I hope all our juniors and their parents are enjoying their summer holidays despite the current difficult circumstances.

It was great to see so many juniors taking part in the two rounds of the Rainbow Relays (thanks to Jess for organising this) and also good to see several juniors running a 1, 2 or 3 mile challenge (the challenge is still open by the way).

However, the main point of this communication is to give you some good news – we are hoping to resume Junior Training sessions on Tuesday 8^th September !

Under current government legislation and England Athletics guidelines, we are allowed to resume group training as long as we operate in a “covid secure environment”.

The latter involves us undertaking a covid action plan and risk assessments to help minimise risks of Covid infection to athletes, coaches, parents & the general public. 

You may want to have a look at these documents – just click on the links below

 

Settle Harriers Junior Training Covid Risk Assesment ver2

Covid Action Plan Settle Harriers Ver2

Settle Harriers Junior training health questionnaire ver3

 

There will inevitably have to be some changes in the way we operate from 8^th September as you will gather from these documents.  In particular………..

• our base from 8^th September until the 20^th October will be Settle College Playing Fields (behind the swimming pool). Giggleswick School are currently not accepting outside bookings
• we won’t have access to any indoor area including toilets
• we may have to impose a limit on the number of juniors we can cater for.  We will decide this after we know how many children wish to attend (parents have been emailed to obtain this information.
• it will not be possible for juniors to attend training without our prior agreement
• we hope to run 4 groups subject to availability of coaches and assistants.
• juniors will be allocated a training group and coach before the 1^st session and on arrival they will report direct to that coach
• there will no mixing of the 4 groups
• we will expect juniors to be even better behaved than in normal circumstances (!) and to listen carefully to instructions
• juniors, coaches and parents will need to be socially distanced (ie 2 metres+ apart) both before, during and after the session
• training sessions will be modified to try and ensure that juniors stay 2m + apart
• we will be asking parents to make drop-off and pick-up of children as speedy a process as possible.  Please do not linger for a chat with other parents etc – as this may look to others like a “social gathering”
• parents of all children wishing to attend will have to complete the “pre-activity health questionnaire” for their child before the first session and agree to us passing on contact details to NHS Track and Trace service if requested
• if government guidelines change or local restrictions are applied, we may of course have to suspend training again. We will monitor the Covid situation closely.

Because of all these extra complications and the need to possibly limit numbers, we need to know as soon as possible (and by 1st September at the latest) whether your child WOULD OR WOULD NOT like to  take part in junior training from Tuesday 8^th September until 20^th October (session time 5.45pm until 6.45m as before).  I have emailed all parents to request this information.  If you have not received this communication, please get in touch with me. 

Best wishes,

 

Andy Evans

Junior Coordinator

Settle Harriers