HCC Virtual Committee COVID-19 Review Meeting
held online at 7.30pm on Monday 6th July 2020

Committee Present:     Paul Morgan (PM) Chairman Dale Clarke (DC) Trips and Events Officer
Alison Hardy (AH) Secretary Ben Hardy (BH) Development Officer Lesley March (LM) Finance Officer
Liz Owen (LO) Membership Secretary Neil Smith (NS) Equipment Officer

Main Topic of Discussion:

  • HCC Ongoing CV19 Restrictions Review – Decision to extend Lake Sessions to include Beginner Coaching

Whilst Thursday Lake sessions have worked well, uptake for the accompanied Social Paddle places has been less popular than hoped whilst Trips have been very popular and well attended.

Several potential new members have been in touch via the website Contact Form. However, for most enquirers, a lack of taster or beginner sessions together with no access to club kit has not enabled the club to satisfy demand.

LO reviewed the list of current Members who may not have kit. Access to kit may increase social paddle numbers but all acknowledged that a flat water paddle for a limited time for £5 had less appeal than river trip day out for no charge.

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, the Committee agreed to review what is offered on Thursdays. From Thursday 16th July, coaching will be offered for both canoe and kayak. Unfortunately, SUP cannot be offered as a coach is not available for the 16thJuly. As uptake of social paddle places has been less than hoped, the number of places available to book will be reduced but can be increased if needed provided a further coach is available to join the group.

The Bar at Stanton Lake is to re-open so access to the site will no longer require a call to open the gates. Participants and volunteers to park and meet in the left-hand parking area to then proceed through the gates together once the list of those pre-booked has been checked.

Groups can be staggered, canoes ready in the water for that group to get on first. The public will be able to walk around the lake, but signs will advise them not to come onto the decking during the sessions.

BH to approach the Coaches to gauge availability for the 16th as Paul will be away after today. Neil is available to take a group, BH and AH will cover Bank side (approved by DC) as will need one person to meet the staggered start time second group whilst the other will need to be at the container to assist with kit but restrict access to the container.

BH to ask Martin Stretton for a copy of the Bank side document Martin had previously produced which supported the Bank person having specific tasks and not necessarily needing to be a Level 2 Coach.

Could try offering “Intro to” sessions for beginners building to Discover and Explore (syllabus may be limited by COVID-19 restrictions), possibly 3-4 weeks. Could offer for both canoe and kayak if enough interest. Can also offer a Social Paddle group on the same evenings. Charge £5 for each as coach present.

Could also try a couple of Saturdays, subject to approval by Stanton Lakes. PM to approach them for suitable days. Swimming has resumed on Sundays so likely to be Saturdays. PM available after 21st July so to try for 25th July and 1st August. Can promote the idea to both HCC Members and Friends of HCC Facebook pages subject to finalising dates, coaches and sessions on offer.

All day Saturday events could enable the club to offer a variety of sessions canoe, kayak and SUP so people could book different morning and afternoon sessions if they wish. Longer timeframe of all day sessions would enable paddlers to progress well. Still some limitations covering full course content due to the restrictions on rescues which do not comply with social distancing.

For all activities, groups sizes still 1:5 unless guidelines change in the meantime. Multiple groups could go ahead providing they had staggered timings and kept distanced. Could also offer a Social Paddle group and promote availability of club kit.

Issuing Kit – need to reduce the risk of infection by controlling the group’s queue waiting for equipment. Can use the new football cones to mark out 2m gaps in front of the container to maintain social distancing whilst waiting and to restrict access to it.

Gloves can be worn to volunteers and paddlers while BAs, paddles and boats are issued and adjusted. Gloves can be kept on to share boat carrying to the decking where the bin on the post can be used for discarded gloves.

Club Development (BH):

  • Coaches Rota – BH will circulate a weekly request to coaches via the Facebook group for availability to cover the Thursday and Saturday sessions.

