1. About the Project

Together Through the Lens is a community photography and storytelling project delivered by Westmorland and Furness Council on behalf of the Westmorland and Furness Community Safety Partnership.

The project aims to celebrate everyday life across Westmorland and Furness, encourage positive storytelling, strengthen understanding between communities, and create a lasting record of contemporary life across the area.

Photographs and stories may be used in online galleries, exhibitions, community engagement activities, educational materials, publications and, where appropriate, retained as part of a long-term social history archive.

2. Who Can Participate?

Participation is open to:

• Individuals who live, work, study or volunteer in Westmorland and Furness.
• Community groups.
• Charities.
• Schools, colleges and youth organisations.
• Cultural and heritage organisations.
• Faith organisations.
• Sports and recreation groups.
• Social enterprises.
• Voluntary and community organisations.

3. Submission Requirements

By submitting photographs, stories or other material, you confirm that:

• You created the material or have permission from the copyright owner to submit it.
• The material has been obtained lawfully and safely.
• The material does not knowingly infringe copyright, intellectual property rights, data protection rights or privacy rights.
• Any accompanying information is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
• You have considered the privacy, dignity and safety of any individuals featured.
• Appropriate permission has been obtained where required.
• You understand that some images may reveal personal information relating to religion, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, health or other protected characteristics.

Organisations submitting material confirm that they have authority to do so and that all necessary permissions have been obtained.

4. Copyright and Permission to Use Submitted Material

Copyright remains with the original creator.

By submitting material, you grant Westmorland and Furness Council and the Community Safety Partnership a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licence to:

• Display submissions on the Together Through the Lens website.
• Include submissions in online galleries.
• Display submissions in physical and digital exhibitions.
• Use submissions in project reports, evaluation and monitoring.
• Use submissions in community engagement and educational activities.
• Use submissions in publicity and promotional materials connected with the project.
• Retain and use submissions for long-term archive, heritage and social history purposes connected to the aims of the project.

Submitted material will not be sold to third parties.

5. Images Featuring People

If identifiable people appear in a submission, the person or organisation making the submission is responsible for ensuring that:

• Appropriate permission has been obtained where required.
• Publication would not unfairly impact the privacy of those featured.
• The image would not reasonably be expected to cause distress, embarrassment or harm.

The Council may request evidence that permissions have been obtained before publication.

6. Children and Young People

The privacy, rights and safety of children and young people are particularly important.

Where children or young people appear in a submission:

• Appropriate consent should be obtained before submission.
• The best interests of the child must be considered.
• Unnecessary personal information should not be included.
• Additional safeguarding and moderation checks may be applied.

The Council reserves the right to decline publication of any submission involving children where safeguarding, privacy or consent concerns exist.

7. Safeguarding and Sensitive Content

Submissions may receive additional review where they include:

• Children and young people.
• Vulnerable individuals.
• Health or care settings.
• Religious activity or places of worship.
• Ethnic, cultural or identity-related themes.
• Pride events or LGBTQ+ related activity.
• Other material that may reveal sensitive personal information.

The Council may refuse publication where publication could create risk for any individual or group.

8. Unacceptable Content

The following content must not be submitted:

• Illegal content.
• Material promoting criminal activity.
• Threatening, abusive or harassing content.
• Content that promotes hatred or discrimination.
• Images that unnecessarily invade privacy.
• Material that breaches copyright.
• Commercial advertising.
• Content that may place people at risk.
• Misleading or deliberately false information.

The Council reserves the right to reject, remove or report content where appropriate.

9. Moderation

All submissions will be reviewed before publication.

Moderators will consider:

• Safeguarding.
• Privacy and data protection.
• Public safety.
• Suitability for public display.
• Accuracy and appropriateness of accompanying descriptions.
• Potential disclosure of sensitive personal information.

Submission does not guarantee publication, exhibition or inclusion in the archive.

The Council reserves the right to:

• Accept or reject submissions.
• Edit captions or descriptions for clarity and accessibility.
• Crop or format images for display purposes.
• Request additional information.
• Remove content where necessary.

10. Attribution

Contributors may choose how they are credited:

• Full name.
• First name only.
• Pseudonym.
•  Anonymous.

The Council reserves the right to withhold identifying information where publication could create a privacy, safeguarding or public interest concern.

11. Withdrawal of Submissions

Contributors may request withdrawal of a submission before publication.

Once material has been published, exhibited or incorporated into project records or archives, complete removal may not always be possible.

Requests made after publication will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking account of:

• Legal obligations.
• Public interest considerations.
• Archival value.
• Safeguarding responsibilities.
• Practical limitations relating to existing publications and exhibitions.

12. Reporting Concerns

Where submissions raise concerns relating to:

• Safeguarding.
• Public safety.
• Criminal activity.
• Risk of harm to individuals.

The Council may retain and share information with relevant authorities where lawful and necessary.

13. Privacy and Data Protection

Personal information submitted as part of the project will be processed in accordance with the Together Through the Lens Privacy Notice.

The Privacy Notice explains:

• What information is collected.
• Why it is collected.
• How it will be used.
• Who it may be shared with.
• Retention periods.
• Individual rights under UK GDPR.

Together Through The Lens privacy notice (PDF , 200KB)

14. Liability

Westmorland and Furness Council accepts no responsibility for:

• Errors contained within submitted information.
• Copyright breaches caused by submitters.
• Loss arising from reliance on submitted content.
• Temporary unavailability of project websites or systems.