2024

The Subterranean Exploration Club was initially founded in March 2024 by Teddy Ng as an idea to make merch.

2025

A committee was formed in February 2025 with an AGM at the Chelsea Spelaeological Society during a Southampton University Caving Club trip. The club achieved BCA membership later that month.

1.     Name

1.1.  The name of the club is the Subterranean Exploration Club (the Club).

2.     Objects

2.1.  The objects of the Club are to:

a          ensure the activities of caving, climbing, mine exploration, mountaineering, scuba diving and like pursuits are core activities of the Club.

b          promote the interests of caving (including cave diving), climbing, mine exploration, mountaineering and scuba diving (the Activities) amongst Members (defined below);

c          provide an opportunity for Members to meet and participate in the Activities together;

d          act on behalf of the interests of the Members;

e          promote awareness of the need to maintain access, conservation and protection of the cave, cliff, mine and mountain environment; and

f           to take part in and support the work and activities of the British Caving Association (the BCA), British Mountaineering Council (the BMC) and British Sub-Aqua Club (the BSAC).

(the Objects)

3.     Application of income and property

3.1.  The income and property of the Club shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the Objects.

4.     Membership

4.1.  Membership of the Club is only open to:

a          individuals who recognise that the Activities are activities with a danger of personal injury or death.  Members shall be aware of and accept these risks and agree to be responsible for their own actions and involvement;

b      individuals shall be a member of any caving, climbing, mountaineering or scuba diving club of any university affiliated with the BCA, BMC, or BSAC; or those nominated by existing Club members;

c          adults over the age of 18

(each a Member and together the Members)

4.2.  The Club shall have the following categories of Members:

Ordinary Member – this is the standard membership.

Life Member – on an application after five full years membership.

Honorary Life Member – anyone who has performed outstanding services for the Club and is voted as such at a General Meeting.

Probationary Member – anyone who has not completed at least twelve calendar months membership and has not been ratified.

4.2.  All Members acknowledge and agree that they will become Club Members of the BMC and that the Club shall pay the appropriate subscription on behalf of each Member included in the return filed by the Club with the BMC, and, in the event of the BMC being wound up, shall pay the sum of not more than £1 on behalf of each Member included in the return filed by the Club with the BMC at any time within the preceding period of one year pursuant to the guarantee set out in the BMC’s articles of association (the Articles).  The Members further acknowledge and agree that upon the Club being affiliated to the BMC and each become a Club Member of the BMC that they will be bound by the Articles. The Club secretary shall keep a written record of which club members wish to participate in caving and mine exploration with the Club.

4.3. All Club Members who wish to participate in caving and mine exploration with the club acknowledge and agree that they will become caving members of the BCA and that the Club shall pay the appropriate subscription on behalf of each such member included in the return filed by the club with the BCA. The Club secretary shall keep a written record of which club members wish to participate in caving and mine exploration with the Club.

4.4. All Club Members who wish to participate in scuba diving with the club acknowledge and agree that they will become diving members of the BSAC and that the Club shall pay the appropriate subscription on behalf of each such member included in the return filed by the club with the BSAC. The Club secretary shall keep a written record of which club members wish to participate in scuba diving with the Club.

4.5. All Club members who do not wish to participate in caving and mine exploration with the Club acknowledge and agree that they will become non-caving members of the BCA and that the Club shall pay the appropriate subscription.

4.6. All Club members acknowledge and agree that they will become members of the BMC (as outlined in section 4.2), caving members of the BCA (as outlined in section 4.3) and/or BSAC (as outlined in section 4.4).

4.7.  All Members will be subject to the terms of this Constitution and by joining the Club will be deemed to accept these terms and any codes of practice or Club rules that the Club adopts.

4.8.  Members will pay membership fees, as determined at the AGM (defined below).

4.9.  Membership of the Club will cease if the Member concerned:

a          gives written notice of resignation to the Club;

b          is removed from the membership by a resolution passed by a majority of the Management Committee (defined below) on the grounds that they have acted in a way which brings the Club into disrepute or has failed to abide by the rules of this Constitution. 

