Hi all you runners and thank you so much for your likes and responses to my post about returning my admin badge. (If you don’t know what I am talking about then please click here and take a look healthunlocked.com/couchto5.... )
As of this morning I have had over 370 LIKES and dozens of replies to the three posts on C25k, Bridge and Marathon forums. My intention had been to wait until next week before directing HealthUnlocked to the posts and responses, but I see no point delaying…….this response is impressive and hopefully persuasive, so I will be contacting HU this morning.
What shines out from the responses is the recurrent theme of how safe, well ordered and well behaved our forums are, which is down to the work of all of the members of the admin team (and you) who over the years have maintained the ethos of being accepting, non judgemental and supportive which we all value as being almost unique in the world of modern social media. It was also pointed out that this environment is ideal for all teenagers and I would support a reduction in lower age limit to 13, if it became possible, although it would only be wise to poll the membership on this before implementation.
To date nobody has commented that they would like the lower age limit to remain at 18.
The idea of forum by forum age limits is popular and would be relatively easy to implement (I imagine). While this could get around our issues on these forums, it might not eradicate the lack of access to support from some of the other HU forums which under 18s may wish to access. Alongside this I also realise that for some communities, the 18 age limit may be far more appropriate than 16. An ideal result would be to ask each HU community to actively consider and decide its own lower age limit, according to their content and subject matter and membership preference.
In my communication to HU I will ask them to read the post linked to above and the responses and will stress the points that have been made and ask them to reconsider their stance. I will ask them to give me detailed reasons why they feel unable to change the age limit, if that is the initial outcome, so that I can approach the ICO to see if they can help HU to minimise the unintended consequence of their Code.
In my previous experience of trying to produce a poster/leaflet advertising C25k (Guilty, m’lud) I know that these issues are rarely considered high priority by lumbering bureacracies and it can very much feel like repeatedly impacting the uppermost part of one’s anatomy against a vertical masonry structure.
I have time. I have patience. I do however worry about our young and impressionable teenagers who could be changing the future course of their lives if they were given opportunities which this Children's Code is so lamentably denying them.
If there is anybody with a legal background out there, who would be willing to offer free advice, should it be necessary………..don’t worry, I am not intending to glue myself to the door of the ICO………..I would love to hear from you.
The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that my C25k Administrator badge has been removed and replaced by a Mentor badge. So I am still part of the admin team……….you can’t get rid of me that easily.
At some point I will have to get away from my computer………...that yellow Alert icon is driving me mad.
I will keep you posted.
A little change on the forums
Bournemouth Half Marathon 
This Girl Can: help women feel safe exercising in the dark
