These Community Terms apply when you create or operate a Friendly Community account — a charity, NHS service, council, library, support group, volunteer organisation or similar non-profit / public-good body. They are in addition to our general Terms of Service and Privacy Policy — where there is a conflict for community accounts, these Community Terms take precedence. By creating a community account you agree to all three.
1. Who can hold a community account
A community account is for genuine organisations whose purpose is to help people connect, reduce loneliness, improve wellbeing, provide support, or run community activities — for example NHS boards and trusts, GP surgeries and health centres, councils, libraries, registered charities, volunteer organisations, community centres, support groups, parent & baby groups, Men's Sheds, recovery groups, mental-health groups and similar. You must be authorised to act for the organisation you register, be 18 or older, and provide accurate information. Commercial businesses must use a Friendly Business account instead.
2. It's free — and stays free
Community accounts are free. We do not charge a subscription to verify your organisation, build your profile, appear on the Friendly Map, or publish events. There is no advertising and no payment between you and members through GetFriendly.
3. Verification & proof of registration
Before a community organisation can publish events or appear on the Friendly Map, we verify it by hand. You must provide documentary proof — for example a copy of your charity registration certificate, or an official NHS, council or organisation document — together with the details you give us (such as an official organisation email, charity number, or NHS/council name). Without acceptable proof we will not verify or list your organisation. We may approve, request more information, decline, or later withdraw verification at our discretion. Verification is a basic authenticity check — it is not an endorsement, accreditation or guarantee of your organisation by GetFriendly.
4. No commercial promotion
Community accounts exist to help people find support and connection — not to advertise. You may not use a community account to run commercial promotions, sell goods or services, advertise paid products, drive sales, or otherwise act as a business. Listings and events must be genuinely community-focused. If your activity is commercial, you must use a Friendly Business account. Misusing a free community account for commercial gain is a breach of these Terms and may result in removal.
5. Accurate listings
Your organisation name, description, location, logo and event details must be truthful and kept up to date. You must genuinely be the organisation you represent. Misrepresenting your organisation, or impersonating another, is a breach of these Terms and may result in suspension or removal.
6. Your events & your responsibility
You — not GetFriendly — are the organiser of any event you host. You are solely responsible for:
- The safety, lawfulness and conduct of your events and any premises you use.
- Holding any licences, permits, insurance, safeguarding policies and consents your activities require.
- Complying with health, safety, safeguarding, accessibility and all other applicable laws.
- Supervising attendees and handling anything that happens before, during or after an event.
This is especially important where your activities involve vulnerable people, children, health or support settings. GetFriendly does not organise, staff, supervise, inspect or insure your events, and is not liable for them. Listing an event on GetFriendly does not make us a co-organiser or partner in any legal sense.
7. Capacity & waitlists
You set each event's capacity. Spots are allocated first come, first served, and a waitlist may fill freed spots automatically. Community events are visible to everyone and are never placed behind a paywall.
8. Reviews
Where reviews are available, they come only from members who checked in at the event. You may not buy, exchange, fake or otherwise manipulate reviews, and you may not demand the removal of honest ones. Reviews are the opinions of members, not of GetFriendly.
9. Suspension & removal
We may pause, unverify, remove or delete a community account — and its events — at our discretion, including for breach of these Terms, misrepresentation, commercial misuse, unsafe conduct, or a credible report that an organisation is not what it claims to be. Where reasonable we'll tell you why. A suspended or removed organisation may not create a new account to get around this.
10. Data you handle
When members attend or check in at your events you may see limited information (such as a display name and that someone checked in). You must use that information only to run that event, keep it secure, not contact people for unrelated marketing without their consent, and comply with applicable data-protection law (including UK GDPR) for any personal data you collect directly. For that data you are an independent controller; you are not permitted to export, sell or repurpose member information from GetFriendly. The verification documents you upload are used solely to confirm your organisation's authenticity.
11. Brand use
You may say you are "on GetFriendly" or a "Verified Community Partner" while your account is active and verified. You may not use our name or logo in a way that implies endorsement, partnership or sponsorship beyond an ordinary listing, and you must stop if your account ends.
12. Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, GetFriendly is not liable for your events or any loss, injury or dispute arising between you and attendees or third parties. You agree to indemnify GetFriendly against claims arising from your organisation, your events, or your breach of these Terms. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law.
13. Changes
We may update these Community Terms. If changes are material we'll let you know in the app and update the date above. Continuing to use a community account after changes means you accept them.
14. Governing law
These Community Terms are governed by the laws of Scotland, United Kingdom, and disputes are subject to the courts of that jurisdiction, unless applicable law requires otherwise.
Questions about Community Terms? Email ewan@getfriendly.co.uk.