Marden Village Trust
Marden Community Centre
27^th June 2020.
Reopening of Marden Community Centre:
The Government has indicated that Trustees / Management Committees of Community Centres may wish to consider opening ‘their’ community centre as from the 4^th July.
In support of this, through ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) the Government has issued detailed guidance outlining the steps both Trustees / Management Committees and those wishing to hire the facility must take to enable a community centre to comply.
The Trustees of Marden Community Centre met on Friday 26^th June to discuss these guidelines and also to decide when they consider it appropriate to open the Marden Community Centre to the General Public.
After a full discussion, and having had the benefit of reading the detailed guidance beforehand, the Trustees unanimously agreed that they do not consider it appropriate or safe to open the Marden Community Centre to the general public as from the 4^th July. The Trustees have agreed that, pending a review of the Covid-19 situation in mid-August, it may be appropriate to open the Marden Community Centre to the general public as from early September.
In coming to this decision, the following factors were taken into account:
The demography of the majority of groups and the associated  risk factors of indoor gatherings

– As Marden Community Centre is a ‘Self Clean’ facility, i.e. it is the responsibility of groups using the facility to undertake the cleaning, the stringent requirement on those wishing to hire the facility in order to achieve compliance with the required Covid Safe Management Process would not be able to be complied with:

1. All surfaces likely to be touched, both horizontal and vertical, including flooring to be sanitised both before a session commences and after a session finishes

2. All handles and chairs (frames, handles and seats) to be likewise sanitised, both at the commencement of a session and at its conclusion

3. All toilet areas to be cleaned down and sanitised both at the commencement of a session and at its conclusion

4. A one way system of person flow to be established

5. Social distancing to be maintained at all times in all areas (including toilets and kitchen)

6. No multiple handing / touching of equipment, chairs, handles etc unless wiped down and sanitised in between

7. Hands to be sterilised with appropriate steriliser before entering the facility.

8. Sessional slots not to be offered that are ‘back to back’. An appropriate time, probably in excess of an hour, must elapse between one session finishing and another commencing

– Each group or person wishing to hire the Marden Community Centre would have been required to complete the risk assessment as provided by ACRE and from that, develop their own Covid Safe Management Plan (template provided by ACRE) prior to any hire agreement being established. Since the Trustees can be held to be legally responsible for the safe management of the Community Centre, and in order to ensure the insurance policy for the Community Centre is not comprised, there would have to have been no deviation from this requirement. The Trustees considered that this was just not practical in the current situation.

The Trustees agreed that as the course of the Covid-19 pandemic progresses during July and August, it will be appropriate for the Trustees to meet again in late August to review the position. If at that point, the Trustees consider it appropriate to open the Community Centre to the general public, then a meeting for representatives of the regular groups will be held in order to explain the proposed reopening processes.
Finally, many of you may be aware that the Preschool is operating in the Community Centre in line with Government requirements. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure everyone that the reopening of the Preschool was undertaken with close collaboration between the Academy, the Preschool and the Marden Village Trust. The Preschool has given written confirmation that appropriate national and professional guidance has been and is being followed. Risk Assessments have been carried out both by the Preschool and the Marden Village Trust (The MVT risk assessment is available if requested) and from that, the Preschool  developed a Covid Safe Management plan as required. In addition, the Preschool is operating as a self-contained bubble. Parents / carers are not allowed into the premises. Therefore, no special dispensation was asked for by the Preschool or was offered by the Marden Village Trust.
As indicated, the Trustees will continue to keep the situation under review. Groups should be prepared that when the Community Centre does reopen, the use of it by groups and the expectation on groups may not be the same as it was prior to lockdown.
 
For and on Behalf of the Trustees of Marden Village Trust.
Robin Brook: Chair: Marden Village Trust: 07738 634902