Supporting the Sector - Coronavirus
Following the announcements on Tuesday 22nd September, we are waiting for the updates to be provided to the Guidance referred to below. In the meantime Sport England have put out the following statement:
"The government's announcements mean some changes for grassroots sport and leisure activities - primarily that adults need to adhere to rule of 6 if playing team sport indoors.
Going to the gym and fitness classes will still be allowed to continue for over 6 people so long as there is no interaction or mingling between individual groups of 6. Outdoor sports and activities played formally and under government-approved guidance can carry on.
All organised activities for children, including indoor team sports, will continue to be exempt from the rule of six. More to follow tomorrow."
The previous position of the 14th Sept, was that people can continue to:
- take part in organised sports and activities that have been through return to play protocols
- take part in organised outdoor sports and physical activity events
- use leisure facilities, including gyms and pools.
The Sport England page here has been updated and includes:
Group sizes
While social gatherings of more than six people will be banned in England from 14 September, the government’s confirmed that organised sports and activities that have been through return to play protocols can continue, as can organised outdoor sports and physical activity events such as parkrun, which is due to return next month.
People can also continue to use leisure facilities, including gyms and pools - classes within these venues can continue as they are now. People should not go to these venues socially in groups of more than six.
That's because these sports and activities have stringent plans in place to reduce the risk of Covid-19, and because these venues are classed as Covid-secure given the measures they’ve introduced.
With advice likely to evolve as restrictions change, Sport England will monitor and update guidance to ensure it's in line with the what the government is advising and will continue to listen to providers when they tell them what resources will help most.
NHS Track & Trace
It is now mandatory for a wider range of businesses and organisations, including hospitality, close contact services and leisure venues to collect customer, visitor and staff contact detail logs from Friday 18 September. This is vital for the NHS Test and Trace service in England to contact the necessary people if coronavirus outbreaks are identified in venue.
From Thursday 24 September, these businesses will also need to display the official NHS QR code posters to make it easier for people to check-in at different premises once the app is rolled out nationally. If individuals choose to check-in using the QR code poster they do not need to log in via any other route.
Find out more here, this requirement has now been included in the Guidance below.
Government Guidance for the Phased Return of Sport & Recreation
The following guidance is now available:
- Guidance on the phased return of sport & recreation (Updated 18 Sept)
- Guidance for the public (Updated 18 Sept)
- Guidance for personal trainers and coaches (Updated 18 Sept)
- Guidance for providers of outdoors facilities (Updated 18 Sept)
- Guidance for managing playgrounds and outdoor gyms (Updated 3 Aug)
- Working Safely during Covid 19 - Guidance for people who work in grassroots sport and gym/leisure facilities (Updated 18 Sept)
- Return to recreational team sport framework (Updated 18 Sept)
- Guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities (Updated 14 Sept)
- Guidance on community activities, holiday and after-school clubs and out of school provision for over 5's (Updated 20 Aug)
- Protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak (Updated 20 Aug)
- Guidance Elite sport return to training guidance Stage One (Updated 18 Sept)
- Elite sport return to training guidance Stage Two (Updated 18 Sept)
- Elite sport return to competition (Updated 18 Sept
- Elite sport cross border competition (Updated 18 Sept)
- Elite sport - return to competition: safe return of spectators (Updated 18 Sept)
- Guidance for accessing green spaces (Updated 9 Sept)
- What FE Colleges & Providers need to do (updated 18 Sept)
- Guidance for full opening schools - wraparound provision and extra curricular activity (Updated 17 Sept)
Activity Alliance:
We're backing the call from the Activity Alliance to make activity as accessible and inclusive as possible with the return to sport & activity. See guidance here.
Sport England:
Sport England: have announced that they have two key priorities during this period of uncertainty:
- supporting the sector, and
- encouraging people to stay active.
On their website you will find information about funding flexibilities and other funding support. They have a dedicated email address coronavirus@sportengland.org where you can contact them about impact of coronavirus on your organisation and the type of help you think would be beneficial now and in the future. Find out more
Sport England Guidance: Sport England will be pulling together guidance for the sector on returning to play.
The resources include:
- Inclusion & accessibility guidance – helping you to understand the government guidance for different groups, how you can engage and reassure specific audiences who may be nervous of returning and how to ensure your facilities are, and remain, accessible to all when allowed to reopen.
- Support for the professional workforce - including advice on staffing considerations for when the safe reopening of facilities is allowed, as well as news on support available from the government and links to resources such as training and development opportunities.
- Volunteering guidance - setting out some of the main considerations to help your volunteers return safely, well-informed and prepared.
- Legal support - Managing liability and risk guidance - to give providers, be they clubs, governing bodies, community groups or regional associations, advice on what issues need considering and how they might tackle them in order to safely return to play.
- Hygiene Guidance - Advice and guidance to help sport and physical activity facilities keep their environment safe for everyone, plus downloadable posters and stickers.
There is also support for sports clubs and organisations, direct on the Club Matters website including:
- Reopening toolkit – this includes information on how your club/organisation can plan its return to sport, with advice on what you need to think about across different areas such as reopening your facility and protecting your people.
