MESSAGE FROM WELSH GYMNASTICS
June 3rd, 2020Dear Club Member,
As Wales continues on its route map through and out of the COVID-19 crisis, we can enjoy a little more time with friends and family as we await the next steps to allow our sport to return.
Welsh Gymnastics is contributing regularly to working parties on the safe return of indoor sport, working with Sport Wales, the Welsh Sports Association, and other governing bodies in the same position.
Until then, all our gymnastics clubs must remain closed. Our top priority is to support our member clubs to ensure a safe return to gymnastics when the time is right but, for now, we must continue to follow Welsh Government guidance on health, physical distancing and hygiene. We also need to make sure we can adapt to changes in guidance at short notice. Information on the Welsh Government’s traffic light approach to tackling COVID-19 is available at https://gov.wales/unlocking-our-society-and-economy-wales-roadmap-published .
Until we receive guidance from Welsh Government that it is safe for restrictions to be eased, you should only be preparing for a return to indoor activities. This process will not be an easy one and will require some extensive planning. To help you, our team at Welsh Gymnastics have been working with British Gymnastics and Scottish Gymnastics to develop a detailed plan that is supported by appropriate resources.
The ‘Step Forward Plan’ is built around four key pillars of support; protection, people, places and programmes and will be delivered in phases designed around the Welsh Government restrictions currently in place.
It is important to note that the step one, two and three in each section refer to prepare, resume and rebuild. We will only move through the steps as Welsh Government inform us that it is safe to do so. It is still too early to say when steps two and three in the plan will happen, and we are concentrating on step one ‘prepare’ for now.
Step forward
Protection – everything we’re building to support a safe return to gymnastics – the protection and safety of all of our members is of paramount importance .
People – supporting the people who deliver gymnastics, run clubs and participate in our sport, including a focus on protecting the health and wellbeing of coaches, gymnasts and their families.
Places – providing specific guidance to facilities on how to introduce the new recommended safety measures. And supporting clubs in identifying and applying for available funding, fundraising and financial planning.
Programmes – guidance on how to adapt activity programmes and deliver gymnastics safely within the social distancing guidelines.
Highlights of the plan include:
Working with British Gymnastics and their Foundation, our Access Gymnastics Fund and other stakeholders to provide increased investment in participant hardship grants that will give financial support to gymnasts affected by Covid-19.
Free Covid-19 Club resources pack available through our new marketing hub including, but not limited to, posters and digital content around social distancing, hygiene and keeping your gymnastics environment safe for coaches, gymnasts, and parents.
Discounts on targeted coaching courses (when they resume) to ensure you have the workforce to meet the needs of your programmes.
Development of a series of guides, webinars and support tools for clubs and coaches with key topics including: Health and Safety, Risk Assessments, Business Planning, Returning Staff to Work, Communicating with Members, Activity Set-up and Navigating Through the New World of Coaching.