4.10.  Membership of the Club is not transferable.

4.11.  On ceasing to be a Member a person forfeits all right to and claim upon the Club and its property and funds.

4.12.  A person who has been removed from the membership in accordance with clause 4.5.b shall not be entitled to participate in any subsequent activity of the Club nor to visit the Club’s premises.

5.     Equity

5.1.  The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of ever person and will treat all Members equally within the context of the Activities regardless of age, ability, gender, sex, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.

5.2.  The Club is committed to all Members having the right to enjoy the Activities in an environment free from the threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.

5.3.  All Members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.

5.4.  The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to Club disciplinary procedures.

6.     Finances

6.1.  Membership fees will be set annually and agreed by the Members at the AGM.

6.2.  The Treasurer (as defined in clause 12.3.b) will be responsible for the finances of the Club.

6.3.  The financial year of the Club will run from 1st January to 31st December.

6.4.  All Club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the Club.

6.5.  The Management Committee will be signatories for the Club account.

6.6.  All Members shall be jointly and severally responsible for the financial liabilities of the Club.

7.     General Meetings

7.1.  The Club shall in each calendar year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting (AGM), in addition to any other general meetings in that year and shall specify the meeting as such in the notice calling it.

7.2.  All general meetings other than the AGM shall be called special general meetings (SGM).

7.3.  The Management Committee (as defined in clause 12.1) may call an SGM at any time.

7.4.  The Management Committee must call an SGM if requested to do so in writing by not less than one quarter of the Members.  The request must state the nature of the business that is to be discussed. If the Management Committee fails to hold the meeting within 28 days of the request, the Members may proceed to call an SGM but in doing so they must comply with the provisions of this Constitution. 

7.5.  At each AGM the following business will be conducted:

a          approval of the minutes from the previous year’s AGM;

b          an annual report from the President/Chair will be received;

c          an annual report from the Treasurer together with the accounts of the Club for the previous financial year will be received;

d          the election or re-election of Management Committee members as appropriate;

e          the membership fees for the following year will be agreed; 

f          all other relevant business will be dealt with.

8. Notice

8.1.  The minimum period of notice required to hold any general meeting of the Club is 14 clear days from the date on which the notice is deemed to have been given.

8.2.  A general meeting may be called by shorter notice, if it is so agreed by all the Members entitled to attend and vote.

8.3.  The notice must specify the date, time, means and place of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted.  If the meeting is to be an AGM, the notice must say so.

8.4.  The notice must be given to all Members.  

9. Quorum

9.1.  No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present.

9.2.  A quorum is 25% of the total membership at the time

9.3.  If a quorum is not present within 15 minutes from the time appointed for the meeting or during a meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting shall be adjourned to such time and place as the Management Committee shall determine.

9.4.  The Management Committee must re-convene the meeting and must give at least 7 clear days’ notice of the re-convened meeting stating the date and time and place of the meeting.

9.5.  If no quorum is present at the re-convened meeting within 15 minutes of the time specific for the start of the meeting the Members present at that time shall constitute the quorum for that meeting.

10.  Chair of general meetings

10.1.    General meetings shall be chaired by the Chair (as defined in clause 12.3.a below).

10.2.    If there is no such person or they are not present within 15 minutes of the time appointed for the meeting an Officer nominated by the Members present shall chair the meeting.

11.  Voting and proposals at general meetings

11.1.    Proposals may be put to a general meeting of the Club by any Member.

11.2.    All proposals put to the vote at general meetings shall be decided by a simple majority of votes cast, except proposals to amend this Constitution or to dissolve the Club which shall require not less than two thirds of the Members present at the meeting to vote in favour.

11.3.    Each Member shall have one vote.  In the event of an equal number of votes for and against any proposal, the Chair shall have a casting vote.

12.  Officers and Management Committee members

12.1.    The overall management and control of the Club shall be managed and administered by a committee comprising the Officers (as defined below) and other Members elected or appointed in accordance with this Constitution (the Management Committee).

12.2.    The minimum number of members of the Management Committee shall be 3.

12.3.    The Management Committee shall have the following officers:

a          a President/Chair

b          a Executive Vice President

c          a Treasurer

(together the Officers).

