Club COVID-19 Statement

Dear All,

At Croydon Harriers, the health and safety of our athletes, coaches, officials, committee members, volunteers, parents/carers and all those involved with our club is our first priority. We are very aware of the growing concerns around Coronavirus, and the importance of working together to reduce risk.

We are operating a business as usual approach but please be assured that we will be following government advice closely and will update you if anything changes. As we are based at a leisure facility (Croydon Arena) we also need to be aware of their policies and procedures and you are advised to familiarise yourself with these.

Please view the Croydon Arena (Better Leisure) Coronavirus Statement here

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please follow the guidelines and encourage those you are training, coaching, coordinating and supporting to also follow the guidance of Public Health England (PHE) here with regards to prevention, symptoms and follow up actions if confirmed to have the virus.

• If you are currently feeling unwell with any symptoms such as a high temperature, a cough or shortness of breath please do not attend training sessions and competitions. We reserve the right to refuse entry to any person displaying symptoms.
• Public Health England and England Athletics recommend that the following general cold and flu precautions are taken to help prevent people from catching and spreading COVID-19:
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• Put used tissues in the bin straight away
• Wash your hands with soap and hot water often for at least 20 seconds – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
• Athletes are entitled, should they wish, not to shake hands or have any other form of physical contact with their opponents or officials

WHAT WE ARE DOING:

We are in regular contact with our colleagues running the facility at Croydon Arena. They will endeavour to provide soap and extra sanitiser around the venue, where possible. Please use these on entering and registering and as needed throughout your time at our sessions and events. Our coaches and committee will be briefed to remind athletes and spectators about this, and to also follow the guidelines themselves.
We are prepared and focused on keeping our club safe and open to all, and are actively monitoring to make sure all appropriate measures are in place.

Nevertheless, we are aware that the Coronavirus outbreak is a very fluid and rapidly changing situation. We are observing this closely as well as continuing to follow advice from Public Health England, local and national Government and England Athletics on this matter. With the exception of the London Marathon, no events have yet been postponed/cancelled, however the Government is planning to publish specific advice on sporting events in due course therefore guidance may change but we will but we will of course update you.

Finally, if anything changes or we have any important information we will continue to communicate these to you. Please ensure that you regularly check the website https://croydonharriers.co.uk/ and check WhatsApp groups. You can also follow our social media channels, Twitter @harrierscoydon, Instagram @harrierscroydon and Facebook.com/croydonharriers.