- Risk register template – this template, with a dedicated user guide, is designed to help your club/organisation introduce or update your practices regarding how you manage risks.
- Creating a risk assessment – this draws from the current Health and Safety Executive advice and provides step-by-step guidance to help organisations address risk, including coronavirus-specific considerations.
- Social distancing guidance – this resource covers the different practices and considerations your club/organisation may need to introduce so that social distancing can be implemented in line with current government advice.
Sport England Funding: Sport England are making up to £195 million of funding available to help the sport and physical activity sector through the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. Find out more.
The package is made up of the following:
- A £20 million Community Emergency Fund, which will be opened immediately for clubs and community organisations to bid into. Grants between £300 and £10,000 are available. Please note that this fund has now stopped taking applications. If it re-opens in the future we will provide an update.
- A £5 million pot for existing partners to bid into if they're facing specific financial difficulty
- An additional £55 million to support our sector during an ongoing period of restrictions, to fund new and innovative ways to keep people active and, when the period of restrictions is over, to help organisations get back to business and adjust to a different environment
- A £115 million rollover of current funding into 2021/22 to give long term certainty to over 100 well established partners who play a vital role in the delivery of sport and physical activity in England.
Financial support for businesses & charities:
Funding: If you have funding in place already and are worried about this, please get in touch with your funders direct. A number of funders have already expressed they are happy to be flexible, but you must make contact with them. If you are looking for funding, please see our funding page which we will update with any new funds. Please also sign up to our funding newsletter here.
Charities Commission: If you are set up as a Charity, please refer to the latest advice from the Charities Commission. This includes information for Trustees, information about the use of reserves and more.
Support for Self Employed: Find out if you are eligible here.
Government Business Support: The Government have announced a number of measures to support businesses, you will find the latest here.
Many clubs, groups and other leisure businesses will be entitled to Business Grants from the Government including some charities and community amateur sports clubs.
The three main grant schemes are:
- Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all businesses in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief.
- Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund of £10,000 or £25,000 depending upon the property's rateable value, must be less than £51,000. Dont know what your rateable value is, find it here.
Further guidance and details can be found here
If you think you are eligible and havent received yours please contact your local district council on the links below:
Sector specific resources:
Club Matters: has been populated with a number of new resources, case studies and guidance re coronavirus, with more being developed soon. All resources are designed to provide some helpful advice for clubs and delivery organisations. Topics include the financial support available from the Government, securing your facilities during short term closure, business continuity planning, running your organisation virtually and ideas to help keep members engaged from home. Information is available in a variety of formats, from webpages to downloadable resources and guidance notes.
They are also really keen to showcase the great way that clubs and organisations have been engaging members and volunteers as well as supporting their community. So please get in touch if you'd like to be included. They will also be adapting Club Matters workshops to go virtual!
UK Coaching: have temporarily unlocked 10 of their most valuable subscriber resources, making them available to all registered on the site.
Sport & Recreation Alliance: The Sport & Rec Alliance have outlined how some of the Governments measures can support the sport and recreation sector at this difficult time.
CIMSPA: Have created a hub as a place to bring together advice and practical assistance on coronavirus (Covid-19), including offers of support from many of their partners.
UK Active: Advice and guidance for the sector and the latest on Covid 19. Including:
- A framework for the re-opening of the gym and fitness industry
- A framework for the safe delivery of children’s activity provision during social distancing
Socially Distanced Sport Guidance - Mayor of London: The Mayor's Community Sport Team have published a new guidance document. This toolkit has been designed to support grassroots sport deliverers with advice and key learnings for socially-distanced community sport.
Your Governing Body: We would advise sports clubs to check their national governing body of sport website for additional sport specific information. London Sport have created this handy list of guidance from Governing Bodies.
Training:
See our courses page for current opportunities
ReActivate is a new, free, online training platform, designed to equip anyone working or volunteering in the sport, fitness, leisure and physical activity sector in England with the knowledge and skills they need to confidently return to work or restart their coaching activity. Click HERE for more and to sign up.
Safeguarding:
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents new safeguarding challenges for all those working or volunteering with children.
The CPSU is compiling the latest information and resources for those in the sports sector here.
The Ann Craft Trust has Covid 19 advice here.
Mental Health: Mind have produced a guide aims to equip the sport and physical activity sector with the tools and information required to support the mental health of staff, coaches, volunteers and participants as we ‘return to play’.
Impact of Covid19:
We have pulled together some of the reports and emerging evidence on the impact of Covid19, see here.
Support in Cumbria:
Cumbria County Council: Find the latest information about Covid-19 in the county here.
Cumbria CVS: The wider third sector in Cumbria is being supported by Cumbria CVS, see information here.
Action for Communities Cumbria: Support for communities and community building is available through Action for Communities Cumbria, see information here.
Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership: Some organisations may be looking at alternative models of business; CSEP have been funded by Cumbria County Council to provide support and advice.
About Us
As a result of the COVID-19 virus, the Active Cumbria Team will be working in a different way for the foreseeable future. We will be working from home, minimising our non-essential traveling, and will be looking to use virtual meetings wherever possible. This is very much in line with the procedures of our host agency, Cumbria County Council.
All of our Team can be contacted either via email or mobile phone, and the details can be found here
