Boston Indoor Bowling Club announces re-opening date and new regulations

Boston Indoor Bowling Club are preparing to re-open.

The Rosebery Avenue venue has been shut since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it is hoped action can begin again next month.

A statement issued jointly by the club chairman, directors and staff said: "We can now open the club and this we plan to do when we have all the measures in place to protect you and the staff and are certain we are as COVID compliant as we possibly can be.

"This is our proposal to ease us back to some normality based on opening Monday, August 17.

"To attend the club on any day for a roll up you will have to pre book your time and rink either via the website or by telephone giving your name and names of anyone else attending.

"There will only be five rinks available and you will be able to book one-hour slots. The price will be £1.50p per hour per person."

The statement added that the following procedures will be in place:

Temperatures will be taken on entry to the building. Entry will be refused if it is not normal.

Hand sanitisers will be at the entrance and throughout the club.

There will be a one-way system around the club so you will turn left down past the lockers.

Coat hooks replace the hangers for the coats.

At the lockers you can put on your shoes and get your bowls and carry on around the perimeter.

Maximum of six players can play on one rink.

Each rink will have 6ft between the boundary of each rink giving the social distance required.

We will have three metre Ts. two jacks on each rink and two mats,

One lead will place the mat, one skip will place the jack , one number two will have the scorecard in league matches and one skip is responsible for the scoreboard.

We will have no chalking unless a competition dictates it. Only spray chalk allowed.

Payments should preferably be by card. We are looking at introducing an EPOS members card system. More details on this will be given if we go down this route.

We wish to reduce the cash transactions in the club.

Changing rooms will be out of bounds.

Toilets will be a one in one out system. These will be regularly cleaned and sanitised.

We will allow 30 minutes between sessions to allow people to leave and the next session to come in.

During this period the mats and jacks will be changed over and put aside to sanitise.

Lockers will also be sanitised along with coat pegs.

The bar and lounge area will function as normal but with social distancing measures.

Catering will be available and meals in the restaurant will be table served again with social distancing measures. The staff will have been trained to meet all COVID regulations.

Days and times will be published in due course.

The club will provide PPE to staff, fix and install protective blinds at the bar and the catering counter and provide hand sanitisers and wipes throughout the club.

If members wish to wear masks they will be expected to provide their own. It will only become mandatory if the government issue instructions.

The statement added: "As you will appreciate what was planned in normal circumstances has changed dramatically so will take a little while to sort out.

"We will run day leagues and night leagues but at what times and what format will be available by the time we open.

"We will contact all the teams and see how many can continue and then sort out and develop a league programme. If members teams are not participating due to lack of numbers but they still wish to play we will find them a team.

"Competitions will be run when we get operational, for example County EBF and LIBA. Club competition entries will be available in the club with a closing date of September 30. Nationals will be run on instructions received from the EIBA.

"There will be no Inter club county team fixtures until after Christmas. The county hope to run some format for these after Christmas .

"Information will be made available on the website for leagues and competitions but we will produce a fixture list but this will be very basic.

"The club has carried out risk assessments and tried to mitigate the risks to a low a level as possible to ensure the health, welfare and safety of our members and staff.

"Some of the measures we are having to carry out are going to cost a considerable sum of money.

"One of the improvements is the air conditioning system. We are hope fully changing this to bring in fresh air as recommended by government departments.

"In September we hope to hold the AGM and will be posting a notification in due course within the club and on the website. We will also send out an email.

"We are looking for directors as we have two retiring which are Loraine Stevens and Paul Flatters to whom we owe a big thank you for their most invaluable contributions to the club.

"If you would like to get involved please let us know. We need help to take the club forward and hopefully back to near normal times again.

"It is intended to not change any prices until after 31st December. This will enable us to see what volume of business we are achieving and then rational decisions can be made.

"With the anticipated drop off of members attending, less participation on the rinks it is inevitable revenues will be seriously down. Fortunately the club has reserves but with the costs of getting the club COVID compliant and the losses we face it looks inevitable that the subscription and rink fees will have to increase from January 1."