As many of us will have seen in the news, Welsh
Government has relaxed the restrictions on group gatherings. This is very good news for us since we can
now resume group walks.
Our central office has been in discussion with Welsh
Government to agree a way forward to begin walking and we will have to make
considerable changes to our normal walking activities. One major change is that
we can only take up to a maximum of 30 people on any one walk.
Please note this is a maximum only, as leaders may
feel they are unable to take responsibility for the safety of a large numbers
of participants on particular walks so in practice there could be far less
members on some walks. Whatever the size
of the group, each walk must observe the social distancing measures at all
times.
In particular, for some months while the
restrictions continue to protect us from COVID, members will now need to book for
each walk they wish to join before the actual day of the walk. This will be on a first-come, first-served
basis. Members will not be able to turn up on the day and expect to join the
walk. Indeed anybody doing so could be
in breach of lockdown regulations and face prosecution!
We know for some this may mean disappointment, should
you find the places on the walk have already been taken but we ask your
understanding that we need to organise walks that will be safe for all
participants to enjoy.
You will have heard about re-imposition of lockdown
restrictions in places such as Swindon.
This could happen anywhere so it is not practical to publish a six or
even three-monthly programme. This means that we will need to publish a Rolling
Programme which will appear online only.
Your committee has been obliged to introduce all
these changes because of the present situation but we remain committed to
providing you with as many walks as we can. We will all have to adapt to this
new situation and I am sure we will continue to enjoy walking as members of
Swansea Ramblers always have done.
John France
Key to providing group
walks will be our walk leader volunteers who will devise a walk then lead us
safely along the route. To ensure we are
leading ‘COVID compliant’ walks, we have drawn up a guide to leaders detailing
the measures which will be necessary to provide the walks. Leaders will find this guide further down
this document. The summer programme as printed should not be relied upon as an
indication that the advertised walk will take place.
The key points for members and
leaders to note are:
Members should understand the
scope of Ramblers insurance. A brief
guide can be found on the Rambler GB site at:
All members should read the GB
advice about COVID and walking
‘Ramblers Restart:
Taking part in COVID-safe walks’
Participant lists for all walks
The leader will need to
compile (and keep for 21 days), a list of all participants and their contact details. If you later develop COVID symptoms, you will
need to contact the NHS to be tested. Advise them that you have recently
attended a group walk and the NHS will be in touch with us to obtain the list
to begin contact tracing. You will not be able to opt out of appearing on the
list and taking part in the walk is your consent to provide the NHS with your
details.
You will need to book your place
before turning up for a walk
We are legally
restricted to a maximum of 30 people in a group. Some walks will be advertised that will have
even smaller numbers of participants and this is because either not all walks
can safely accommodate the social distancing requirement of 2 metres or the
leader feels a large number of participants on a walk cannot be easily managed
so they have decided only to lead a group size with which they feel
comfortable. The number of allowed
participants will be advertised in the walk description. Members turning up at the start of a walk who
have not previously booked will not be able to join the walk.
Booking for a walk
The walk description
will advise how the leader wishes to be contacted. This may be by email, text, phone or face to
face contact.
Where to find details of the
walk
The walk will be added
to the GB walk listings and to the Swansea Ramblers Website a few days before
the walk takes place. We hope to be able to advise you at least a week
before. When a walk goes live on the
web, we will send everyone an email to say booking is now open. We appreciate not all members have an email
address or have consented to receive group updates but this will be the only
practical way of advising the majority of members in a timely and
cost-effective fashion. If you have not
already consented to emails, now is the time to make those arrangements.
Start location of the walk
We will only be
advertising the place where we will start walking. Meeting places such as the Guildhall will not
be used until the danger of the virus has passed and that could be middle of
next year!
COVID Precautions - What to
remember to bring/do on the walk
· Observe hygiene
· Bring hand sanitiser
· Be aware of hazards on walk
· Avoid touching gates and stiles, borrowing
walking sticks etc.
· The leader will have a list of all
participants’ names and telephone numbers then ask you to confirm you are
present.
- This list will be used by NHS if
infection discovered
- It will be destroyed 21 days after the
walk
· Maintain social distancing of 2 metres at all
times, including after the walk.
· Stand back for people passing
During the walk
· Remember to keep to the 2 metre
rule.
· Try not to handle gates and
stiles (although may not be an alternative).
After the walk
· If socialising, e.g. in a pub’s
beer garden, remember the 2 metre rule and all other general COVID advice.
· If in the days following the
walk, you test positive for COVID, advise the NHS staff that you have been on a
group walk. The NHS will then contact us
for our walk list.
Leading in the
Pandemic - Please Read the following carefully if:
·
You are already scheduled on our existing programme
to lead a walk
·
You are thinking of leading a new walk
The coordinators will be contacting leaders who are scheduled to
lead on the summer programme. You may
wish to contact them on receipt of this document to advise them if you will
still lead.
