You should all have today received an eMail from our Chairperson – Paul. I reproduce it here for the convenience of all:
As you know, Wilmslow Running Club draws its members from both Cheshire East and Greater Manchester. As you will also be aware, from today Greater Manchester has been placed in tier 3 of the government’s coronavirus restrictions, whilst Cheshire East currently remains in tier 2.
England Athletics’ guidelines, under which our club operates, now state that “no travel in or out of a tier 3 area to participate” in club training is permitted. Nick Bishop, through his contact with EA, obtained the following amplification: “Any athlete over 18 must not travel in or out of tier 3 to train. These guidelines have been based on what the Government has stipulated, and as always it is [EA’s] interpretation of the rules to ensure that the continuation of activity is carried out in a safe way. This guidance is reflected across most sports.”
What this effectively means for us is that members living in Greater Manchester may not attend training based in Wilmslow. Unfortunately this is not open to individual discretion since as a club we are bound by EA’s guidelines, not least to validate our insurance.
For members who live in Greater Manchester we will arrange Tuesday and Thursday sessions within the Greater Manchester area, subject to demand. We understand that coaches and leaders are permitted to travel in and out of tiers to deliver sessions. If you live in Greater Manchester and would like to participate in these, please contact me on paul_norris@ntlworld.com by the end of Sunday, stating clearly whether you’d like to attend Tuesday sessions, the Thursday run, or both. I will then create a WhatsApp group for those who respond and we’ll communicate further information regarding sessions through that.
None of this affects informal “social” runs. These are not officially organised by the club and therefore not subject to EA guidelines, just to the government’s ‘rule of 6’ per group.
I am sorry that these imposed restrictions lead to further fragmentation and look forward to the day we can return to the club’s ethos of all training together. In the meantime, we will endeavour to provide what training opportunities we can for all our members.
Paul