12.4.    A Management Committee member must be a Member.

12.5.    Where feasible, an Officer should not be related to nor living with another Officer.

13.  Appointment of Management Committee members

13.1.    The Club in general meeting shall elect the Officers.

13.2.    Each Officer is elected annually. The members of the existing Management Committee being nominated automatically unless they give contrary notice. Additional nominations, which must be seconded in writing, must be received by the Secretary at least fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting with the notification of details of the Annual General Meeting.

13.3.    A Member may be elected an Officer at any AGM by:

a          The Club being given a notice prior to the AGM that:

·              is signed by a Member entitled to vote at the meeting;

·              states the Member’s intention to propose the appointment of a person as an Officer/Management Committee member; and

·              is signed by the person who is to be proposed to show their willingness to be appointed; or

b          A Member being nominated for election from the floor of the AGM, with such proposal being seconded, and the person proposed showing willingness to be appointed.

13.5.    If the post of any Officer should fall vacant after an AGM, the Management Committee shall have the power to co-opt a Member to fill the vacancy until the succeeding AGM.

13.6.    The Management Committee may appoint any Member who is willing to act as a Management Committee member, but not an Officer, to the Committee.

14.  Powers

14.1.    To further its Objects the Management Committee must manage the business of the Club and have the following powers:

a          to obtain and pay for such goods and services as are necessary for carrying out the work of the Club;

b          to collect the membership fees payable;

c          to open and operate such bank and other accounts as the Management Committee considers necessary;

d          to set aside funds for special purposes or as reserves against future expenditure;

e          to adopt new policies, codes of practice or rules that affect the organisation of the Club;

f           to do any other lawful things which are necessary or desirable for the achievement of the Objects.

15.  Disqualification and removal of Management Committee members

15.1.    A Management Committee member shall cease to hold office if they:

a          cease to be a Member;

b          resign as a Management Committee member by written notice to the Club; or

c          are removed as a Management Committee member by a resolution passed by a majority of the Management Committee members on the grounds that they have acted in a way which brings, or is likely to bring the Club into disrepute or they have failed to abide by the rules of this Constitution. 

16.  Proceedings of the Management Committee

16.1.    The Management Committee shall hold at least 1 meeting each year.

16.2.    Questions and issues arising at a meeting must be decided by a majority of votes.

16.3.    Each Management Committee member shall have one vote.  In the event of an equality of votes, the person chairing the meeting shall have a casting vote.

16.4.    No decision may be made by a meeting of the Management Committee unless a quorum is present at the time the decision is purported to be made.

16.5.    The quorum shall be not less than at least half of the Management Committee members, which must include two Officers.

16.6.    A Management Committee member shall not be counted in the quorum present when any decision is made about a matter upon which that Management Committee member is not entitled to vote.

16.7.    If the number of Management Committee members is less than the number fixed as the quorum, the continuing Management Committee member(s) may act only for the purpose of filling vacancies or of calling a general meeting.

16.8.    The person elected as the Chair shall chair meetings of the Management Committee.

16.9.    If the Chair is unwilling to preside or is not present within ten minutes after the time appointed for the meeting, the Management Committee members present may appoint one of their number to chair that meeting.

16.10. All or any of the Management Committee members may participate in meetings via conference call facilities or other virtual means.  A Management Committee member participating remotely shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting and shall be entitled to vote and be counted in a quorum accordingly.

16.11. A resolution in writing signed by all the Management Committee members entitled to receive notice of a meeting of the Management Committee and to vote upon the resolution shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Management Committee duly convened and held.

16.12. The resolution in writing may comprise several documents containing the text of resolution in like form each signed by one or more Management Committee members and may be in electronic form.

17.  Conflicts of interest

17.1.    A Management Committee member must:

a          declare the nature and extent of any interest, direct or indirect, in which they have in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the Club or in any transaction or arrangement entered into by the Club which has not been previously declared; and 

b          absent themselves from any discussion of the Committee in which it is possible that a conflict will arise between their duty to act solely in the interest of the Club and any personal interest (including but not limited to any personal financial interest).

