membership agreement
Welcome to my Slimming World group, and congratulations on taking this exciting first step towards your dream weight.
As a Slimming World Consultant, I’m a self-employed franchisee. That means I’m licensed by Slimming World to run my own business, using Slimming World’s unique weight loss programme, and because of that I have certain obligations to you as a member of my group. This agreement sets out my commitment to you, and the terms and conditions of your membership.
A note about your membership
As a member of my group, you can attend any Slimming World group in the UK or Republic of Ireland, for instance if you’re on holiday or working away, and you’ll always be welcome. All of our groups run by Consultants trained in Slimming World’s programme, and as part of our commitment to you, all Consultants agree to support one another’s members. If you attend a different group and pay weekly, you’ll need to pay that group’s weekly fee, which may be different from mine, so I’d recommend you check the details before attending. If you have a Countdown course (more on that below), your Countdown will be valid in that group.
My commitment to you
As a member of my group, you’ll be part of a powerful support system designed to help you to make changes for lifelong success. I’ll do everything I can to support you to achieve your weight loss goals, in line with Slimming World’s programme.
• You will always be treated in line with Slimming World’s values of respect, kindness and care.
• I’m committed to keeping the group open 52 weeks of the year – I’ll only ever close it in extreme circumstances. While I usually run the group myself, if I’m not able to (for instance if I’m on holiday), I’ll make sure it’s run by someone who’s able to continue to support you using Slimming World’s programme.
• If my group should ever have to close permanently, you’ll have the opportunity to join an alternative group or to move your membership to Slimming World’s online service.
• I’ll keep your personal details private and any information I hold about you will be used in accordance with data protection law.
Your commitment as a member
Attendance and commitment back fees
As a member, you’re committing to attend my group every week. If there’s ever a week when you can’t get to my usual group, please let me know and I’ll do my best to help you find an alternative group.
You have six absence weeks to use each year (based on your own start date) to cover holidays and those times when you really can’t attend – these allow you to miss a week without needing to pay weekly fee. I’ll need you to book these absences – please let me know as soon as possible before group if you can’t be there so I can note it as an absence week. If you’ve used all your absence weeks, I’ll need you to pay a commitment back fee (the weekly fee of the group for the week you missed). Attending group every week, come what may, is the very best way to achieve your weight loss goals. The commitment back fee is designed to encourage you to keep on track and find a way to get to group every single week. If you miss two weeks or more, you’ll have the option to pay a commitment back fee to resume your progress.
If you’re a shift-worker and you can’t find another Consultant’s group to attend because of your shifts, please contact me to discuss the best options for your working patterns.
In other exceptional circumstances – for example, if you’re taken to hospital unexpectedly or have a family bereavement – I can agree with you to waive the commitment back fee, so please contact me to discuss this.
Health conditions
As a member of my group, I ask you to take responsibility for making sure there aren’t any medical or health reasons why you shouldn’t lose weight or become more active. If in doubt, please check with your GP, and always follow the dietary and exercise advice given by them or your health care team. If you ever feel unwell while you’re exercising, stop the activity immediately and check it out with your doctor.
Your wellbeing is important, and to support you with the right guidance I do ask for some information about your health. Please let me know:
- If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. If you’re pregnant, I want to do what’s right for you and your soon-to-be bundle of joy, so I’ll ask you to get the support of your midwife. If you’ve recently had a baby, or you’re breastfeeding, please discuss this with your midwife, doctor or health visitor before joining, or returning to any Slimming World group.
- If you’ve had weight loss surgery. If so you’ll be very welcome to join, and I’ll ask you to get confirmation from your health practitioner that the programme is appropriate for you to attend my group.
- If you have an eating disorder, or have ever been diagnosed with one, I want to support you to get the right help, so I’ll ask you to seek medical advice before you join a group.
