Complaints Policy

The Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show (“The Show”) views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.

We undertake to:

Provide a fair procedure for complaints which is easy to use
To make sure our staff and volunteers know what to do if a complaint is received
To investigate in a fair and timely way
To resolve complaints where possible
To gather information to help us improve

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of The Show, its competitions, the event itself, its fundraising or its management. This policy does not cover complaints from employed staff, who should refer to The Show’s internal policy on such matters.

Complaints will be handled sensitively, following any relevant data protection requirements.

Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation is with the board of trustees, The Show Council.

This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required.

Competition complaints are generally dealt with under the General Regulations in the relevant competition schedule. Other complaints will be resolved by the staff in the Show Office with reference to The Show’s various committees and relevant trustees where appropriate. The ultimate arbiter of a complaint is The Show’s Council of Trustees.

Complaints Procedure

Written complaints should be sent to Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show at The Old Dairy, Wintersell Farm, Dwelly Lane, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6QD or can be sent by email to info@edenbridge-show.co.uk. Verbal complaints may be made by phone to 01342 832307 or made in person to any of The Show’s staff or trustees. Complaints may also arrive through a direct message function on social media channels.

Complaints made in person or by telephone must be recorded in writing by the person receiving the complaint. This person should record:

The facts of the complaint
The complainant’s name and contact details
The relationship of the complainant to The Show – ie competitor, sponsor, trade stand, visitor
Where appropriate they should request that the complainant sends a written account of the complaint by post or email so the complaint is recorded in their own words.

The General Regulations of The Show’s competitions apply across all sections and should be the first point of reference for a relevant complaint. These regulations are included in each competition schedule which is found on The Show’s website, in The Show’s event catalogue and online. The Chief Steward of each section will also have a copy of the regulations to hand. These regulations detail the procedure that should be followed, and competitors are reminded that the decision of the judge is final.

For a complaint of a different nature, the following procedure should be followed.

On receiving the complaint, the Show Director or Event Manager records the complaint in the complaints logbook.
If the matter is not already resolved the Show Director will identify and if necessary delegate an appropriate person to investigate it and take action. Any complaint about the Show Director will be investigated and acted upon by the Show Chairman.
Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within five working days. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply.
Whether the complaint is justified or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation and where appropriate any action taken as a result of the complaint.

Many areas of The Show are overseen by a committee made up of volunteers and trustees. Where this is the case a relevant complaint may be discussed at sub-committee level for ruling and response. A sub-committee can escalate a response request to Management Committee which can then escalate to Show Council if required. The decision taken at this level is final unless the trustees decide to seek external assistance with resolution.

Complaints to external bodies about our charity can be made by following the relevant link here: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

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