17.2.    Any Management Committee member absenting themselves from any discussion in accordance with clause 17.1.b must not vote or be counted as part of the quorum in any decision of the Committee on the matter.

18.  Delegation

18.1.    The Management Committee may delegate any of their powers or functions to a group of two or more Members but the terms of any such delegation must be recorded in the meeting minutes where such delegation was approved.  

18.2.    The Management Committee may impose conditions when delegating, including the conditions that:

a          the relevant powers are to be exercised exclusively by the group to whom they delegate;

b          no expenditure may be incurred on behalf of the Club except in accordance with a budget previously agreed with the Management Committee.

18.3.    The Management Committee may revoke or alter a delegation.

18.4.    All acts and proceedings of any groups must be fully and promptly reported to the Management Committee.

19.  Discipline and Appeals

19.1.    All complaints regarding the behaviour of Members should be presented and submitted in writing to the Secretary.

19.2.    The Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 21 days of a complaint being lodged.  The Management Committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.

19.3.    The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the Member against whom the complaint was made within 14 days of the hearing.

19.4.  There will be the right of appeal to a specially formed sub-group following disciplinary action being announced.  The sub-group should consider the appeal within 14 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal.

20.  Dissolution

20.1.    If the Management Committee resolve that the Objects of the Club can no longer be fulfilled, the Management Committee will convene a special general meeting of the Club to consider the winding up and dissolution of the Club.

20.2.    Any liabilities at the time of dissolution shall be the joint responsibility of all Members if the assets of the Club are not sufficient.

20.3.    If the Club is dissolved and after all of its debts and liabilities have been satisfied there remains any property or assets these shall not be paid or distributed amongst the Members, but shall be applied in one or more of the following ways:

a          donating them to UK Cave Rescue or UK Mountain Rescue

b          transferring them to another organisation with similar aims to the Objects

Signed: Teddy Ng

Position:  President

Signed: Dan Hunt

Position: Treasurer

Accepted unanimous at the AGM on the 1st February 2025.

1. All members are required to pay BCA Insurance either via The Subterranean Exploration Club or another club or as a Direct BCA member. If this is not to be collected by The Subterranean Exploration Club, the member must inform the Membership Secretary of the method of payment.

2. The Subterranean Exploration Club or any individual member thereof will not be held responsible for any accident caused through any fault in ladders, ropes or any other cause whatsoever whilst the person concerned is taking part in any activity organised by Subterranean Exploration Club or it's individual members.

3. It is expected that the name of The Subterranean Exploration Club be upheld. Any member whose behaviour falls short of this in so far as to bring disrepute upon the club or to cause endangerment or distress to other members and their guests and/or members of the public and their property shall be summoned to appear before the Committee to explain their actions. It will be The Committees decision on the appropriate action to take after all the evidence has been considered. This could range from a warning, to suspension of membership for a period of time or dismissal from The Subterranean Exploration Club. The member concerned would have right of appeal to The Annual General meeting.

Scope

This privacy policy tells you about the kinds of data we obtain about you, how we use it, and why, so please make sure you read it. When we talk about our “services”, we mean the Subterranean Exploration Club (SubEx) website and services we provide through the Subterranean Exploration Club and by other means.

We may provide further disclosures for some services, and these should be read in addition to this notice.

Our services may contain links to external sites (eg Facebook, Instagram). We do not control these sites and encourage you to read their privacy notices.

We have broken this privacy policy down into sections relevant to different groups of people:

• Website Vistors

• SubEx Members (current and lapsed)

Website Vistors

Your Consent

By using our site, you consent to our privacy policy.

What information do we collect?

When you use our services, we collect data. You give us data when using our services (such as your name or email address) and some data we collect automatically.

We collect only the data necessary for specific purposes that the law allows.

Data you provide to us.

To use our services, you must share some of your data with us. For example, you may provide data to book accomodation, arrange a caving trip or through the contact forms. Typically, you might share things like:

• Name or username

• Email address

• Address

• Phone number

Where you provide us data you do so on your own behalf, or where providing us with someone else’s data, that you have their consent to do so.