- If you are living with diabetes or any other medical condition that might affect you, or be affected by, your weight-loss journey. If you have diabetes I’ll give you a copy of our free guidance booklet on how Food Optimising works around diabetes. It’s important that you keep your diabetes healthcare team informed of your weight-loss progress, as they may want to adjust your medication, and always follow their advice.
(Then the Consultant gives appropriate guidance or refers to healthcare professionals.)
Your commitment to the group
Just as I promise to do my utmost to support you in group to achieve your weight loss dreams, it’s important for you to make a commitment to yourself and to your weight loss – to staying to group each week to share, to support your fellow members, and give yourself the time each week meant to focus on achieving your goals.
And just as I promise that I’ll always treat you with kindness and care, it’s important that you treat your fellow members with respect and kindness too. To make sure my group is a safe, welcoming and inspiring place, I reserve the right to ask anyone to leave my group and/or cancel their membership if I feel it’s in the best interests of my group. And of course you have the right to end your membership at any time.
To protect members’ privacy, I ask that you don’t take photos or record videos in group. I’ll always ask for members’ permission before taking photographs or video (for example, at a member competition) and sharing them publicly.
A note about fees and Countdown courses
īģŋ
My joining fee and membership fees are displayed in group. These fees are payable on day one of your membership, and I reserve the right to review or change them at any time.
A Countdown course is a way of committing to your weight loss by attending a Slimming World group for 6 or 12 weeks (and getting one or two weeks free in the process off 6 and 12 week Courses are displayed in group, and I reserve the right to alter them.
To enable your commitment, I’ll ask you to book any holidays in advance and the time you buy your Countdown course.
To make sure you achieve the full benefits of your Countdown course, all 6 or 12 weeks must be attended. This means that if you’re unable to make it to group for one or more weeks for any reason, Countdown weeks will effectively “use” a week of your Countdown course. In the exceptional case of serious illness, your Consultant can contact the Slimming World team to discuss the possibility of extending the course.
If you’re unable to go to group, let me know in advance and I’ll be more than happy to help you find a different group to attend. If you do attend another Consultant’s group your attendance will be added/deducted to the remainder of your Countdown course.
If you think you’ll be unable to commit to attending group every week, I don’t recommend you commit to a Countdown course.
However, if you’re close to your Personal Achievement Target weight – and you’re hoping to achieve it within the next few weeks – I wouldn’t recommend a Countdown.
Slimming World on Referral
If you’re currently attending Slimming World on Referral scheme either via a prescription issued by your GP or another healthcare professional using your membership card and employee, some additional terms may apply to you please check your membership card or the email you received with your voucher code.
reaching your target weight
īģŋ
Reaching your target weight – your Personal Achievement Target (known by its members) – is something to be truly proud of, and which you should enjoy for life!
When you reach target, you’re entitled to free lifelong Slimming World membership. You’ll get free access to our complete set of weight loss tools, and you’ll become a lifetime member of a global Slimming World community. And we’ll be in group with you every step of the way.
To ensure you’re in the best position to maintain your new weight, on reaching your target weight, you must weigh within 3lbs above or below your agreed target. This 6lb target range is designed to give you the best support in keeping your weight at a level that’s healthy and sustainable for you, and we will help you stay within this range.
If your weight goes outside of your target range don’t worry – that’s what we’re here for! The most common reasons that someone might slip out of target range, and this slip that they come along the next week or back on track. Remember, lifetime free membership is available only to committed target members.
If you fall out of your target range, you will need to pay a commitment back to Slimming World and pay your weekly fee in group. This also applies if you’ve been away from group for more than 8 weeks. You will need to attend group regularly to get back into your target range and reestablish your free lifetime Slimming World membership.
You may want to adjust your Personal Achievement Target – that’s ok! If you do choose to change your target, you can move it 3lbs at a time until you reach a new target.
If you’ve set your target weight and decide you’d like to lose more weight, you absolutely can! Whether you fall to be the lower end of your target range or below it, you will need to speak with your Consultant and follow our guidance.
