Club Statement: COVID-19
24/03/2020:
Coronavirus Update – Chesham 1879 SC <C is closed until further notice.
Following the Prime Minister's speech last night and the resulting restrictions, the club committee has decided that, with regret, we must close all facilities until further notice. As the PM stipulated, this will be for at least three weeks. The committee will monitor all announcements closely and will reopen the club for member use once the restrictions are lifted and we are all safe again. The Government expects us all to do more and behave responsibly to help prevent infection. Some members had already decided to stop playing tennis, however for those who had hoped to continue we are sorry but we must now close the courts. Although some members will be disappointed with this news, staying open would be totally incompatible with the instructions from the government:
Exercising once a day but only on your own or with members of your household
No gatherings of more than 2 people
All playgrounds, outside gyms and non-essential shops will be closed
No meeting between friends and family
Not leaving the house unless shopping infrequently for food necessities / medicine or caring for a vulnerable person
As a club we need to do our part to support this national drive to eliminate the virus. We cannot physically shut the club but do expect members to stay away until further notice. If you have any questions, please contact any of the committee members who will respond as soon as possible. Please look after yourself and your family. Stay healthy and sane. We look forward to seeing you once we have the green light that we can reopen the club.
All the very best Neil Grantham Club Chairman
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22/03/2020:
We have been reviewing further the government and LTA Covid-19 guidance regarding social distancing and how that should be applied to ongoing tennis activities. We are trying to keep the courts open for those members who want to continue playing whilst at the same time minimising the risk of the spreading the virus and safeguarding all participants.
The Tennis Committee has now decided to suspend the following:
i) the floodlit league
ii) the Tuesday evening club coaching session
iii) all adult and junior group coaching sessions
The courts are still open to members to play social singles and doubles and for Nick Brooks to hold 1-2-1 coaching sessions. If you wish to play singles or doubles with floodlights please contact Tamara to organise this - 07989570937
I hope you understand that these restrictions are being put in place for everyone's safety and thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
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22/03/2020:
We have received guidance from the key organisations involved in our club – Government, Squash England and LTA The following was sent to us by the LTA Further to the Government’s announcement yesterday (Friday 20 March) that social spaces such as pubs, gyms and leisure centres must close, all tennis clubhouses and similar social facilities should be closed as soon as possible. Courts, however, can remain open for use to help ensure people remain active during this period, subject to strict social distancing and hygiene practices being employed. We are therefore now following this ruling and the clubhouse will close at 5pm today (Sunday) until further notice. Squash has now ceased until we are given the all clear - Social tennis and small coaching groups are still possible until we are told otherwise. All squash members are of course invited to play social tennis with each other or with tennis members. Please remain safe at all times and avoid personal contact. We will communicate our thoughts on membership renewals asap but as you can imagine everything is changing on a daily basis and we need to agree our proposal as a club. Please be assured that we will do our best to look after everyone’s needs and personal situations.
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18/03/2020:
The spread of the Coronavirus has been alarming and the situation continues to evolve rapidly.
We will keep members updated as soon as we can following any new announcements.
Inevitably the current advice can be interpreted in different ways, but our assessment is, as of today, as follows:
* Members should individually follow the government advice and make the necessary decisions on self-isolating and social contact, especially for those in the more at risk groups
* For now the club remains open, on a limited basis as set out below, for members (so no guests or new temporary members) who wish to continue (at their own risk) with coaching and social play for both tennis and squash
* The club house should not be used for social gatherings post play, the kitchen and bar are closed
* The club house should only be used for access to tennis ball store/toilets/changing facilities (if needed)
* Group tennis coaching sessions should be restricted to a maximim of 8 people
* Given the clubhouse restrictions and number of children involved, the Friday night junior coaching session is suspended
* Our understanding is that Bucks Shield interclub tennis matches are currently not suspended but require agreement from both teams, whilst Aylesbury & District matches have been suspended
* A decison will be taken shortly on Bucks squash leagues but it is very likely that these matches too will be suspended
* Squash courts will remain open for social play only, with leagues and the forthcoming club competitons suspended
* Junior squash coaching has been suspended
* Do not come to the club if you have a cough or fever or someone else in your household does and if you are self-isolating
Please continue to take every precaution in terms of hand washing and sanitisation as the Club is not undertaking a deep clean and so members need to take personal responsibility for hygiene
It is only practical to recognise that putting the above into effect will take 24/48 hours and requires us all to take individual responsibility.
As said at the outset, the situation almost certainly will change should we enter a 'lock down' scenario as per Italy/Spain/France
Thanks for your understanding and cooperation. Regards Neil Grantham Chesham 1879 Club Chairman
