(update 24 February 2022)

The government have now removed all legislation around Covid, but we are still asking you to follow a few simple rules on our walks to ensure everyone stays safe. We have lots of vulnerable and clinically vulnerable people in the group, so whilst you might be willing to take the risk, they are not

1) Please do not book a walk if you, or a member of your household, or somebody you have been in close contact with, has displayed any symptoms of coronavirus, or has tested positive for the disease, within the past 14 days

2) You must cancel yourself off a walk if you think you may have symptoms, or do have symptoms, or have been in contact with someone who has symptoms

3) We ask that you carry a mask with you on walks in case of a medical emergency. No mask = No walk. Let Jane know if you’re exempt

• Buffs/neck gaiters/morf bands (& any other name they go by) are not suitable for use as masks unless they are well fitted and folded at least 3 times. The material is designed to be breathable so just pulling it up over your nose and mouth will not stop COVID as effectively as a mask
• Think of your mask like underwear.How frequently do you wash your underwear? Use that as a guide for how often to wash your mask

4) Please be aware of other people’s personal space. Whilst we are not asking you to stay 2m apart, we do ask that you give people space. If anyone loses concentration and comes closer than you are comfortable with, it is totally acceptable and justified to kindly let them know immediately. Let’s look out for ourselves and each other at all times

5) We advise carrying a small bottle of hand sanitiser with you on walks. We have re-fillable bottles of hand sanitiser with clips, ideal for attaching to your bag, for sale at £2.50/bottle. Let Jane know if you’d like one

6) If we stop for a drink/breather, please be aware of others and move off the path out of the way where possible

7) Please continue with our midified stile etiquette – put your own poles through/over the stile before crossing with full care and attention, then collect your poles and move away from the area. We advise using hand sanitiser after touching a stile or gate

8) DO NOT hold or touch other peoples’ poles unless they’re in your household or they specifically ask you to

9) If at any time you feel uncomfortable about anything, please do not hesitate to say. The walk leader won’t be offended!

10) Should a first aid situation arise, we will endeavour to assist from a distance. If this is not possible and urgent assistance is needed we will ask you to put on your face mask/covering, whilst the walk leader administers first aid

11) It is up to you to take reasonable personal responsibility when taking part in a walk

12) We will continue to clean & poles between users. Please link the straps together (ask the walk leader to demonstrate if you are unsure) and place in the bag provided

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(Update January 2022)

Please read the following information carefully

Whilst the governement have basically removed all Covid restrictions, we are still working extremely hard to keep everybody safe, so if you feel you cannot abide by our guidelines we ask that you do not attend walks. We have lots of vulnerable and clinically vulnerable people in the group, so whilst you might be willing to take the risk, they are not

We appreciate there is a lot to remember, but most of it is common sense. If we find people are repeatedly breaking the rules, we will ask them not to join walks to ensure everybody’s safety

 

Booking Walks

1) Please ensure you have read, understand, and agree with the COVID rules before booking

2) Please ensure your PARQ is up to day EVERY TIME you book onto and attend a walk. If anything has changed, there is the option to update it each time you book. You can update it later by going into a booked walk and then clicking “my PARQ needs to be updated”

3) Please do not book a walk if:

 

• You, or a member of your household, or somebody you have been in close contact with, has displayed any symptoms of coronavirus, or has tested positive for the disease, within the past 14 days

 

• You have been notified by the NHS contact tracing app that you should be self-isolating

 

 

4) You must cancel yourself off a walk/waiting list if you think you may have symptoms, or do have symptoms, or have been in contact with someone who has symptoms

5) By attending a walk you agree to your name being shared with the NHS Test & Trace system if required

 

Before Walks

1) Masks

 

• We ask that you carry a mask with you on walks in case of a medical emergency. No mask = No walk. Let Jane know if you’re exempt

 

• Buffs/neck gaiters/morf bands (& any other name they go by) are not suitable for use as masks unless they are well fitted and folded at least 3 times. The material is designed to be breathable so just pulling it up over your nose and mouth will not stop COVID as effectively as a mask

 

• Think of your mask like underwear.How frequently do you wash your underwear? Use that as a guide for how often to wash your mask

 

 

2) Please be aware of other people’s personal space. Whilst we are not asking you to stay 2m apart, we do ask that you give people space

3) We advise carrying a small bottle of hand sanitiser with you on walks. We have re-fillable bottles of hand sanitiser with clips, ideal for attaching to your bag, for sale at £2.50/bottle. Let Jane know if you’d like one

4) Borrowing poles

 

• Please use hand sanitiser before using the poles

 

• Please collect poles from the walk leader and then move away. If you need help setting them up, let the walk leader know and they will come and help you when they are free

 

 

 

During Walks

1) Again, please give people space

2) If anyone loses concentration and comes closer than you are comfortable with, it is totally acceptable and justified to kindly let them know immediately. Let’s look out for ourselves and each other at all times

3) We will endeavour to keep you away from other people on our walks, but there are a lot of idiots out there, and every walk has a pinch point

4) Be aware of members of the public around you & do not expect them to move out of the way. Please go into single file behind the person at the front of the group. DO NOT all scatter like sheep!

5) At times we may need to pause to allow other path users to pass. Please move to the side in single file

6) If we stop for a drink/breather, please be aware of others and move off the path out of the way where possible

7) If possible, the walk leader will go ahead at pinch points to ensure the way is clear

8) Usual stile crossing etiquette is not possible in these times so we would ask that you put your own poles through/over the stile before crossing with full care and attention, then collect your poles and move away from the area so we can all keep social distancing. We advise using hand sanitiser after touching a stile or gate

9) DO NOT hold or touch other peoples’ poles (unless they’re in your household)

10) If at any time you feel uncomfortable about anything, please do not hesitate to say. The walk leader won’t be offended!

11) DO NOT shout or raise your voice. This increases droplet transmission. Walk leaders will use a whistle to attract your attention

12) Should a first aid situation arise, we will endeavour to assist from a 2m distance. If this is not possible and urgent assistance is needed we will ask you to put on your face mask/covering, whilst the walk leader administers first aid. Walk leaders will use hand sanitiser and wear a face mask/covering & disposable gloves before helping you.

13) It is up to you to take reasonable personal responsibility when taking part in a walk

 

After Walks

Borrowed poles:

 

• Please link the straps together (ask the walk leader to demonstrate if you are unsure) and place in the bag provided

 

• Please place poles NEXT TO the walk leaders car, not inside, so they can be cleaned