While you’re getting to your new target, you’ll pay the weekly fee that applies to all members.
If you choose to lower your target weight to a BMI of 20, and the weight is no more than 3lbs below this, it may take you to within your healthy weight range. Once this is agreed, it will become your new target.
Your Consultant may need further information before they can agree to your new target. If your weight goes below this healthy weight range we would need you to seek support from your GP to reassure us that it’s okay for you to continue with your Slimming World membership. Please remember, we’re here to help you achieve the most sustainable and healthy weight for you.
And although not recommended, you can lower your doctor and consulted your Slimming World membership, to ensure you’re getting the most suitable support as you return to health.
my money-back guarantee
Satisfaction is so important that, by following Slimming World’s programme properly for the first four weeks of your membership,
If you don’t lose any weight in your first four weeks and as long as you have been weighed at group and followed Food Optimising, completed your Food Optimising planner and your food and drink diary, (including details of any use of flexible syns) and attended all four group sessions I’ll give you your money back.
The money-back guarantee is about your weight loss, it doesn’t apply to:
• members who leave the programme
• members who have recently followed a very low-calorie diet
• members who experience an illness that may slow their weight loss
• members whose health has been affected by medication that can cause weight loss or weight gain
• or any members who receive a doctor’s advice that says they’re unlikely.
our privacy promise
When you join my Slimming World group I ask you to provide me with some personal information so that I can provide you with the very best service. The words ‘Slimming World’ and ‘I’ are used to represent the brand of your membership in group, and the service you receive. Anything you tell me will only be used in accordance with our privacy promise.
In signing the membership agreement, you agree that I may use your personal information to support you on your weight loss journey, including:
- your contact details and information about your attendance in group, and on the Slimming World website and app, so that I can send you personalised text messages or emails about our service and your progress, and so that Slimming World can support your membership
- any health and/or weight-related information you share with me – for example, information about any medical conditions, medications you are taking, or if you are pregnant – so that I can help you to understand how your lifestyle may be affecting your weight and provide you with the most appropriate support
- information about your weight, weight loss and awards, together with any information you choose to share about your slimming journey, to help you recognise your achievements and, if you give specific consent, to celebrate your success in group, on social media, or in Slimming World’s publicity materials
- information about your attendance, your activity in group and online, and your participation in any Slimming World offers or activities, so that I can invite you to additional activities and identify where you might need extra support
All personal data is kept safe and secure. Your information will not be shared with any third parties unless required by law.
Neither Slimming World nor I will share your details with any third parties for marketing purposes. We do, however, store your personal information securely.
I may share your information with Slimming World’s field team to support me to provide the best service for you.
If you have joined the group as part of a Slimming World on Referral scheme through a healthcare professional, your personal information (including target weight) may be shared with the organisation that referred you and they may need additional information for their monitoring purposes.
Slimming World may use your information to contact you after group to check in on your progress.
If you choose to leave the Slimming World programme, your personal data will be kept for 12 months after your last attendance. This helps us give you the best support if you choose to return within that time. Your telephone number will be removed from my database. Your information will remain protected and secure.
If you return after more than 12 months, your group will need to re-add your information when you rejoin the programme. All your personal data will then be retained for a maximum of 12 months.
You can read the full version of our privacy promise at:
slimmingworld.co.uk/privacy policy
Slimming World is the trading name of Miles-Bramwell Executive Services Limited. Company number 0123681.
any concerns
If you have any concerns about the service I’m providing to you within my Slimming World group, do please let me know so that I can address these with you and make the improvements needed.
If, however, you feel the concerns haven’t been addressed to your satisfaction, you can contact the Customer Services team at Slimming World. Please include the details of your concerns, your Consultant’s name and the group you attend. Email: group.concerns@slimmingworld.co.uk quoting the membership number you’ll find on your membership card.
