RISK ASSESSING YOUR RECREATION (EXPLORATION) CORE ACTIVITY

Risk Assessing Your Recreation (Exploration) Core Activity

What is Core Activity?
 Core activity is what your club or society does regularly, as described in your constitution. Every club and society must complete a risk assessment for their core activity each year. 

For Recreation (Exploration) groups, this usually means regular UK trips, such as day or overnight trips.

Why does it matter?

 If your group runs regular UK trips, you must complete a Core Activity Risk Assessment. This allows a simpler process for each trip and helps the Union support you and maintain safety.

 This process helps keep your members safe, lets the Union support you, and means you won’t have to submit a risk assessment for every UK trip. Doing this at the start of the year saves time and helps your activities run smoothly throughout the year.

Recreation (Exploration) Core Activity UK Trips Process: Step by Step

Step 1 - Complete and submit your Core Activity Risk Assessment to the Activities Team during summer, based on your group’s risk rating (see: Club/Society Risk Rating — link). Consult an expert reviewer if required (more information about this at the end of this article)

Step 2 - The Activities Team reviews your risk assessment. They may ask for changes before it is marked as sufficient.

Step 3 - Once your Core Activity Risk Assessment is marked as sufficient, you can then start submitting Trip Proposals (per trip). For each trip, submit a proposal at least 10 days before the activity. This should include your IC Union route information and a full list of attendees.

Step 4 - The Activities Team check your trip proposals. Remember to wait for confirmation before going ahead with your trip.

IMPORTANT: Submit your trip proposal at least 10 days before the trip. Late submissions may not be approved in time. Plan ahead.

What You’ll Need to Include

Core Activity Risk Assessment must include
• The activity itself
 • Every kind of accommodation your group might use

• All ways you might travel on trips

Activity Proposal Forms must include (per trip)
 • Confirmation that your core risk assessment covers the trip (remember to tick ‘yes’ this is covered by my Core Risk Assessment on the proposal form)

• Route details

• Attendees and their emergency contacts (Name, CID, Contact Number, Emergency Contact Name, Relation, Number). You can attach this as an Excel document.

NOTE: High-risk club/society will require an expert to review their core activity risk assessments. An expert or specialist will be someone:

•  External to Imperial College Union (they may work for Imperial or an external body).
•  With qualifications or relevant experience (2+ years in a related job) in your activity.

By reviewing your assessment, the expert does not accept liability. They confirm you have assessed risks appropriately and may suggest improvements.

If your activity has a UK governing body, contact them for help finding an expert.

Next Steps

1. Complete your Core Activity Risk Assessment. Make sure it covers all activity types, accommodation, and travel your group may use.
2. Submit it to the Activities Team in summer for review.
3. Plan trips in advance so you can submit proposals at least 10 days ahead.

Still have questions? Check out the rest of our Knowledge Base articles or submit a ticket to the Activities Team. We’re here to help you get it right.