Code of Conduct

The Manchester AI Guild is committed to a respectful, responsible and trustworthy community. This Code sets out the standards we expect from everyone representing the Guild, and explains how to raise a concern.

This Code is the Guild's high-level standard of conduct. It sets the principles everyone works to, how to raise a concern and what happens when someone falls short. The policies named in this Code hold the detail.

It applies to all Guild members, Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members, volunteers and service providers working with or for the Guild, wherever they represent the Guild.

Everyone this Code applies to will:

• Act with integrity and honesty.
• Treat everyone with respect and dignity. No harassment or discrimination.
• Use AI ethically and responsibly. Do not promote AI where the harm outweighs the benefit.
• Protect confidential information and personal data. Share only what you are allowed to share.
• Declare and manage conflicts of interest.
• Give impartial, practical advice, and say where your knowledge ends.
• Represent the Guild accurately, and credit others for their work.
• Follow the law and Guild policies.

Everyone this Code applies to confirms that they have read it and will follow it:

• When they join the Guild.
• When they take up an SLT role.
• Before a service provider starts work for the Guild.

Confirmation is renewed every year.

Everyone this Code applies to follows it and confirms this under section 3.

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) approves this Code and each review of it, and decides any breach under section 6.

The Risk & Governance Director, Edwin Luther, receives concerns.
The Data Protection Lead, Trevor Roberts, acts as secondary and advises on personal data.

Report a concern to any SLT member, or to report@manchesteraiguild.com.

We acknowledge every report within 5 working days. We handle concerns fairly and keep them confidential as far as the investigation allows.

Nobody faces retaliation for raising a concern in good faith. The Complaints and data rights procedure and the Speaking up policy set out the steps.

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) responds to a breach in proportion to what happened. The response ranges from a private warning to removal from the Guild or ending a service agreement. Nobody takes part in a decision about a concern that involves them.

Reports, questions and personal data requests: report@manchesteraiguild.com.

We review this Code as often as is reasonable, and at least once every 12 months. We review it sooner after a serious incident or a significant change to the Guild. The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) approves each review. A Manchester AI Guild member who did not draft this Code QA reviews it first.

• Membership terms
• Complaints and data rights procedure
• Speaking up policy
• Conflicts of interest policy
• Privacy notice
• Safeguarding policy
• Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Contributor Covenant (2021) Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct, version 2.1. [online].
Available at: https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/2/1/code_of_conduct/ [Accessed 2 November 2026]. Parts of this Code are adapted from it.