Woolly Hugs’ Social Media Policy

Social media is essential to the success of communicating Woolly Hugs’ work. It is important to participate in social media to engage with our audience, participate in relevant conversations and raise the profile of Woolly Hugs’ work.

This policy sets out guidelines on how social media should be used to support the delivery and promotion of Woolly Hugs’ while protecting the charity and its reputation and preventing any legal issues.

Point of contact for social media

GINNY BLAKE (Trustee) is responsible for the day-to-day publishing, monitoring and management of our social media channels..No other staff member can post content on Woolly Hugs’ official channels without the permission of the designated trustee.

Which social media channels do we use?

Woolly Hugs uses the following social media channels:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok

We use these to share images of work received, share information and events, interact with our online base and promoting our charity. 

Using Woolly Hugs’ social media channels appropriate conduct

1. GINNY BLAKE  is responsible for setting up and managing Woolly Hugs’ social media channels. Only those authorised to do so by her will have access to these accounts.

2. We check messages on social media at least once a day Monday to Friday. 

3. Posts on social media act as ambassadors for our charity. Posts should reflect Woolly Hugs’ values and use our tone of voice.

4. All social media content must have a purpose and a benefit for Woolly Hugs.

5. All social media content must bring value to our audience(s). Answer their questions, help and engage with them

6. We must take care with the presentation of content. Make sure that there are no typos, misspellings or grammatical errors. Also check the quality of images.

7. We must always pause and think before posting. That said, reply to comments in a timely manner, when a response is appropriate.

8. We must always check facts. We should take reasonable steps where necessary to seek verification, for example, by checking data/statistics and being wary of photo manipulation.

9. We will be honest. 

10. We will refrain from offering personal opinions via Woolly Hugs’ social media accounts, either directly by commenting or indirectly by ‘liking’, ‘sharing’ or ‘retweeting’.

11. Woolly Hugs will not encourage others to risk their personal safety or that of others, to gather materials. For example, a video of a stunt. 

12. No one should  set up other Facebook groups or pages, Twitter accounts or any other social media channels on behalf ofWoolly Hugs. This could confuse messaging and brand awareness. By having official social media accounts in place, Woolly Hugs’ trustees can ensure consistency of the brand and focus on building a strong following.

16.Woolly Hugs is not a political organisation and does not hold a view on party politics or have any affiliation with or links to political parties.We will not promote personal views in our social media posting.

Copyright law

It is critical that all social media posts abide by the laws governing copyright, under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. We will never use or adapt someone else’s images or written content without permission. Failing to acknowledge the source/author/resource citation, where permission has been given to reproduce content, is also considered a breach of copyright.

Discrimination and harassment

We will not not post content that could be considered discriminatory against, or bullying or harassment of, any individual. For example:

  • making offensive or derogatory comments relating to sex, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief
  • using social media to bully another individual
  • posting images that are discriminatory or offensive or links to such content

Under 18s and vulnerable people

Young and vulnerable people face risks when using social networking sites. They may be at risk of being bullied, publishing sensitive and personal information on their profiles, or from becoming targets for online grooming. 

Where known, when communicating with young people under 18-years-old via social media, we will  ensure the online relationship with Woolly Hugs follows the same rules as the offline ‘real-life’ relationship. We will ensure that young people have been made aware of the risks of communicating and sharing information online, and given guidance on security/privacy settings as necessary. We will nsure that our site itself is suitable for the young person and [Woolly Hugs content and other content is appropriate for all.. Please refer to our Safeguarding Policy too.

Copyright © 2024 Woolly Hugs. Charity registration number: 1167411. All rights reserved.