The #YourOxford photography competition is promoted and operated by Oxford City Council (“the Council”) and is intended to run for a sustained period on the Council’s social media channels with the deadline for entries clearly stated in the relevant posts.
The Council is asking members of the public to submit their photographs of Oxford. The purpose of this competition is to showcase residents’ pride in Oxford as a great place to live, work and visit. It is also the Council’s aim to showcase the talent of local photographers, both established and emerging.
The winning photograph will become the Council’s banner image on Facebook until the next winner is chosen.
The following terms and conditions shall apply to each entry submitted:
1. Promoter
The promoter is Oxford City Council, Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford, OX1 1BX (“the Council”, “we”, “us”).
2. Eligibility
2.1. The competition is open to individuals resident in the UK aged 18 or over. Council employees involved in administering the competition may not enter.
2.2. Council employees involved in administering the competition may not enter.
2.3. By submitting a competition entry, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
3. How to Enter
3.1. Entries must be submitted by the relevant deadline via either:
- comments on the official Council Facebook post promoting the competition; or
- Direct Message (DM) on the Council’s official Facebook or Instagram accounts
3.2. The competition requirements, including opening date and closing date, will be stated in the relevant social media post.
3.3. Any competition entries received after the closing date on the relevant social media post will be automatically disqualified.
3.4. No purchase is required, and entry is free.
3.5 There is no limit on the number of entries that can be submitted for each competition social media post. However, entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed.
3.6. Late, corrupted, or inaccessible entries cannot be considered.
3.7. The Council does not accept responsibility for competition entries that are lost, delayed, damaged, or undeliverable due to network, hardware, or software failure.
4. Requirements for Entries
4.1. Entrants must have taken the photograph themselves and must own all intellectual property rights in it.
4.2. Where the photograph contains identifiable people, the entrant must obtain written consent (and where applicable, parental/guardian consent) allowing the Council to use the image under clause 8.
4.3. Entries must not include:
- illegal, defamatory, obscene or discriminatory content
- content that infringes copyright, trademarks or third-party rights;
- unsafe or unlawful behaviour (e.g., trespass, unsafe access)
- anything that may bring the Council into disrepute
4.4. Entrants must comply with all laws and permissions relating to locations (including byelaws, drone restrictions, and private property permissions).
4.5. AI generated or AI manipulated images must not be used or submitted (including but not limited to chatbots such as CoPilot, ChatGPT or similar software applications) and entrants will be disqualified if the Council believes that any photographs have been automatically generated by computer or created by artificial intelligence.
4.6. The Council will not accept entries that are:
- submitted via a link to download. Entries must be submitted as a single image;
- completed by third parties or in bulk;
- illegible, have been altered, reconstructed, forged or tampered with;
- photocopies and not originals; or
- incomplete.
4.7. The Council reserves the right to reject and/or delete any entries for any reason.
4.8. As entry is via third-party social media platforms, entrants must comply with that platform’s terms. This competition is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with any third-party platform.
5. Selection of Winners
5.1. The Council will select a winning photograph based on creativity, quality, and relevance to the theme.
5.2. The Council’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
5.3. The Council will contact the winner as soon as practicable after selection, via social media, either by replying to their competition entries or sending a direct message.
5.4. If a winner cannot be contacted within 7 days, the Council may select another winner.
5.5. The Council must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation the winner’s surname, county, and winning entry will be published on Oxford City Council’s Facebook page at the time of upload.
5.6. If you object to any or all of your surname, county and winning entry being published or made available, please contact the Council pressoffice@oxford.gov.uk. In such circumstances, the Council must still provide the information and winning entry to the Advertising Standards Authority on request.
5.7. If you also want your social media handle posting with a winning entry, you must provide your explicit consent in writing by notifying the Council when submitting your entry.
6. Prize
6.1. The winning photo will be used as the Council’s Facebook banner image until the next winner is chosen, or as otherwise specified
6.2. There is no cash alternative.
7. Use of Entries (Copyright and Licensing)
7.1. Copyright remains with the entrant.
7.2. By submitting an entry, the entrant grants the Council a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty free irrevocable licence in perpetuity to:
- publish, reproduce and display the photograph on the Council’s social media channels;
- use the photo in Council publicity, web pages, print materials, and press releases;
- crop or edit the photo for formatting, provided no derogatory treatment occurs.
7.3. Where practical, the Council will credit the entrant by name or social media handle.
7.4. Entrants warrant they have permission from any identifiable individuals appearing in the photo for the Council’s use as described.
8. Data Protection (UK GDPR)
8.1. The Council is the controller of personal data submitted with entries, which will be processed in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
8.2. Personal data collected includes social media handles, submitted images, and any contact details provided voluntarily.
8.3. Data will be used for administering the competition, contacting winners, and publishing credited winning entries.
8.4. The lawful basis for processing is public task (administering community engagement activities) and consent for any optional publicity involving personal data.
8.5. Data will be retained for 5 years, then securely deleted in accordance with the Council’s retention schedules.
8.6. The Council’s full privacy notice is available on our Corporate privacy notice page.
8.7. Participants should also review the privacy policies of Facebook and Instagram.
9. Moderation and Disqualification
9.1. The Council may refuse, remove or disqualify any entry that breaches these terms or is deemed inappropriate.
9.2. The Council reserves the right to suspend, amend or withdraw the competition due to factors outside its control.
10. Liability
10.1. Entrants are responsible for their own safety and compliance with laws when taking photos.
10.2. The Council accepts no liability for lost, damaged or inaccessible entries.
10.3. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits the Council’s liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any matter which cannot be limited by law.
11. Freedom of Information
11.1. Information submitted may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to exemptions.
12. Governing Law
12.1. The competition and these terms are governed by the laws of England. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Last updated: February 2026
