LINKS

Before you access any of the web-sites listed on this page, please refer to our Safe Surfing Tips below:

Useful sites

Swimming Equipment Shopping

Priory Sports, Christchurch *

* Don't forget to take your Seagulls membership card to receive a 

10% discount on swimming goods

Online BBC Swimming Videos

 SAFE SURFING TIPS

How to use the Web wisely

We want you to enjoy using the Seagulls site, but there are also hidden dangers from using the internet.  So we want to keep all of our members safe and sound and so here are 10 Golden Rules to make sure you keep safe while you are online.  Please take a few moments to read these before you go on-line

1. Never use your real name in chat rooms – pick a special online nickname.

2. Keep your passwords private - even from your friends! Your online service will never ask for them, so neither should anyone else!!

3. Never ever tell anyone personal things about yourself or your family – like your address or telephone number, or the school or clubs you go to. That goes for sending them photos as well (that way if you don’t want to hear from them again, you only have to log off).  Remember, even if somebody tells you about themselves, never tell them things about you or your family.

4. NEVER make plans to meet up with an 'online' friend in person - Not everyone is as nice and funny as they seem and you can never be sure that people are telling the truth about who they are and why they want to meet you. If you do want to meet up with your online friend in person then make sure you take a trusted adult you already know and meet in a public place. If your online friend is genuine they will be happy for you to do this.

5.  Never respond to nasty or rude messages - and never send any either! If you feel suspicious or uncomfortable about the way a conversation is going, or if it’s getting really personal, save a record of it and stop the conversation. That way you can show someone and ask what they think.   When in doubt always ask for help or log out if you are not sure - You can always go back online later.

6. Tell someone - Always tell an adult, like a parent or teacher, about any nasty, threatening or bad language that you see when you’re online, or if somebody says something that makes you feel funny or uncomfortable or unsafe. 

7. Don’t accept things from strangers - In the offline world you wouldn’t accept things from strangers and the same goes for the online world.  This includes emails, attachments, links or website addresses which can often lead to your PC being bombarded with lots of emails from other strangers or companies.  And avoid opening emails or attachments from strangers if you want to keep your PC safe and well - many PC viruses often come from emails so it’s best to avoid opening them.

8. Avoid sites that are meant for adults - You might be curious, but sometimes these sites can be difficult to get out of, they can cost more on the phone bill, and they can detect your email address and start sending you stuff you really don’t want to get.  If you see rude pictures where they shouldn’t be, always let an adult know so they can get them removed.

9. Agree some rules with your parents or carers about what you can and can’t do on the Net.  It’ll save arguments later.

10. Don’t let the Net take over your life - Keep up your other interests and try and use the Internet with friends and family, not just on your own.

Parents

For further information on Safe Surfing, take a look at the Childnet International site at http://www.childnet-int.org/ and their associated sites, including Chatdanger at http://www.chatdanger.com/.

A number of tools exist, such as Net Nanny, to help parents manage their children's online experience, including hardware and software programs that provide filtering options.  For further information, see the link for the 'Parents Information Network' opposite.

 Sources:  www.nspcc.org.uk, www.childline.org.uk