You are under no obligation to lead if
you have concerns about catching COVID, especially if you are in the NHS
vulnerable status of over 70 and/or suffering with underlying health issues.
·
If you think you could still lead your walk, maybe
in an amended form, please let them know.
·
If any leader is prepared to offer an additional
walk at short notice which meets the COVID guidelines, please let us know even
if no date is yet fixed. We can agree a
date later.
1.
Choose the walk area carefully to avoid too many
pinch-points (such as styles and narrow paths or enclosed spaces).
2.
Remember to adjust the length of your walk, as many people
are out of practice of walking at a group pace.
3.
To ensure you are covered by insurance, you will
need to complete a written Risk Assessment using the Ramblers template which can
be downloaded from here:
This
isn’t as onerous as it sounds! It just
records the obvious dangers that we as leaders automatically recognise and guard
against as a matter of course, (e.g. crossing the road!). The Risk assessment should be kept for a
minimum of ONE YEAR but can be kept
indefinitely as it can be a useful tool to remind you of issues on the day or
when, after a period of time, you come to lead it once more on a future
programme.
4.
The legal maximum on a walk will be 30 (which will
include you, a back-marker and any middle-marker).
5.
If you feel your walk cannot be safely undertaken
with 30, you can decide to take fewer participants. We suggest you set your
maximum as a multiple of 5 participants in addition to you, a back-marker and
optional middle-marker. i.e.
5 participants (plus Leader, back-marker and
middle-marker)
10 participants (plus Leader, back-marker and middle-marker)
15 participants (plus Leader, back-marker and middle-marker)
20 participants (plus Leader, back-marker and middle-marker)
25 participants (plus Leader, back-marker and middle-marker)
6.
Once your maximum number has been advertised, you
must not change it.
7.
To reserve a place on your walk, participants can phone,
text, email or speak in person to you. The method of contact is your preference
and will be stated on the walk description.
Please consider not all members have access to email.
8.
It is very important that you respond to the person
booking, to confirm success or failure to book on your walk.
9.
Once the walk is fully booked, please advise Andrew straight
away so he can mark the walk on the web as full - to stop more people
contacting you.
10.
If
there were any people who phoned after the walk was full, please
let us know how many. This is important
as there is a possibility we may be able to provide a second walk that day in a
different area.
11.
We suggest setting a deadline for last bookings which
will be 8pm the previous evening. You are free to vary this deadline if it is
not suitable for you. Otherwise we will
assume 8pm is agreeable.
12.
Bring the Walk Register of participants to the start
of the walk to take a roll call.
The
Ramblers Walk Register can be downloaded here:
13.
If people who have not reserved a place turn up and
your list is full, they cannot be part of your walk and should be told that. Of
course, you cannot prevent them doing what they want so please avoid
confrontations if they insist on doing the walk. However, if they do insist, they
will have no insurance cover. If you already have the legal maximum of 30
people on your walk, remind them that they risk being stopped by the police
who may issue a penalty.
14. Before
the walk
·
If possible, re-check the route close to the date of
the walk.
·
Consider ‘escape routes’ to shorten the walk
·
Make notes about the walk on the Ramblers Risk Assessment
·
Remember to pack a face mask, hand sanitiser, first
aid kit and a fully charged mobile phone.
·
You may also request a pair of two-way radios and/or
emergency shelters from Andrew or Richard
·
Be aware that facilities such as toilets may not be
open.
·
Check the paths are open (all Swansea Rights of Way
were open as at 08/08/2020)
https://www.swansea.gov.uk/covid19footpathclosures
If walking in another county please check their
website.
15.
At
the start of the walk
a)
Use your Walk Register to check who is present AND
advise participants that if anybody develops symptoms of COVID, they should
seek a test. If positive, the NHS will ask Swansea Ramblers for the Walk
Register so they can contact all participants. After 21 days, we will destroy
the document.
b)
Inform participants of possible hazards: cliffs,
roads etc.
c)
Explain COVID-19 precautions: pinch-points, touching
path furniture, social distancing of 2 metres, careful hygiene, to take care in
passing other path users, need for sanitizer etc.
(A Risk Assessment Form is available to help with b and c).
d)
Ensure somebody (preferably you) has a fully charged
mobile phone.
e)
Clearly point out the Back-Marker (Appoint on the
day if necessary).
16.
During
the Walk:
a)
Check participants are observing COVID-19
precautions, especially at food-stops.
b)
The main problem will be maintaining social
distancing while keeping the walkers together.
17.
After
the Walk
a)
Thank
everybody.
b)
Remind them if they develop symptoms to advise the
NHS about the walk.
c)
Arrange to return two way radios/shelters to
Richard/Andrew
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We hope this document has made clear what we all
have to do to restart our walks during this COVID period. If you have any questions or concerns about
leading or walking, please let us know.
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