Covid 19 Policy

Last reviewed: 11th December 2021 - Chris Archer (Chair)

Policy documents

Covid 19 Guidance Last reviewed: 11th December 2021 - Chris Archer (Chair)

This document sets out guidance for Penrith Canoe Club Members participating in paddling sessions during the Covid 19 restrictions.

The Club will aim to operate organised sessions on a Monday and Thursday evening between 18:00 and 20:00.

Due to the need to limit the number of members on site and group sizes to 18 we will operate a booking system. Please indicate your wish to attend a session by adding your name to the Google Sheet here indicating your preferred slot and time. Booking must be completed at least 6 hours prior to the session so that we can organise groups. Please check the sheet immediately before attending as it may be necessary to move people between groups and re-arrange in order to ensure we have appropriate coaching cover.

Please aim to arrive at the Yacht Club as close as possible to your designated start time and park in a socially distanced manner on the field.

Who should and shouldn't attend:

Do not attend if you have the slightest doubt that you may be carrying the COVID-19 virus
If you suspect you have COVID-19 and have used the club facilities report this to committee member immediately and self-isolate
If there is a reported contamination on site the use should stop and users informed of potential contact with the virus.
Do not attend If you or any family member living at home with you has symptoms of COVID-19 or suspect they may have the symptoms (dry repetitive cough/ a high temperature/loss of taste or smell).
Follow Public Health England guidelines including, where possible, maintaining a 2m distance from others at all times

There will be no changing or toilet facilities available at the Yacht Club. Be prepared to change by your vehicle or leave, arrive and leave in your paddling kit.
Parents who are non-paddling drivers may attend as long as they follow the social distancing guidelines. ie. Maintain a 2m social distance and a max group size of 6.
When you have finished your session please leave promptly.
Be aware that the Yacht Club have their own COVID operating procedures. Please follow instructions and signage around the site.

Paddling Kit
Where possible members should bring, use and remove their own paddling kit, including boats, paddles, spraydecks.

Members who do not have their own spraydeck, helmet or polo BA will be issued with a club kit at their first session. A record will be kept of the kit loaned, and the member is then responsible for those items until they are returned when we are able to go back into the pool. Spraydecks, helmets and BA must NOT be shared outside family groups.

Club boats and paddles may be borrowed for the duration of a session but must NOT be shared within a session. They must be disinfected with the spray provided after use and allowed at least a 72 hour quarantine/drying period in the trailer between uses.

The designated coach for the session will remove the padlock and open the trailer and will lock up after the session (sanitizing hands and the padlock in the process).

At the start of your session, sanitize hands before and after removing kit from the trailer.
No more than one person (or members of one family group) to be in the trailer at any one time.

Avoid unnecessarily touching kit in the trailer.
At the end of the session sanitize hands before and after returning the kit to the trailer.
A coach will decide whether goals are to be set out for a session. If this is done the goal must be put out and put away by the same individual (or family group).

On the water
All paddlers should maintain social distancing on the water wherever possible.
Please allow sufficient space and time when accessing and exiting the water.
You should not share any equipment with others, (to avoid confusion this will include members of the same family groups).
You should not paddle close to moored yachts and bouys and should maintain social distance from other UYC members.
We will maintain a distance of at least 15m between paddling groups and use different BA colours when there is more than one group on the water during non-competitive training.
Balls may be used on the water and passed between individuals but members are reminded to sanitize hands regularly and avoid touching their faces.

In line with the Canoe England Polo Guidance:
Boat tackling and hand tackling are permissible where they form part of competitive training. Coaches will aim to minimise the COVID risk by working in family groups, minimising contact time and encouraging hand sanitizing.
Groups of six must arrive, depart and undertake non-competitive training separately from other groups. However at the discretion of the coaches 2 separate groups of six may play a competitive training game subject to the mitigations and adjustments set out by Canoe England (no charge start, frequent hand sanitizing, limiting of playing time etc).

Members are reminded to maintain good hygiene practices:
Wash hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm/hot soapy water prior to leaving to attend and on return from the session.
If soap and water is not available use hand sanitiser as per manufacturers recommendation.
When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and dispose of any tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands.