Coronavirus : Squash Update

Dear Club Members,

As the UK government start to ease the Covid-19 lockdown you maybe thinking when will I be able to play squash again and under what conditions. Below are the latest bulletins from England Squash which gives some insight as to how they see squash clubs restarting which we wanted to share with you. Obviously we will all have to adapt to this new normal as we are already doing in other parts of our lives, at least for a while, for the safety of all our members.

The Club will continue to follow England Squash guidelines and risk assessment specific for our Club re-opening, with appropriate measures in place, once they become more defined. Hopefully, this will be in the not too distant future. In between time the Club is still officially closed as per Government and England Squash instruction so any use of the courts, playing squash, even for solo practice sessions or games with just family members from the same household is still forbidden.

As soon as there is something more definitive to say on the Club re-opening we will be back in contact. In between time stay safe and healthy.

The Committee

Maidstone Squash Club

ENGLAND SQUASH CORONAVIRUS STATEMENT

LAST UPDATED: 21.05.20

England Squash is closely monitoring the UK Government advice around the coronavirus situation. All squash activity in England remains suspended following the UK Government’s advice to close sports facilities. We are very eager to see squash return as soon as it possibly can, in a safe way that is aligned to Government advice. We will share more information at the appropriate time, so that we can all get back on court.

· Advice and FAQs for clubs (https://www.englandsquash.com/about-us/clubs/coronavirus-support)

· Advice and FAQs for coaches (https://www.englandsquash.com/coronavirus-faqs-for-coaches)

Return to squash statement 21 May 2020

It continues to be a frustrating time for clubs and players who are keen to return to playing squash. Current Government guidelines are clear that indoor sports clubs cannot reopen, and this includes squash clubs. We are all passionate about the sport and desperate to get back to playing, but we must all recognise that the return will take time and must be approached with both caution and care In the meantime, we must all continue to follow the Government guidance.

Over recent weeks, we have been working closely with Sport England, the PSA and other squash nations to establish best practices and sensible measures that we can all take to ensure that clubs can open safely and that risks to players and staff are minimised. In preparation, we are developing a downloadable COVID-19 toolkit for clubs to support the return to squash, which will include items such as step-by-step guidance for reopening, safety posters and a pro forma risk assessment template. The toolkit will be released when the guidelines from Government are clear and it will be made available to all clubs.

For now, there are issues clubs could begin to discuss and plan for, including:

1. Leadership and management

Establish whether staff can safely return to work under Government guidelines and if there is a minimum number of staff required to open and run the club. Is there someone in your team that can take the lead regarding COVID-19 and what support can they be given? At what point is it financially viable for the club to open, remembering there is very likely to be reduced income from bookings and secondary spend.

2. Club access and environment

All clubs are unique so consider what changes are required to minimise risk at your facility including safe entry and exit of the club, and also how you could stop or limit use of the communal spaces. It is likely that any café/bar, changing facilities and showers will be closed at first, so what implications will this have? For instance, it will be necessary to ensure the club has sufficient cleaning and hygiene products and a more frequent cleaning schedule.

3. Court bookings

Review the court booking system to ensure that you can trace, contact and record who has been into the club and when. Consider your booking policy, as advance bookings are the safest way to regulate the number of people attending the club. Review how long is required between court bookings to allow for cleaning all common surfaces.

4 Members/players

We all have a part to play in returning to squash safely. Members will need to adopt new habits such as taking spare towels and arriving to play ready in their kit, bringing their own water and even a small first aid kit, which might be unusual for them. How will you best communicate these changes with your members and keep them and your staff safe?

Advice on community squash (updated 12.05.20)

Squash clubs and facilities should remain closed until further notice following the Prime Minister's address to the nation on 10th May.

The Government issued further FAQs on 11th May in relation to exercise and what is and isn't permitted. Specifically:

"As with before, the public cannot:

· exercise in an indoor sports court, gym or leisure centre, or go swimming in a public pool."

This means that all squash clubs and facilities should remain closed until further notice - this includes anyone wishing to engage in solo practice or members of the same household playing on a squash court. We will continue to monitor Government guidance and will provide further information here as it arises.

As we await further information from the UK Government, we are planning how we can best support squash clubs when they reopen, including grants and guidance for day-to-day operations. Please continue to refer to and follow the Government guidance for employers and businesses.

England Squash are in consultation with the squash community and will provide updates via email and social media to all concerned parties as well as providing further clarity and detail below.

04/06/2020