In view of the Covid-19 situation the club has taken steps for members to continue to play tennis in what will be a difficult summer for all sports.
Two things have been taken into consideration when coming to these decisions. Firstly, the safety and wellbeing of all club members and secondly, the tennis club and Ridgeway Sports and Social Club’s responsibility to follow local and national guidance for the running of community facilities in the present circumstances.
The main decsions so far have been:
- Membership fees have been reduced by two-thirds from the fees agreed at the AGM. A list of the revised fees appears now on the Membership page of the website. If you have already paid the full fee by bank transfer you can ask for a refund of the ‘extra’ you have paid or get a reduction of that amount on next year’s fees.
- Club tournaments to be cancelled for the 2020 season.
- Members be allowed to play social tennis if they wish to do so but they must take account of the social distancing advice that has been given, that they use their own tennis balls (all players on a court must agree to use the balls) and will not be able to get access to the pavilion or use the disabled toilet across at the Sports and Social Club. They should also take care when using the padlocks on the gate and the net winding mechanism etc. Perhaps a glove would be advisable. The club will not accept any liability for a member’s wellbeing once they take the decision to play.
- So far all Works League matches have been suspended and are unlikely to be played at a later date. No decision has yet been made on the S & D fixtures.
- Attendance at any of the club’s social sessions will be entirely at the member’s own risk but we ask members to be responsible to others as well as themselves.
- It is unlikely that the coaching sessions will be held but watch out for news in the next week or so about this.
The Sports and Social Club has now cancelled all activities and forthcoming functions in the Memorial Hall for the foreseeable future and has said that the disabled toilet that members use will not be available.
We hope that the decision on fees will still encourage people to join the club and enjoy a bit of tennis but reflects the reduced activities the club can offer through the summer.
It is perhaps the most difficult situation our generation has faced but it is worth bearing in mind the club was formed in memory of the 23 village men who died in the First World War. It fell into disuse during the Second World War but was resurrected in the 1950s and has continued ever since. Some of us may get the virus but at least we are not having to go to a foreign battlefield to meet the challenge facing us.