 Events and Trips (DC):

  • Club Trips – NS has coordinated several trips over the past few weeks although they have often appeared unexpectedly. They have all been popular and well attended. Indications are that more trips would be welcomed. There was discussion that the club does not charge for trips and discussion around charging £5 like current lake sessions. It was suggested that some clubs charge a nominal fee for trips which is then reinvested in training future leaders and coaches. The Committee felt this could not be introduced without discussion at an AGM. Trips have been advertised on both Facebook pages but in future Trips will be a standard post in the Friends of page so the only people who can select “going” are current members.
  • Forthcoming Matlock Intro to White Water Trip – NS confirmed no car shuttles possible (COIVD-19 restrictions) so plans for all to meet at the parking (Artist’s Corner). One group to paddle from there, the other more competent group to walk up to a put in near to Sainsbury’s then paddle back to the parking. Action: NS Trip Organiser. Dave Clarke with BH and Alice Smith to take the more competent group.
  • Trip reports – received for each recent trip and loaded onto the website (thanks to BH) with a link to them from both Facebook pages.
  • Bookwhen event creation and Emergency contact list print – DC to demonstrate this to the Committee at the end of the meeting today.

Equipment (NS):

  • Lakes Container Roof – Mike Dallaway has made the wooden trusses and NS delivered these to the Lake. Mike to continue the assembly and order the metal sheeting. Decking area under the seal launch to be improved too. Action: Mike Dallaway/NS.
  • Annual Kit Check – BAs flotation is checked annually, the weight is in the container drawer unit. AH and BH could do this when Mike Dallaway is working on the container roof. Action: NS
  • Old Playboats – a couple have been sold by NS who has the money for LM.
  • Kit Hire – waiver charges during COVID19 restrictions, when there was no access to the lake kit could not be returned so members could not be charged. Normally charge is £10 per week. All agreed future Thursday Kit collection or returns at the Lake to be arranged for 7pm-7.30pm to avoid clashing with the pre-booked lake sessions. Action: NS
  • Club Kit for Lake Session – as covered earlier club kit will now be available for Thursday sessions including Social Paddlers. Need to restrict access to the container and touching of kit with uncovered hands to reduce risk of cross infection. Action: AH/BH – Website announcement and Facebook post to advise Members of this.

Membership (LO):

  • Currently have 66 paid up members, an increase since the last meeting. LO hopes to start issuing the membership cards, may need to post the majority. There was discussion about interpretation of “new” member for pro rata rate. The website to be rephrased to be clear that the online system considers everyone to be a new member but pro rata rates only available to those who have not been HCC member previously. Also, discussion around the definition of Family Membership. The rate is less than the cost of two Adult members but the Committee agreed that the “Family” did need to comprise of two Adults and at least one junior member to qualify. The rate of Family Membership to be reconsidered at the AGM. One member had chosen the wrong rate so additional £8.33 pro rata to be paid by BACs.
  • Facebook – LO has invited Paid Members to join the new Facebook page. The original page will be changed to “Friends of HCC” whilst the other will be the Members area.

 Finance (LM):

  • Account balance – £5,929.21 as at 24/06/20. LO has additional receipts to pass to LM for the COVID19 related purchases.

Club Admin (AH):

  • Shared files and general Committee passwords – permissions to access the HCC google doc area and Bookwhen are for current HCC Committee members only. Updated passwords have been circulated. Emergency contacts need to be printed from Bookwhen for each Lake Session and Trip. Action: ALL
  • Further BC webinar – AH booked for 22.07.20 regarding the changes to sports facilities and events. AH will update the Committee afterwards on any developments which may affect what we are doing. May be relevant to Saturday sessions. Action: AH
  • HCC COVID-19 video – Thanks to Stan Crane for producing the great video to summarise the current changes to paddling arrangements.  The video has been shared on Facebook and is linked to the HCC Website.

Meeting closed 9:43pm

Next meeting and Location: Virtual Committee Meeting early August, date to be determined.