Author: tristan

We are very pleased to say that today we have opened the range again!

As always there a new rules to abide by.

If you live in a Tier 2 area, then you may now use the Booking System to book your 1 hour slot(s) with up to two members that you live with or are in your support bubble.

If you live in a Tier 3 area, then unfortunately travelling to the club is not an approvable journey, which means that you cannot use the club at present. We hope that this will change soon.

Please do ask if you have any questions.

Following the Prime Ministers announcement yesterday, it is with regret that we are going to have to close our club for a second time.

The range will close after Wednesday 4th November 2020 and will re-open when we are given permission to.

Bookings can still be made (via the booking form), up to and including Wednesday, but approvals after this date will now be declined.

This is in accordance with our licence and there is no alternative option.

Please do not enter the range for any reason after Wednesday 4th November 2020.

We will of course keep you posted.

If you wish to be updated via another method, (e.g. email or text message), then please join our mailing list.

I am very pleased to announce that with certain restrictions, the club may now be used again!
Could all members please read the instructions on the Members Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhittleseyRifleClubMembers/), or alternatively request these instructions via email (stating full name and membership number please) using the contact form.

The Range is still closed.

As we are classed as an Indoor Sports facility, we cannot legally open before 25th July at the very earliest, and then only when certain stipulations are in place, which we are currently waiting to see what these exact stipulations are.

As an approved NSRA range, we also have to have NSRA approval before we can open our doors (irrespective of which discipline we shoot), so we are also waiting on an announcement from the NSRA. Otherwise we won’t have Home Office approval, and again be illegal.

Thank you to all our members for your extreme patience. We will get you back to shooting as soon as we can. It won’t be the same as before for quite a while, but we will get you back.

I have received this from CTSA re the Norman cross range.

As much as we hoped that we would be able to open up the range again, it has proved to be impossible to fulfil all the requirements laid down by the Government and the NSRA and to be covered by Insurance. The insurance company require us to carry out the requirements laid down. See attachment.

The CTSA has a duty of care to members, Clubs and the committee of the Association. This duty of care cannot be guaranteed at this time to the benefit of all.

We are not like a golf or tennis club, we don’t have staff to see people on and off the site, dealing with bookings, supervision and then cleaning down all that has been touched, ready for others to attend. The pavilion would need to stay closed and there is question on the outdoor toilet and the use of it and how it can be wiped down after each use. There is also the outbuilding/containers, these would also need to be wiped down if anyone uses them. It is not just a simple open up and go, everything that is touched will need to be wiped down and made safe for all.

We have a fair number of over 70’s, disabled and vulnerable members that will need to stay away, which would not be fair, seeing that they pay their fees just like everyone else.

We would also need to ask the police if we could open. There is still no shooting in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Taking everything into account, the risks to members and the Association are too high, so the site will remain closed for the foreseeable period.

Please let all your members know that the range is still closed and will remain so until further notice, I will be in touch in due course if and when the range will be back open.

Sandra – Hon Secretary of CTSA

For those interested, here is the NSRA Guidance for reopening clubs.pdf

You will see from the NSRA guidance, indoor ranges can still not open. Also you will see if we do not conform to NSRA guidance we will not be insured and if were not insured our Home Office approval is not valid.

So we have no choice but to stick to the NSRA guidance. Once NSRA guidance allows indoor clubs to open we will be in the same dilemma as CTSA in how do we implement the hygiene requirements without a full time staff.

Regards

Stuart  

We have all heard the latest news from the Prime Minister, and have all interpreted it in different ways. At this moment in time, the club will remain closed.

This will be reviewed once further information has been received from the Government.

Suffice to say, that when we do open, we will need to adhere to all Government recommendations, which could include:-

• Maintaining Social Distance by closing some lanes
• Maintaining Social Distance by limiting access to the club, for example by range booking times
• Stopping use of club weapons to prevent contagion

Once agreement has been made for any, all, or different measures to be put in place, we will let you know.

We are all keen to get back into our club, but also in a safe manner.