You may also choose to share other data with us, such as comments, interests, likes and dislikes.

Data we collect about you.

When you use our services, we collect some data automatically. The data we collect will depend on the service you use, but it includes things like:

• Cookies and other online IDs

• Website visit length, clicks, page views, and other actions

• ISP and IP address

• Device and browser data

• Emails from us you have opened and / or clicked

Data we create.

We may combine the data we have to create new data. The data we create about you will depend on your use of our services, but it may include:

• Approximate location

• Inferences about your interests and product preferences

• Interest cohorts

• Linked devices

Please note: We do not use the data we collect to infer sensitive data about you.

How do we use your data?

We use data for purposes connected with serving you and running our club.

• To personalize your experience (your information helps us to better respond to your individual needs)

• To improve our website (we continually strive to improve our website offerings based on the information and feedback we receive from you)

• To send periodic emails

• To book accomodation.

• To arrange caving trips.

• To do the things that are necessary for running our club.

• To enable you to use social sharing tools.

• To complete data rights requests you have made.

Your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent, other than for the express purpose of delivering the service requested.

How do we protect your information?

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you submit a request or access your personal information.

How do we use cookies?

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. Learn more at https://policies.google.com/technologies/cookies.

SubEx Members

The infomation below is in addition to and includes all the the Website Vistor information details listed above.

Your Consent

By subscribing to the SubEx, you consent to our Privacy Policy.

What information do we collect?

Data you provide to us.

In addition to the vistors infomation collected data we also collect and store the following infomation:

• SubEx membership number

• British Caving Association (BCA) membership number

• Post Address

• Email Address

• Phone Numbers

• Images

• Membership Infomation

• Contributions

• Mailing infomation

• Leader and Caving Qualifications

• Subscription data

• Demographics

We collect information from you when you register on our site or fill out a form such as a membership application.

Any data we request that is not required will be specified as voluntary or optional.

Data we collect about you.

When you interact witih the club we may store that infomation. Typically this will be around communications about membership matters, such as:

• payment receipts

• communication preferences

• option preferences

• miscellaneous notes

Data we create.

We may combine the data we have to create new data. The data we create about you will depend on your use of our services, but it may include:

• postal location

How do we use your infomation?

For our members we will use the email address you provide for our mailing list, subscription updates pertaining to your membership, in addition to receiving occasional Club news or information, etc.

Note: If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, please contact us at the email address below. 

We may also use your data to provide services between club members. This includes:

• SubEx Members' Directory.

• Sharing data between members with joint discounts.

• Sharing contact data between members.

Your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent, other than for the express purpose of delivering the purchased product or service requested.

Information we share with other parties

To be a member of the SubEx you must also have a valid British Caving Association membership. To enable this we share limited information with the BCA for this purpose. As a SubEx member you must consent to this data exchange.

Do we disclose any information to other outside parties?

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to other outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

Online / Offline Privacy Policy

This online Privacy Policy applies to information collected through our website and to information collected offline.

Data Retention

Once a member lapses, we retain sufficient information to identify the previous member. This allows the previous membership number to be used again if the member re-joins. This infomation includes:

• Name

• SubEx membership details

• BCA membership details

• Images

• Historical contact details

• Data stored on our membership database

What rights do you have over your data?

The SubEx tries to be as open as it can be in terms of giving people access to their personal information. Individuals can find out if we hold any personal information by asking us. This is formally known as a ‘subject access request’ under the Data Protection Act 1998. If we do hold information about you we will:

• give you a description of it

• tell you why we are holding it

• tell you who it could be disclosed to

• let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form

To make a request to the SubEx for any personal information we may hold you need to put the request in writing to the email address provided below.

If you agree, we will try to deal with your request informally, for example by providing you with the specific information you need over the telephone.

If we do hold information about you, you can ask us to correct any mistakes or delete your data. You can find out more about the rights you have at https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/.

We may make a charge of up to £10 for a request.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page.

Contacting Us

If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using the information below.

Email: info@subexclub.com