Returning to Indoor Bowls

Ideas and measures, clubs have put in place to permit club members to return to bowls.
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Ken
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:16 am
Club Name: Dolphin IBC

Good morning All,

I hope you are managing to stay well and keep active despite these extraordinary times we are all currently living through.

I have had a couple of conversations with the EIBA over the past month regarding plans for how and when we might be given the green light to re-open the club.
Their reading of the situation is that July / August (IF restrictions continue to be eased gradually AND there are no major spikes in infection), may be a realistic goal.

So far here down in Poole, we have purchased:

- Reception sneeze-screen
- Visors & face masks for staff
- Gloves for staff
- Hand sanitiser pump pots for each rink x 2 (one each end)
- Disposable wipes +++
- Temperature checker (infra-red) - gives a reading within 1-2secs
- Surface cleaner +++

We have drawn up some new rules for when we do re-open and shared these with the EIBA.
Sounds as if these guidelines are very much in step with the guidance they will be issuing when clubs like indoor bowls clubs are permitted to re-open.

We hope to open the club initially for just one session per day, limiting the number of rinks available and therefore the number of bowlers in the club at any one time.
If this goes well, then we will look to open the club for longer each day.

Gradual steps, lots of extra cleaning of surfaces etc and hopefully we will gain the confidence of our members to return.

Good luck with your plans to re-open and I look forward to the day when we can all meet up again "face to face".

Regards

Ken

Ken Joy
Club Manager, Dolphin Indoor Bowls Club, 52 Waterloo Road, Poole, Dorset BH17 7LG
[email protected]
Tel: 01202 675551
Mob: 07845 178734
AndyTorevell
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 3:39 pm

Great information Ken !!

Looking forward to the views from other members of our Bowlr community ;)
EdMorris
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2020 2:31 pm
Club Name: Essex County

Hi all,
We have been open outdoors since the 1st June.
It has generally gone very well, and we are getting busier each week as more people get the confidence to come out and play.
We are lucky that we have 2 greens as playing on every other rink hasn't caused too much difficulty.
We ask members to disinfect all equipment after use, the Clubhouse is not open save from the toilets, we are allowing spectators now also.
Opening indoors obviously will be much more difficult but we are already planning for this, as we have a number of members itching to get going.
We will await guidance from the Government/EIBA and go from there!
matthew.sellen
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:30 pm
Club Name: Angel (Tonbridge)

Hi Ken, really helpful stuff, thank you.
We've put quite a bit of effort into signage too and also looking at doing a short video on 'new rules'.

Have you decided what to do about money (cash or contactless) handling? We're still undecided on this.

Thanks, matthew
AndyTorevell
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu May 28, 2020 3:39 pm

Hi Matthew,

Just for information purposes, we at Bowlr are working hard on solving this cash/contactless problem & are very close with a first version, this will remove cash for roll ups/open play & league games. We intend to make sure this is avaialble before the new winter season would start this year.

Version 2, will allow all other transactions that members need to make to the club including National & County games along with annual renewals, locker fee's etc.
matthew.sellen
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:30 pm
Club Name: Angel (Tonbridge)

Following latest government guidance and EIBA overlay, whilst bowling is still off limits we will be able to open bar/restaurant. We are keen to do this to provide some social side for our members who wish it. Obviously loads of info out there on how to do this, but any views from other clubs? Anyone else thinking of opening bar only?
thanks, matthew
Ken
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:16 am
Club Name: Dolphin IBC

Good morning Matthew,

We have decided not to reopen the club until bowling is permitted.
Our caterers have been using the clubs kitchen to provide a Meals to Home service for a number of members during lockdown, but this is tailing off now that full lockdown has been eased.

Good luck with the partial re-opening.

Regards

Ken
BobA
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:06 pm
Club Name: Adur Indoor Bowling Club

We have received updated information from the EIBA in the last couple of days which confirms that we can open up, if we wish, this coming Saturday 25th July.
I did a survey of all our members who have an e-mail address and found that circa 25% wanted to come back as soon as we open whist almost 50% said they would wait until the new winter season starts in October.
I have noted that although the EIBA are not actually mandating the use of face masks they seem to be hinting that way.
This may have an effect on people returning as quickly as they may have considered.
Bob
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