These terms and conditions form the basis of the contract through which Lactation Consultants of Great Britain ("LCGB", "we" or "us") will deliver membership services (the "Services") to you as a member of LCGB ("LCGB member" or "you").
LCGB is the professional voice of breastfeeding in Great Britain, is a registered charity and the professional association for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (“IBCLCs”). Those who apply to join as members of LCGB do not go through an assessment process.
Please read these terms and conditions carefully before applying to become an LCGB member. In consideration of us accepting your application to become an LCGB member and allowing you to access the site, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
1. Membership Benefits
Membership of LCGB will provide you with one of two levels of individual membership: IBCLC or Associate
IBCLC membership is only open to those whom hold a current IBCLC credential.
Associate membership is not available for those with a current IBCLC credential as this level if offered to non IBCLCs.
Associate membership also encompasses the following levels of membership;
Retired IBCLC – this is for those members who have previously been IBCLC members but no longer hold a current IBCLC credential.
Student membership – this ‘one-time’ reduced membership is offered by LCGB to Associate members during the year they plan to sit the IBCLC exam and requires additional application approval.
Sponsored membership – this free Associate membership is awarded by the LCGB, E.D&I team following a set application process
At times LCGB also awards Honorary memberships; this is a lifetime membership awarded to those who have been seen to have contributed greatly to LCGB and the lactation world.
As an LCGB member you will receive a wide range of benefits such as:
Full access to the members’ area of the LCGB website, [https://www.lcgb.org] (the "Site");
A variety of resources to help you gather Continuing Education Recognition Points
For IBCLCs, the right to be listed on the “Find an IBCLC” map directory facility
Access to special rates for LCGB webinars and events; and
The ability to exchange knowledge and professional experiences with the LCGB community via our network groups.
Membership packages may vary according to the level of individual membership.
We reserve the right to change the benefits which apply to LCGB membership at any time without prior notice.
Any external providers of a benefit included within your membership package will have absolute discretion in relation to the provision of services, and membership of the LCGB does not guarantee that the external provider will accept an application from an LCGB member for the provision of services.
Services supplied by an external provider will be subject to the provider’s own terms and conditions, and we do not accept any liability for loss or damage suffered as a result of a fault, error or omission in the provision of these services.
We reserve the right to change our external providers without prior notice and our decision on services provided is final.
Associate members may not vote, but have all other rights of membership except listing on the ‘Find an IBCLC’ facility’
2. The Individual Membership Contract
To become an LCGB ​member, follow the instructions on the membership pages of the Site. This application is an online process.
If you require the form in an alternative format please contact membership@lcgb.org
When you submit your online application to LCGB, you are making an offer to subscribe to LCGB which, if accepted by our membership team, will result in a legally binding contract.
At the point of renewal of your membership, your renewal payment is confirmation of the continued acceptance of this contract. You may not transfer any of your rights and obligations under these terms and conditions to another person.
Online Applications
For online applications you will either have sight of a confirmation page or receive an email. Acknowledgement that your application has been received and is being processed does not mean that your application has yet been accepted. Your individual membership with LCGB begins on the date when membership and any other fees have been paid in full and the LCGB membership secretary has approved your details.
Written/Verbal Applications
For applications made verbally or via a written application form or email, your individual membership will begin on the date we send your welcome pack/ email. Your individual membership with LCGB begins on the date when membership and any other fees have been paid in full and the LCGB membership secretary has approved your details.
Membership renewals
If you are already an LCGB member and wish to renew your membership, please log on to the members’ area of the Site and follow the instructions on how to renew. Do not complete the application form again as this might result in a duplicate membership record being created. If any of your personal information has changed please update this within your profile.
Lapsed memberships
If your individual membership has lapsed for a period of one month or more, you will be required to complete a new membership application. It is not possible to reinstate lapsed memberships online after your membership has expired.  Please contact the LCGB membership team to arrange payment at membership@lcgb.org
3. Cooling off period
You have a seven (7) working day cooling off period (As outlined in the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000)
from the date of confirmation of your new membership in which to cancel your subscription without penalty. You must notify us of your wish to cancel by contacting membership@lcgb.org
The cancellation right above only applies to new membership applications and does not apply to the renewals of existing memberships.
4. Right to refuse applications or downgrade applications
We reserve the right not to fulfil, or to cancel, your application if we are unable to obtain payment authorisation from the issuer of your credit/debit card or payment by other means.
LCGB membership upholds IBLCE’s Code of Professional Conduct - Principle 8: Comply with the IBLCE Disciplinary Procedures (https://iblce.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/code-of-professional-conduct.pdf )
If your individual membership application is accepted, but we subsequently discover that any or all of the information provided by you was misleading or false, we reserve the right to revoke your membership with immediate effect, without the right of appeal.
Membership levels and upgrades are granted by our membership team. We reserve the right to downgrade an application if following an initial application, it transpires the evidence we have received does not meet the assessment criteria. You have the right of appeal against the membership level offer if you believe it to be unjust. A review will be conducted with the decision of the assessing trustees then being final.
5. Individual members' obligations
As an LCGB member you warrant and represent to us and each other LCGB member that the following are and will be true each time that you access or use the Site and/or Services:
you have all requisite power and authority to enter into and perform your obligations under these terms and conditions;
there are no circumstances of which you should reasonably be aware which would prevent these terms and conditions from being and forming legally binding obligations upon you;
your performance pursuant to these terms and conditions does not and will not conflict with or breach any constitutional document, agreement or Applicable Laws to which you are subject or by which you are bound;
all the information which you submit to the Site is complete, reliable, accurate, free from errors, and not misleading in any way, and will not infringe any third party rights;
you will not do, or omit to do, anything that might reasonably be expected to put us in breach of any Applicable Laws.
You will provide us promptly on request with all information that we may reasonably require from time to time in connection with your access to or usage of the Site.
6. Cancellations and refunds
If you wish to cancel your membership you must inform us of your intention to cancel in writing by email.
No refunds will be provided unless the above notice requirements are complied with.
Once renewal of your membership has occurred, it will still be possible to cancel your membership, but we are not obliged to offer a refund if notice has not been given.
An administration fee may be deducted from any refunds given.
7. Price information
By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you agree that you will pay us the fees set out on our ‘Become a member’ website pages. Fees displayed on this page will prevail at all times in relation to orders placed online.
Fees displayed on a hard-copy application form, or quoted to you by an LCGB representative, will prevail in relation to membership applications made verbally or by post.
You may make a one-off payment for a one-year membership subscription (new or renewal) by credit or debit card, in accordance with the payment information contained on the ‘Become a member’ page of our Site.
We reserve the right to increase the price of LCGB membership subscription from time to time, and any such amendments will be on the ‘Become a member’ page of the Site.  If you are a current LCGB member, you will be informed of any fee increase in your renewal email. If we discover an error in the price of your membership subscription, we will inform you as soon as possible.
8. Credit/debit card payment
If you are not using your own credit/debit to pay for the membership fee, you must ask the permission of the credit/debit card holder before entering the payment details.
When you apply to become an LCGB member either online, by post or verbally, you are confirming that you have obtained the express prior permission of the credit/debit card holder.
9. Viruses, hacking and other offences
You shall not (a) knowingly introduce any viruses into the Site or (b) attack (or instigate or facilitate the attack of) the Site or Services via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of-service attack, or (c) use the Site or Services for any purpose which is unlawful, abusive, libellous, obscene or threatening.
A breach of this clause may constitute a criminal offence. We may report any such breach (whether actual or suspected) to the relevant law enforcement authorities and you agree to co-operate with those authorities.
You shall be responsible for ensuring that you have appropriate virus protection processes and software in place.
We will not be liable for any losses caused by any form of attack or viruses that may infect your computer equipment, computer programs, data or other proprietary material due to use of the Site or Services.
10. Links
The Site will contain links to other websites, which in turn may contain material that has been produced by third parties not affiliated with us.  We have no control over those other websites and accept no responsibility or liability for information or content provided on such websites.
11. Liability
Nothing in these terms and conditions shall exclude or limit any person's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, or any person's liability for fraud.
