THE INSIDE TREK CODE OF RESPONSIBILITY

“WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY
For everyone in our care
And for everything we rely and depend on”

Because we believe that taking responsibility in everything we do at The Inside Trek is essential to our sustainable long-term future.

Here is what ‘Being Responsible’ means here at The Inside Trek. This is a core part of what makes us a responsible hiking business

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVERYONE’S SAFETY

• All our routes will have had a full risk assessment carried out, copies of which will be available to any group member who wants to see the one for their route
• All our routes will have been approved by a qualified Hill & Moorland Leader, who has walked that route
• All our hikes will be led by a qualified Hill & Moorland Leader, who has previously walked the route for that hike
• All our trek leaders have First Aid qualifications, which are refreshed at least every three years
• The leader of each hike will always be carrying:
  • a full copy of the applicable OS map for the area the group is hiking, plus at least two paper copies of the specific area for the route
  • a first aid kit
  • a group shelter that is large enough to accommodate all members of the group plus the leader
  • a GPS tracker beacon that enables our Operations Base to know the location of each group
  • all other safety equipment as recommended by Mountaineering Ireland
• Every person on one of our treks will receive a copy of the map with the route of that trek marked on it, along with a compass if they want one
• We will provide all of the required equipment identified in our risk assessment for each trek, and the trek leader will insist on all members of the group carrying and using that equipment
• The trek leader will always navigate first and foremost using a compass and map (as those tools do not depend on battery life and are not adversely affected by cold weather)
• We will always use the Viewranger app to electronically plot and circulate our routes before hand, and supplement our maps and compasses when on the hills
• Our Operations Base will always have both the route plan, and an estimated return time for every trek we lead, and they will contact Mountain Rescue if contact with the group cannot be made within ten minutes of that return time
• We will always check the latest weather forecasts before leaving for a trek
• We will never be afraid to turn back on a trek, should weather conditions change rapidly (especially on mountains and along the coast)
• We will always have full professional indemnity insurance to the value of £1,000,000 and public liability to the value of £5,000,000
• All our members of staff (whether indoors or outdoors) will be members of either Mountaineering Ireland, the British Mountaineering Council or the Mountain Training Association
• Every member of The Inside Trek staff will have had a Criminal Records check carried out by AccessNI within the last two years
• We specifically will not do mountaineering or venture into areas that are outside the scope of the Mountain Training Association’s Hill & Moorland Leader qualification
• We will never, ever agree to any activity, route or action that we are not comfortable with from a safety perspective, and will always alter our plans accordingly, even if that means missing out on a key attraction that day

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GROUND WE HIKE ON

• We will always apply both the fundamental “Respect – Protect – Enjoy” tenets and the specific recommendations of The Countryside Code:
  • On our hikes, we will always respect the local community and other people enjoying the outdoors – in particular
    • we will always leave gates and property as we find them
    • we will always follow advice and local signs
    • we will always leave machinery and farm animals alone –even if we think an animal is in distress, we will not interfere with animals but will try to alert the farmer instead
    • we will always co-operate with people at work in the countryside
    • we will always follow directions from farmers and landowners
    • we will always keep out of the way when farm animals are being gathered or moved
    • we will always keep any dogs in our group under effective control
  • We will always protect the natural environment:
    • We will always take our litter home
    • We will always follow paths, unless wider access is clearly available (such as on open country or registered common land)
    • We will always use gates, stiles or gaps in field boundaries if we can – to avoid damaging walls, hedges and fences and increasing the risk of farm animals escaping
    • We will always be careful not to disturb ruins and historic sites
    • We will always be careful with naked flames and cigarettes
    • We will always give all animals plenty of space, especially if they’re with their young, as they can behave unpredictably if you get too close
    • We will always seek to leave no trace of our visit
  • We will apply “Plastic Patrol” on each of our hikes:
    • We will always seek to use refilled re-useable non-plastic containers as far as possible
    • We will always take all of our plastic back home with us
    • We will always endeavour to collect at least one piece of discarded plastic per person in the group that we find on our trek, and dispose of it responsibly

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PLANET WE LIVE ON

• The Inside Trek will always be a B Corporation, so we are held to account over delivering on our commitment to do things in a better more responsible, fully sustainable way
• With our commitment to Tourism Declares, we have declared a Climate Emergency and so we will always explore ways to reduce the carbon emitted from our activities. We accept our responsibility to tell the truth, act now, and work together to help turn it around
• We will monitor and record the waste we produce, so we know where and by how much we need to improve towards our goal of “zero waste”
• We will always have a formal commitment to pay at least 1% of our net profits to a charity that shares our goals, ambitions and attitudes (currently 1% For The Planet)
• We will never knowingly use any products that are tested on animals
• We will never operate in prohibited areas or conflict zones
• We will never support or endorse, directly or indirectly, any practices or outcomes that produce substantial negative environmental impact

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY WE OPERATE WITHIN

• We will always seek to buy local – wherever possible, we will look for a local provider close to the Copper Barn for everything that we require and, at the very least, will always give that local provider the ability to match the best terms we have found for those goods or services before we procure them from a non-local provider
• We will always seek to buy independent – wherever possible, we will look for an independent provider for anything that we require and, at the very least, we will always give that independent provider the ability to match the best terms we have found for those goods or services before we procure them from a non-independent provider
• We will always seek to buy locally sourced – wherever possible, we will buy the product or service that is made closest to our base, over one that comes from further away, both to support our local businesses and to reduce the number of miles those products need to travel
• We will have a formal Charity Policy that will always include at least one charity from our local area within its beneficiaries
• We will never support or endorse, directly or indirectly, any practices or outcomes that produce substantial negative impacts regarding our local community

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COUNTRY THAT SUPPORTS US

• We will always comply with all laws, in spirit, not just in the letter of the law
• We will always pay all our taxes – including income/corporation tax, VAT, PAYE – willingly, and without structuring or positioning ourselves in order to seek to avoid it, because we recognise and value the benefit we receive from the services our local and central governments provide
• We will always hold any licence, certification or accreditation that is required or highly recommended in every area that we operate in

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVERYONE IN OUR TEAM

• We will always apply and abide by the UK Equality Act 2010, even though it has no legal effect in Northern Ireland, as we do not agree with Northern Ireland being exempt from such a crucial (and self evident) act
• We will always pay at least a Living Wage for a family to anyone working for or in ‘The Inside Trek’
• We will never use bonded labour, child labour, zero hours contracts, or labour that does not have the required permissions to work in Northern Ireland
• We will never require or pressurise anyone working for or in ‘The Inside Trek’ to have to undertake overtime
• We will never prohibit or bar collective bargaining or representation among anyone working for or in ‘The Inside Trek’
• We will always protect and secure all employee data, as if it was our own, and will never, ever sell any data to third parties
• All our job specifications and ads will always contain an explicit commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and will use equitable and inclusive language
• We will always use “blind recruitment” processes (i.e. where all personally identifiable information such as name, age, gender and ethnicity has been redacted) in the first stage of considering all applications we receive for any job position
• We will never support or endorse, directly or indirectly, any practices or outcomes that produce substantial negative impacts regarding human rights or labour conditions

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THOSE PARTNERS WE WORK WITH

• When buying goods and services, we will always select providers and contractors based on the quality of the products and services that are being provided, without favouritism, so we promote fair competition and provide a level playing field to economic competitors
• We will always only give or accept gifts and hospitality where there is a business benefit, and where the offers are made openly and do not create an actual or apparent conflict of interest or any expectation or obligation, as we believe that business decisions should be taken
• We will always be open about our dealings with any connected parties, as we do not believe in treating anyone more favourably just because they are connected to The Inside Trek or one of our team
• We will always protect and secure all supplier and partner data, as if it was our own, and will never, ever sell any data to third parties

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE BUSINESS MARKET WE AND OUR COMPETITORS OPERATE IN

• We will never be a party to the making or receipt of illegal payments, however big or small, as we believe that bribery or corruption of any kind destroys the integrity and ethical foundations of business
• We will always respect the custody of assets & information, and will not use or exploit another company’s property without permission
• We will never make donations to any political party
• We will always openly disclose the full beneficial ownership of The Inside Trek
• We will openly disclose all memberships and affiliations of every beneficial owner of 5% or more in The Inside Trek

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR GUESTS’ EXPERIENCE

• We will never try to pretend things are what they aren’t, or cover things up. We will always be authentic, open and transparent
• We will always protect and secure all customer data, as if it was our own, and will never, ever sell any data to third parties
• Every member of every group will always be given both Andrew’s mobile number, and the mobile number for the leader of their tour, to call in the case of emergency or issue at any time
• At the end of each trip, every member of every group will always be asked to provide confidential comments on their experience, via an independently operated and verified feedback and rating opportunity tool
• We will always display, unfiltered, on our website all TripAdvisor comments about The Inside Trek

This Code formally sets out and records The Inside Trek’s commitment to showing that there’s a different, fairer, more responsible way of doing business. It is fundamental to us the responsible hiking business that we want to be.  Adherence to this Code is expected from all The Inside Trek team members, including all our employees and contractors. We also expect all of our suppliers, consultants and other representatives to recognise their responsibility as well.

If there is ever any doubt about what the right thing to do is in order to comply with the Code, we expect everyone connected with our hiking business to err on the side of caution and make sure they take Responsibility.

The Inside Trek will always support any actions when they comply with this Code of Responsibility, even if there is an adverse business consequence.

At The Inside Trek, we are a responsible hiking business. At The Inside Trek, we ARE responsible.

Andrew Magowan
Founder
The Inside Trek