Following on from recent posts updating you on EIBA guidance etc, we are still intending to open the Indoor Green on 1st October.  We know you are all itching to get back on the green but we cannot just open on that day and let everything happen as normal!!

We are an indoor sport (tick) and we have a bar (tick), so we have to follow several and varied government and EIBA guidelines to ensure the safety of members.

So for starters, here goes ……

The Risk Assessment for indoor play and clubhouse has been completed and checked.   The Club will have a deep clean throughout on Monday 21st September and the club will be closed all day. During the days that follow, there will be more internal work as the amount of furniture is reduced considerably and roped off.  We are purchasing pedal operated sanitising hand gel pumps for the bar end of each rink but each player will be responsible for keeping their hands clean and away from their face!  The ventilation system is being checked as we doubt anyone will want to play with an outside door open come November onwards.

Ange is arranging walk-throughs,  as we know we can use rinks 1, 3 and 4 for solo/singles/pairs/triples but using all four rinks could be more difficult due to no space on one side of rink 1 and no space at all at the back of all four rinks.

Due to the latter, the mats at the far end will be on the first dot, which will become the T.  (The standard T cannot be used as there is not enough space to safely socially distance bowlers waiting to bowl.)  There will be marks to show where players can stand when they are not on the mat.

Mats and jacks need to be disinfected between sessions which will be limited to three during the day and one evening one.  Wet mats and jacks cannot be placed on the green as this will ruin the carpet and we are not ready for the £40+k output for a new carpet!  We need to designate an area for the mats that are drying off can be stored ready for the following day’s play.  This can only be done once the extra furniture has been roped off and we can see what spaces are available.

The current green booking system has to be updated as well.

Players will need to arrive changed but may collect their bowls and shoes from their lockers and move immediately to the area behind the rinks to change their shoes.  No more than 2 people will be allowed in the changing room at a time and it is only to be used to remove items from lockers pre play and return post play.  It is advisable to leave your bowls/shoes in your lockers.  Only one person at a time will be permitted in the loo areas.

All the common areas will be cleaned and disinfected daily as well as extra disinfections between sessions.

The bar will be open as usual and the dining room area set up with tables seating a maximum of 6 within socially distanced spacing where you can drink and chat.

David H has emailed all league captains to check with their players if they are all available or undecided or holding back.  He cannot set the leagues in process until he knows how many teams there will be for each.  There will be friendlies v other clubs who wish to play but these will be restricted to 3 Triples – or 4 Triples if this can be managed safely.  There will be no post match food until after Christmas, at least.

You will have seen that along the EIBA and Bowls England guidelines, we are trying to make the club ‘cashless’ to avoid risk of transmission of germs handing cash between each other.  The new Membership cards have arrived and will be issued once subs (I don’t have the 2020-21 figure yet)  have been confirmed and paid.  We hope the new EPOS system will eventually allow you to swipe your card on entering the club to ensure we have an online track and trace facility.  At the moment, everyone needs to sign in by pen and paper (disinfected of course!).  You can pay for drinks with a credit or debit card but you will also be able to load money onto your membership card and that can be used for purchases.

Green fees will be standardised at £3.50 per 2 hour session and vouchers will be available to purchase in batches of 10 (preferably) or singly.  We are also looking at 1 hour session vouchers.

As you can imagine, all the above takes time and we have been working on it for the last couple of months.   It is all do-able but we cannot afford to cut any corners as regards your safety in an indoor area.  We are positive at what can be achieved and we will be emailing all the members with updated information in a more structured format than my ramblings above, which are not supposed to frighten you, but to let you know we are tackling this in depth!  The deep clean is paramount to give us the correct starting point, then all the next processes can slot in.

f.i.  The next Board Meeting is on Thursday 24th September and we will have more updates after that.

Dawn

PS  You might want to know if you have to wear a mask to bowl in.  Keeping the social distancing in place and not wearing a mask whilst on the green is safer than taking the mask on and off between bowling and waiting to bowl (because you’d have to clean your hands every time you put your mask back on).  Also, if you wear glasses which can steam up, there’s more risk of losing your balance and falling.