Terms of Service

2. About Civic Shift and Civic Bridge

Civic Shift is a non-profit organisation operating in the United Kingdom. Civic Bridge is a speaker-school matchmaking platform operated by Civic Shift, connecting speakers from public life with schools for educational events. Civic Shift acts as a facilitator only — we do not employ speakers, and we are not party to any agreement reached between speakers and schools through the platform.

3. User Accounts

You must provide accurate, complete, and current information when registering. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and for all activity that occurs under your account. You may not share your account with others or create multiple accounts. Notify us immediately at hello@civicshift.org.uk if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account. School registrations require verification by a named teacher. Submitting false details — including a teacher's email address without their knowledge — is a breach of these terms and may result in immediate account termination.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the platform only for its intended purpose: facilitating civic education connections between speakers and schools. You must not:

• Use the platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation.
• Post content that is false, misleading, defamatory, harassing, or offensive.
• Contact other users for purposes unrelated to civic education events.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to other accounts, systems, or data.
• Use the platform to promote any political party, candidate, or partisan agenda.
• Interfere with or disrupt the operation of the platform or its underlying infrastructure.
• Scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the platform without prior written consent.

Civic Shift reserves the right to suspend or permanently terminate accounts that breach these terms, without notice where necessary.

5. Young People and School Pupils

Civic Bridge is open to school pupils aged 13 and over. Pupils under 18 must have their registration verified by a named, registered teacher before they can access the platform. This verification process is a safeguarding measure, not merely an administrative one. Civic Shift does not knowingly permit children under 13 to register. If you become aware that a person under 13 has registered, please contact us immediately. Teacher verifiers are responsible for ensuring that registrations they approve are genuine and appropriate.

6. Speaker Commitments

Speakers using Civic Bridge agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information about their background, expertise, and affiliations.
• Respond to school enquiries within a reasonable time and communicate clearly if unable to attend a confirmed event.
• Conduct themselves professionally and in accordance with the school's safeguarding and visitor policies at all events.
• Maintain political neutrality in presentations — Civic Bridge is a non-partisan platform.

7. Content and Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of content you submit to the platform, including profile information, biographies, and event descriptions. By submitting content, you grant Civic Shift a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display, reproduce, and distribute that content on the platform and in related communications (such as newsletters or event listings). You warrant that you have the right to grant this licence and that your content does not infringe any third-party rights. Civic Shift's own content — including its name, logo, wordmark, and website design — is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written consent.

8. Data Protection

Your personal data is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms. Civic Shift processes personal data as a controller under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. By using the platform you confirm that you have read and understood how we process your data.

9. Limitation of Liability

Civic Bridge is a facilitation platform. Civic Shift does not guarantee the outcome of any speaker-school connection, the accuracy of speaker profiles, the suitability of any speaker for a particular event, or that the platform will be available without interruption. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Civic Shift shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential loss arising from your use of the platform. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

10. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time to reflect changes in the law, the platform, or our operating practices. We will notify registered users of any material changes by email and will update the “Last updated” date above. Continued use of the platform after changes have taken effect constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

11. Governing Law

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales. Any dispute arising from or in connection with these terms or your use of the platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.