Ember Croquet Club – COVID 19 measures – 12 April 2021 (update to 2020 Notices: 30 November; 1 September; 1 June and 18 May).

These have been updated to include particular provision for Step 2 of easing of lockdown, Spring 2021.

Notice to Croquet Members

Please read carefully for your safety and that of other members. If these rules and guidance are not followed the club may have to be closed again. All paid up croquet members are permitted to play croquet following the guidelines below. The club welcomes new membership applications and ‘pay and play’ enquiries, subject to an introduction to the game, if appropriate, e.g. for beginners, and to the club, and explanation ofthe current COVID 19 restrictions.

General

 Paid up members for 2021-2022 are eligible to play.

 Do not play if you are self-isolating or experiencing symptoms of a cold or flu, in particular a cough or high temperature. Use the NHS helpline and seek advice.

 Except for organised events as described below, no more than six people may occupy a full-sized lawn and no more than four people may occupy a small lawn. The players on one lawn should not interact with those on another lawn.

 Gathering limits do not apply to formally organised activity. An event is regarded as formally organised activity if it has been publicised in advance and is run under the direction of a manager/organiser, who must be present and responsible for ensuring that the event is conducted in a COVID-19 secure manner.

 For formally organised play, up to eight people are permitted on a full-size lawn, or four on half-size or Short lawns. For coaching, up to six players in addition to the coach are permitted; the coach is responsible for ensuring that social distancing is maintained at all times. Activity should be organised in such a way as to minimise thenumber of people a player interacts with while at the club.

 Spectators are not permitted at Step 2.

 Whether or not in play, no more than six players, guests, or visitors should be permitted in any group and 2m social distancing should be observed within it.

 Members may bring guests providing their names are recorded in the lawn pre-booking system or in the book at the pavilion, and the number of members and guests together fall within the limits above. Visitor playing fees should be paid into the club account referencing ‘Visitors Fee – Croquet.’

 Club members’ summer season roll-up are on Sundays 2pm – 5.30pm, Tuesdays 4pm – 7.30pm and Thursdays 2pm – 5pm, and are subject to the limits above (‘first come first served’), and signing in the book or registering via the NHS QR Code ECC poster at the pavilion.

 Observe the 2 metre social distancing rules at all times, including entering and leaving the premises. Beware of bottlenecks along The Drive entrance and along the path by tennis courts 6 and 7.

 Please wash hands before leaving home, on arriving at the lawns and on leaving the lawns and when you arrive home. There are hand sanitisers located: by the car park near the gate to tennis courts 4/5; on the tennis veranda; by the clubhouse entrance by Bowls; by the gate from The Drive pathway; and by the croquet pavilion door. You are advised to bring your own hand sanitiser also.

 The toilet facilities in the clubhouse are open from 9am to 6pm in summer.

 The clubhouse bar may be opened and used by members during normal opening hours providing the special COVID-19 procedures for opening, running and closing are adhered to.

 Groups of six or fewer people may meet outside, maintaining social distance, and be served refreshments at their tables. This includes from the clubhouse bar, and teas/coffees at the pavilion when service (including preparation and putting away) is provided by a volunteer as per the sign-up sheet. In order for the volunteer to maintain safe service, members and guests should resist the temptation to help out.  Please follow NHS test and trace Guidance and inform the chairman if you or a guest becomes ill within 14 days of visiting the club.

Lawn Bookings

 To play you must first book a lawn via ESC website Croquet members area. You may make a booking without having an opponent. This could be either for solo practice or as a way of making a general invitation to members of the booker’s availability to play.

 If you are a paid up member and do not have booking access please contact Steve Edney

 Lawns are bookable in 30 minute units, up to four hours in total, every day from 9am – 8pm. NB An upgrade of the online booking system is being trialed. In case of difficulty with it, please contact Steve Edney for assistance.

 Play should end 15 minutes before the end of your booked time to allow you time for cleaning and putting away equipment and leaving before the next booked time.

 Please keep a record of your bookings together with a list of people who played, for tracking purposes.

At the Lawn

 Sanitise your hands on arrival and during your time at the lawns using the sanitiser by the pavilion door or soap and water available.

 Players must use their own mallet and not touch their opponent’s. A designated club mallet may be allocated to you upon application to the club secretary. Club mallets must be disinfected both before and after play.

 The pavilion may be accessed for tea/coffee service by the volunteer (ref above), for boiling the kettle or urn for hot water supply, and for shelter for up to four people (plus two under the porch), providing you open both double doors, maintain social distance, and wear a face covering. Wipe clean all contact points (including padlock, bolts and handles) both on opening up and closing.

 Arrangements may be made for using the pop-up gazebos for shelter (from rain or sun), as and when required, to help with maintaining social distance at the club.

 Access to sheds 1, 3 and 4 is restricted for use only by maintenance team members.

 Players must agree which of them is to enter the equipment shed 2 to collect and return the hoops, peg, ball sets, clips and bisques and wash/sanitise them on collection and on return.

 Other players must stay well behind the white line in front of the door to shed 2, and resist the temptation to help.

 Before opening the equipment shed 2, wash/sanitise your hands with the soap or sanitiser you have brought with you or with the club supply. Endeavours will be made to maintain a supply of soap, paper towels, antisceptic wipes or spray in the shed but this cannot be guaranteed. Use water from the tap next to the pavilion and use the washing up bowl or buckets in shed 2 as necessary.  If the hoops are already out leave them out.

 Use soap and water for cleaning ball sets, clips and bisques.

 For timed matches use a timer on a watch or phone – and players should referee their own matches appropriately.

 Seating: use one of the green or white plastic chairs stored outside: make sure you clean with antiseptic wipe or spray both before and at the end of the game. If you sit on a bench, avoid touching it with your hand. As an alternative, you may prefer to bring your own lightweight folding chair.

 Consider wearing a face covering if there is a moderate easterly breeze and tennis courts are in use.

 Use your feet, rather than hands, to retrieve balls and to position balls where you can do so with sufficient precision, including when moving or replacing balls from a double-banked game. When playing Association Croquet, handle only your own ballsand clips, not those of your opponent.

 When the game is complete remember not to shake hands and remember that the player who put all the equipment out is the player to wash/sanitise again and return all to shed 2. Wipe clean the padlock when you have closed the door.

Coaching

 One to One coaching may be available on request to Roger Dollimore

These rules apply currently and may be amended as time goes on, so please look again at the website or on the pavilion windows each time you play.

Enjoy your game but please remember there is still a risk of contracting COVID 19. So Stay Alert, obey the social distancing rules and wash/sanitise your hands before arrival and before leaving.

Note: wearing of gloves and/or face covering, during play, is a matter of personal choice. Remember to bring with you next time you play: personal sanitiser, glove(s), mallet, face covering (in case of need to take shelter) and a drink/sustenance.