Our response to COVID 19

What changes have taken place?

 

The Playground and Recreation/Sports area

To comply with social distancing measures, we have: -

  1. Assessed that no more than 10 people should use the Playground at anyone point in time.
  2. Requested that visitors ‘do not hog’ the facility and use it for no more than 30 minutes at a time.
  3. Created a new, always open, separate wide entrance to remove a regular touch point and so that visitors could socially distance whilst entering the playground,
  4. Created a temporarily fenced waiting area for visitors to wait to go into the playground
  5.  This fenced area is sufficiently large to provide a safety valve for carers of children of who may wander off away from the playground and supervision to recover them!
  6. We have removed the 2 picnic benches from the Playground and repositioned them elsewhere in the Recreation area. This is to remove the temptation to block the use of the playground for others by picnicking in it. Community Centre Users can still enjoy our small oasis of peace for a picnic in the grounds.

Finally, it is impossible to clean the outside equipment so we have posted notices advising visitors of this fact and what responsibilities they have and actions they should be taking to protect themselves and others who use the Playground and other external areas

 

The Community Centre Hall

The emphasis on the creation and management of the Community Centre as a Covid -19 secure area is: -

  1. To stop the virus entering the Hall
  2. To restrict the possibility of transmission of the virus between individuals by facilitating and ensuring as far as social distancing measures are in place and adhered to.
  3. To minimise the possibility of physical transmission of the virus by introducing and adherence to thorough hygiene and cleaning regimes.

It is the responsibility of the Community Association to put in places measures to facilitate the above, and to safeguard Users by ensuring Hirers of the Hall play their part, as well as individuals. To that end we have introduced an additional set of terms and conditions which Hirers must comply with before they can commence an activity

 

And

 

Posted notices reminding everyone of their personal responsibilities and NOT TO ENTER THE COMMUNITY CENTRE IF THEY DISPLAY ANY COVID – 19 SYMPTOMS.

 

Stopping the Virus entering the Hall

  1. We have purchased, filled and installed hand sanitisation stations for every entry and exit point of the Community and to use one every time they enter or exit the building.
  2. We require individuals to use the hand sanitiser prior to touching the door handle to initially enter the building. 
  3. We have posted notices asking people not to enter the building if they or any members of their bubble have Covid -19 symptoms.
  4. We provide our notices to Hirers for them to pass to their users prior to their arrival at Community Centre so they are prepared and if required are stopped from attending a User Group activity.
  5. We have created a separate Playground compound by installing a temporary fence and if we were alerted to a user of the Playground being diagnosed with symptoms or actual Covid -19 we could lock off the Playground without affecting the Community Centre Hall.

Restricting transmission of the Virus through Social Distancing

  1. Approach to the Hall
    1. We have created a separate entrance to the Village Playground to minimise the number of people using the ‘Community Centre Gate’ eliminating a potential ‘pinch point’.
    2. We have created a one- way entrance and exit route to the Hall using separate double wide gates which will be ‘fastened’ open at all times.
    3. We have created a new no parking zone near the two wide entrance and exit gates to eliminate a potential pinch point for people using the Hall as they may have had to push passed parked cars.
    4. 2m Social Distancing markers have been placed on the approach to the Main entrance to the Hall.
  2. Within the Hall
    1. We are working with individual hirers to assess their proposals to ensure social distancing for their activity’s whist complying with Government and their governing or trade bodies guidance.
    2. Use of kitchen has been restricted to only 1 person at a time
    3. Use of the male and female toilets has been restricted to only 1 person (or carer and child) at a time. Social distancing marks have been placed in the Hall for people queuing for the toilets.
    4. We have posted notices reminding people of their respiratory hygiene responsibilities.
    5. For the foreseeable future we have ceased hiring the Hall for parties as we cannot ensure that social distancing will be maintained at these events.

Minimising the possibility of physical transmission of the virus

  1. We have eliminated a frequent touch point by ‘pinning back’ the gates in an always open position.
  2. We have positioned a hand sanitiser at the primary entrance of the Hall to be used prior to touching the Hall Entrance door handle.
  3. We have positioned hand sanitisers by every other door in the hall for visitors and hirers to use every time they travel into or out of the Hall for whatever purpose into external, uncontrolled, uncleaned areas.
  4. We have removed or locked away all non -essential chattels from the Hall and are working with Hirers to identify what CA equipment they require so a pre and post activity session cleaning and storing regime can be agreed and adhered to.  
  5. We are providing additional, free time before and after each Hire activity session for the hirer to clean prior to and after the session all the areas which their users may touch or may have touched whilst in the building.
  6. We request all Hirers to designate an area to isolate one of the activity group members who may display Covid -19 symptoms during a session.
  7. If someone who has used the hall later displays symptoms of the virus they are requested to inform their Activity Leader, who will inform the CA. We will then close the Hall for 72 hours prior to cleaning it and reopening.

 

General Management of the Virus

  1. Every Hirer of the Hall is required to keep track and trace information of all their activity users; in turn we keep a record of all Hall Hirers and independent users. This will enable us to inform anyone who may have come into contact with the virus via the Community Centre.
  2. If anyone displays symptoms of Covid-19 after using any of the Community Centre Facilities they are requested to
    1. Contact us via enquiries@thecommunitycentre.com
    2. State which area they visited.
    3. When they visited.
    4. Who they were with (if anyone).
    5. Who else they have informed.
  3. The CA will then take appropriate action by closing the specified area for up to 72 hours.