Subject to the above, neither we nor any of our trustees, volunteers, licensors or delegates or our or their directors, officers or employees will be liable for any losses incurred or suffered by you, directly or indirectly in connection with:
materials provided to or by or on behalf of us being corrupted or inaccurate;
you being unable for whatever reason to access or use the Site or Services;
benefits, goods or services provided by an external provider/third party;
any acts or omissions by you, any other LCGB members, or your or their personnel; or
us, or other LCGB members, acting on materials or communications which purport to have been made by or on behalf of you but which have been created or sent by (i) a third party purporting to act in your name, or (ii) a person who has lawful access to the Services but who exceeds his authority, regardless of whether such losses arise in contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise.
Further, neither we nor any of our trustees, volunteers, licensors or delegates or its or their directors, officers or employees will be liable for any indirect or consequential losses incurred or suffered by you, whether or not those losses are foreseeable.
The total aggregate liability of us to you for all losses arising out of or in connection with these terms and conditions, the Site and the Services (whether such losses arise in contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise) shall not exceed the amount of any fees received from you in the preceding 12 months. 
Except as specified in these terms and conditions, all express or implied conditions, terms, representations or warranties (whether implied by statute or otherwise) are hereby excluded to the maximum extent permitted by law.
These terms and conditions do not and shall not affect your statutory rights as a consumer.
12. Data protection and confidential information
You acknowledge and agree that we may monitor your use of the Site.
We may record, retain and use for monitoring, statistical analysis or marketing purposes information on or from your access to and use of the Site and the Services. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information on how and for what purposes we use your personal data.
You shall treat as confidential and shall not (other than where permitted or compelled to do so by any Applicable Law) use or disclose to any person any Confidential Information nor permit its disclosure. For the purposes of these terms and conditions, Confidential Information means all information (in whatever form) which is not publicly known and which is disclosed to, or otherwise learnt by, you in connection with the site, Services or these terms and conditions.
13. Events
Individual members may be invited to events organised by us or our partners, to enable LCGB members to gain information and make the best use of networking opportunities
If you have paid us to attend such an event, and wish to cancel, you must inform us 14 days or more before the event to get a refund of the relevant fees paid. Cancellations after that date will not be refunded, although substitute attendees can be arranged at any time by contacting us at info@lcgb.org
14. Termination
Without affecting any other rights and remedies which we may have and without liability to you for any losses which may result, we may terminate these terms and conditions:
immediately and without notice if:
· in our sole opinion, you materially breach any of these terms and conditions
· you fail to renew your membership
· we are required by any applicable law to terminate these terms and conditions; or at any time by giving you 7 days' notice in writing.
On any termination of these terms and conditions your right to use the Site and the Services shall cease, and we may terminate your access to and use of the Site and Services and invalidate any relevant access details.
Termination for whatever reason of these terms and conditions shall not affect:
any rights, liabilities or obligations which accrued before such termination
any right to payment of fees
any of these terms and conditions that are intended to continue to have effect after such termination.
If we terminate your membership you may appeal our decision to terminate by contacting membership@lcgb.org. The matter will be referred to an independent third party chosen by us, and any decision they make regarding the termination of your membership will be considered final and binding.
15. Variation
We may change these terms and conditions at any time upon giving you 14 days prior written notice. The most recent edition of these terms and conditions will be binding upon you.
Members may exit the contract without penalty if they do not accept any proposed variation.
16. Third parties
A person who is not party to these terms shall not have any rights under on in connection with them under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
17. Entire Agreement
These terms and conditions override any contrary terms or conditions published in relation to any membership subscription between you and us.
18. The LCGB Brand
The "LCGB" brand is owned by us and nothing contained on the Site or these terms and conditions shall constitute the grant of a licence to use our branding.
19. Governing Law and jurisdiction
These terms and conditions are governed by English law. You hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts notwithstanding the jurisdiction where you are based.
If any court or competent authority decides that any of the provisions of these terms are invalid, unlawful or unenforceable to any extent, the term will, to that extent only, be severed from the remaining terms, which will continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by the law.
21. Queries, comments and complaints
We will respond to any complaint or query received within ten working days. This may be an acknowledgement that we have received a complaint whilst further investigations are carried out.
If you have any queries, comments or complaints about your membership please contact the LCGB team on membership@lcgb.org