COVID Restriction Changes

Hi Everybody,

I would first of all like to say a very big THANK YOU to everybody that has helped out with COVID Liaison duties over the last several months! Without your help, the club would simply have not been able to function. The very fact that we are still here, people are swimming and are even getting some very good PBs in the Level X competitions is proof that your volunteering has been worth it. On behalf of myself, the committee, coaches, swimmers and parents – thank you!

I would also like to highlight the tireless work performed by Alex Bennett, Veronica Faulkner and Paul Ibeziako in ensuring that as far as possible we have had a COVID rep at almost all sessions. Thank you for all of your efforts, and in the nicest possible way, I hope that you never have to do work like that again. Let’s hope that the daily infection, hospitalisations, and death rate numbers come back under control and that we can continue.

As you are doubtless aware, tomorrow, the 19th July, is the day when the Government are easing almost all restrictions related to COVID. As a result Swim England are removing all of their guidance and COVID too and so it is down to the individual pool operators and clubs to decide how to operate. We will no longer be required to have a COVID rep!

Macclesfield Leisure Centre

As a baseline, Satellites will be operating as unrestricted as possible but in accordance with the local pool operators. This means that in effect we are almost back to the usual pre-COVID way of working at Macclesfield Leisure Centre. The following guidance is provided by Everybody Sport and Recreation who are the pool operator at Macclesfield Leisure Centre:

• Changing rooms can now be used before and after club sessions
• There will no longer be a one way system
• No lane restrictions or change in etiquette
• Visors/face coverings no longer mandatory
• Parents can pick up and drop off from inside the buildings
• Spectators will be allowed

At Macclesfield you will no longer need to arrive beach-ready and you are free to use changing rooms before and after training, as well as to make use of the showers. (I’m sure your parents will be happy to wait around whilst you all chat in the showers again ;)). You will also not need to wait outside of the leisure centre before training, so you can get on to poolside and get on with some stretching.

Kings Pool

For the Kings pool we have just this minute been notified of the following:

• Changing rooms may now be used!
• Changing room facilities are accessible a maximum of 10 minutes before the booking begins.
• All swimmers MUST rinse off in the showers nearest poolside before entering the pool.
• Access to the changing facilities is only until 15mins after the session – so no dawdling in the changing rooms please.
• Swimmers MUST remove their shoes before entering the changing rooms by using the benches provided. Shoes must not be put back on until retuning to the benches outside the changing rooms.
• At present there is still a policy in place for no spectators. This is under review at present.

If younger swimmers who need parental help in getting changed wish to do so, they can still arrive and leave beach-ready as at present.

Bollington

We have not received any new guidance from Bollington so please carry on as at present when swimming there.

I can let you know that we will be stopping swimming at Bollington from the end of this month. Our last session there will be on Friday 30th July.

Although Bollington has been great for us to keep functioning and allowing all of our swimmers to have some training time whilst under COVID restrictions, the harsh reality is that we are not able to maintain operating across 3 pools due to financial limitations.

Don’t worry though, the groups that swim at Bollington will be relocated between Macclesfield Leisure Centre and Kings Pool. We are just putting the final touches to a timetable to take us through the summer break and this will be published in the coming days. We usually have a 2 week shutdown during August but given we have missed so much time already over the last 18 months we have decided to carry on through. A few early morning sessions will be dropped but plan on training being available otherwise. Full details coming soon.

As a head’s up, ESAR will likely be altering the timetable at Macclesfield Leisure Centre one more time for September onwards. We are painfully aware that the current evening slots at MLC are not exactly at sociable times. We are in discussions with ESAR to see if we can get them moved earlier in the evenings to get away from those horrid 10pm finishes. We hope that this will be the last timetable change for a while, but as with everything in the COVID-era, it is subject to changing conditions so we may yet have to adapt again in the future.

For now, enjoy the easing of restrictions, and if you wish to, you can still be more cautious by wearing masks etc.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and this glorious weather! In fact, I hear an ice cream calling me!

See you all soon (or in a few days for those having to self isolate),

Sean