London in Tier 2 & FRBC

As members, participants and users of FRBC I wanted to give you an update on a slight change to the ways of working following the Government’s decision to move London into Tier 2 status.  The updated advice from British Rowing says FRBC should:

“Follow the guidance as set out for the current phase in our Return to Rowing guidance except for in relation to indoor training where households should not mix (with the exception of youth or disability sport).”

This slight change means we need to take the following steps in order to stay Covid-secure:

• Gym bookings will now be limited to one person per hour instead of two people
• If a scheduled adult session is unable to go on the river because of poor weather conditions we will almost certainly be unable to use the rowing machines in the boat bay.  The only exception here would be when social distancing could be maintained with a maximum of four people on the rowing machines in the Boat Bay.  A land training outside in your groups would still be permissible in your training groups but may take the form of circuits, running etc. under the banner of organised sport
• Junior sessions will be able to use the ergs in the Boat Bay, should it be required, but mixing of bubbles for year groups/training groups still needs to be avoided and subsequently sessions may be cancelled

As a team, we will do our utmost to communicate to you all as early as possible if we think that poor river conditions will mean that an on-water session would be unsafe and therefore not possible.  Your coaches can then further advise if there is a suitable land session that can be done or if the session needs to be regrettably cancelled.  We’ll communicate this out via WhatsApp and email as soon as a decision is made.

I fully appreciate that this a frustrating situation for all involved and with everything that’s happened in the last seven months AND the addition of Hammersmith Bridge being closed it can seem that the rowing Gods are conspiring against us!  What gives me a positive outlook with all this going on is the fact we have an engaged community around FRBC and a team of coaches and managers who are working tirelessly to ensure we can provide as much as rowing as possible within the guidelines, I am incredibly grateful to all of you!

I hope the above makes sense and please do let me know if you have any questions.

Steve