in particular for women (trans, intersex and cis) and all nonbinary, agender and gender variant people. Self-definition is at the sole discretion of that individual. We will not tolerate verbal or physical abuse, nor microaggressions to include racism, anti-Blackness, colourism, xenophobia, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, ableism, islamophobia, anti-Semitism, incorrectly identifying one’s ethnic origins or race, or anything tantamount to hate speech or an attempt to belittle or abuse another person or persons. Pro-occupation, pro-war, pro-colonialism, fascism, and white supremacist sentiments will not be permitted on our platforms and in our spaces.

Our community is a diverse group. Some of us experience different kinds of oppression and violence at the same time, including racism, xenophobia, ableism, poverty, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, islamophobia, as well as others. We understand that often these oppressions are interlinked and cannot be separated. We are all from the ESEA community but not all of our oppressions are the same. We recognise and challenge the oppression & exploitation that some of us are harmed by and some of us benefit from. That is why we will always uplift and validate our community by recognising their multiplicities and creating spaces that make them feel welcomed and safe.

We acknowledge that diversity alone will not resolve access issues in the outdoors. We recognise that colourism and anti-Blackness exist within ESEA spaces and will not stand for either. We will welcome each other’s unique perspectives and narratives.

We abide by the following policy within our spaces or those we associate ourselves with:

  • Consent: before you touch anyone or discuss sensitive topics ask if they are comfortable with that. Don’t assume your physical & emotional boundaries are the same as other people’s. Consent also applies to communicating on WhatsApp. Although telephone numbers are visible to members on WhatsApp, having access to someone else’s telephone number does not automatically give you the right to use it, outside of the group chats. Unless someone has expressly consented to you that you can contact them directly outside of the group discussions, do not send other members unsolicited direct messages or calls, either within or outside this platform. Harassment of other members will not be tolerated.
  • Be aware of your privileges: including less obvious or invisible hierarchies. Think about how your words, opinions and feelings are influenced and who they might exclude or harm.
  • Calling out: if you have acted or spoken harmfully, even if unintentionally, someone will bring this up with you. If this happens, listen and reflect on what they are saying even if you think they may be wrong. Don’t try to absolve yourself of responsibility.
  • Learning: if you don’t understand something, just ask. You may be directed to a book, website etc to learn more. We are each responsible for our own learning and if we feel able, for sharing it with others.
  • Labour: please contribute whatever you can to amplifying ESEA voices; this will be different for everyone and that’s fine. It’s ok to make mistakes. Please show appreciation for the hard work of others and be considerate when you offer criticism. This is no one’s day job. We put in the work because we are committed to real change.
  • Social: like other communities we build social relationships outside of events and online spaces. We commit to this Safer Spaces policy wherever we are together. We reserve the right to refuse participation if members appear intoxicated.
  • Security: without their explicit consent, don’t use or share the names, photographs, telephone numbers, email addresses, social media profiles or other identifying details of people who have been involved in organising or attending our events. This makes sure that people outside of the group don’t hold information that could put participants at risk of harm.
  • Community accountability: we expect all our members to hold each other accountable, by calling out and challenging unacceptable behaviour during and outwith our activities, events or within our offline or online spaces. We have a responsibility to protect and uplift each other. If you have any concerns about your safety or the safety of others at any ESEA Outdoors event or in our online spaces, please notify one of the ESEA Outdoors administrators immediately. They are identified as ‘Community Admins’ on WhatsApp.

💛 ESEA love from the ESEA Outdoors admins