Update on Covid-19 Government Tier 3 Measures

Following the announcement that Shropshire is to move into Tier 3 from 31st December we will need to make a few amendments to the way the Club operates in order to comply with the government regulations for Tier 3.

Please note that all the Club facilities remain open as usual, including the gym, pool, spa, serail mud chamber, outdoor exercise area, outdoor tennis courts, and indoor courts with some restrictions. All junior tennis coaching can continue as can personal training in the gym.

The following areas/services of the Club will have to change as follows:

• Group exercise classes will be postponed but we will be launching a series of member-only livestream classes from Wednesday 6th January
• The Hub will be open for takeaway drinks and snacks only and no members will be allowed to use the seating area in the Hub
• The indoor soft play area will be closed
• The sauna and steam room will remain closed
• The indoor tennis courts will only be available for play with people of the same household or support bubble

We apologise but we have had no advance warning of this change and so we will be responding as soon as we can. We have no choice but to comply with the government guidelines with immediate effect.

We realise the biggest impact is the prohibition of group exercise classes. We will have an improved livestream programme for members only via our website and we will publish the programme by 4th January. We will also be running more classes outdoors and this programme will also be published by 4th January in the Club and on our website.

We also realise that some spa guests will be affected especially where the afternoon tea or lunch was part of the spa experience. Our spa team will be in touch to either rearrange the day or to confirm you will continue without the food element.

This is a tough time for everyone but we would appreciate members support as we continue to offer as many services as we are allowed and our costs remain pretty consistent. We really hope members will continue to use the Club at this time - remember it is important to stay active at this time and we hope you will enjoy using the wide range of facilities that remain fully open.

Thanks so much for your understanding. We will update this message as soon as we have plans finalised.

Here are a few reminders about what to expect with the current situation.

COVID-19 Rules

Naturally, we ask that when you return to the Club you please do follow the usual COVID rules; maintain 2m distance from others, do not attend the Club is you show any COVID-19 symptoms or if you have been told to self-isolate by NHS Track and Trace and please remember when you arrive at the Club to scan in on the NHS COVID QR code.

DD Collection and Our Covid Commitment on Fees

The DD collection for January has already been sent to the bank.

Hopefully, we will not be forced to close, but please rest assured that our commitment to you is that if we are ever forced to close, we will freeze your membership for the time we are closed and you won’t pay for the period you can’t get access to the Club.

Exercise Class Livestream

In order to mitigate the disappointment around the cancelling of group exercise classes, we have now installed a camera system into one of the studios so we can livestream these classes. They will only be available to members, via the members only section on our website and we will get this live by 6th January. We will confirm the classes that we are streaming as soon as we can. We fully appreciate that this is not a perfect substitute for actually being in the class but we hope that it will help to go some way to mitigate the disappointment for the classes you can’t attend. We very much hope that we can get back to normal class sizes as soon as possible and appreciate your understanding whilst we operate under the government restrictions.

Tennis

Under the Tier 3 rules we have to place some limits on indoor tennis. We can only allow play on the indoor courts providing all players are from the same household social bubble. One-to-one coaching can take place for adults but there can be no group coaching for adults. Group coaching for U18’s can continue indoors providing the group sizes are kept to a maximum of 15. There are no limits on play on the outdoor courts for adults, beyond the standard rule of six. So, if you wish to play tennis with someone outside of your household then we are afraid that will have to be on the outdoor courts. We have carried out some refurbishment on the outdoor courts to ensure you have a better playing surface.

Guests and Short-Term Membership

Please can we remind you that due to the social distancing rules we do have to put stricter controls in place regarding guest usage for the time being. You are welcome to bring a guest to the Club but please do book with reception in advance so that we can reserve their space and ensure that we have a record of their attendance for track and trace. Please note that if guests are not booked in advance, we cannot guarantee they will be allowed into the Club.

The Hub

Unfortunately, the Tier Three restrictions do limit the Hub purely to a takeaway service only and the seating area is closed. We will be reviewing the service we can continue to offer based on how busy we are, given these limitations.