Donors Charter
This charter has been designed to ensure our spaces and experiences are safe, welcoming and inclusive to everyone including our ‘in-person’ events and digital platforms.
Based on the Museum Association’s Code of Conduct (click here for further information) we want to make sure our Supporter and Patrons groups and donors more generally, feel comfortable and welcome regardless of their background.
Welcoming for all – our pledge
- Staff and donors will behave in a mutually respectful and thoughtful way, ensuring they are courteous and avoiding bullying behaviour or using hate speech.
- Staff and donors will be mindful of cues that suggest a person is uncomfortable with a situation or conversation and will respond appropriately.
- Staff and donors will be respectful of people’s privacy – content, images, opinions and discussion should not be distributed outside of the space where these are being shared, whether digital or in person. This does not supersede our privacy policy, which can be found here. (Link to privacy policy)
Discrimination and harassment
York Museums Trust recognise certain groups and individuals have experienced and still experience disproportionate discrimination and harassment. To protect these groups, particular characteristics have been legally protected in the Equalities Act (2010). These characteristics include but are not limited to age, ethnicity, disability, sex and sexuality, religion or belief and gender identity.
In addition, York Museums Trust recognise some groups have benefitted or are benefitting from privilege, whether they are aware of it or not. Privilege means that people are less likely to be harassed or discriminated against because of those characteristics outlined above.
The Museum Association outline examples of conduct that would be considered harassment and these are outlined below. York Museums Trust agrees and these behaviours are not in line with the Trust’s mission, vision and values. If behaviour such as the below or similar occurs, from a member of staff, a donor or the general public, York Museums Trust will investigate and take action accordingly.
Examples of harassment are:
- Physical contact without consent or after a request to stop
- Online comments, social media posts or actions that minimise a person’s lived experience, identity or safety
- Deliberate misgendering, e.g. to purposely call a transgender woman ‘him’
- Continuing a conversation when someone has signalled that they are uncomfortable
- Deliberate ‘outing’ of a person’s identity without their consent, e.g. making and stating assumptions about a person’s sexuality
- Unwelcome sexual attention
- Deliberate intimidation or stalking of any kind
- Collection or distribution of harassing photography or recordings
- Threats or acts of violence
If you would like to report behaviour, similar to that outlined above you can do so here: