The Welcome Return of Squash & Racquetball

After the government’s latest announcement regarding indoor sports, we can now confirm that the squash courts at The Northern Club Crosby will open from Saturday 25^th July at 9.00am.

The safety of our members and staff is always our top priority. To ensure you have the best experience possible and to reduce the risk of contracting COVID 19, we will be implementing some additional measures including:

A 40 minute question and answer session Zoom meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 23/7/20.

Meeting ID is 74769901985

Password 230720

• Emphasizing that members do not visit the club if they have symptoms of COVID 19
• If you get diagnosed with COVID 19 within 2 weeks of visiting the club, please inform the club manager or a member of the squash committee
• Enhanced cleaning and sanitization regime
• Provision of pedal operated bins with lids
• We actively discourage entering the squash building ‘to watch’. Enter the building only if you’re playing or if you’re on essential duty
• Visitors must sign the Visitor’s book in the building. This is to facilitate test and trace in case there’s a COVID 19 outbreak.
• Courts must be booked via OLBS and the names of both players must be entered into OLBS. This is to facilitate test and trace if someone develops symptoms
• Tokens are available behind the bar but remember that the bar is currently operating on reduced hours. We would recommend that you buy tokens in bags of 5 to reduce contact between players and bar staff. Payment should ideally be by contactless card. Please don’t buy more than 5 at a time, so there’s enough left for other members. PS Tokens are sanitised by bar staff after collection from the light meter
• Amended court booking times. Each court booking will be for  45 minutes/2 tokens. We then allow 15 minutes for the court to ‘rest’ before the next players come on. It is essential that you turn up on time to play and you do not put in an extra token to play in the 15minute changeover period. Please leave the court 15 minutes BEFORE the next players are due to go on.
• Courts 3 and 5 are bookable every hour; court 4 is 15minutes past each hour; court 1 is 30 minutes past each hour while court 2 will be 45 minutes past each hour. This staggering of court booking times should reduce overlap of players
• Please arrive no more than 5 minutes before your booking. Arrive warmed up, in your playing gear and bring your own ball, racquet, filled water bottle (the water fountain has been turned off), sweat bands and towel. If you’re prone to sweating a lot, bring a spare T shirt
• The need for OLBS check in has been cancelled
• Sanitize your hands as soon as you enter the building. There are sanitizing stations dotted all around the building. Wipes are also provided for each court.
• Proceed directly to your court, maintaining social distancing at all times. Use the wipes provided to clean the court door handle (inside and outside) before you play
• If playing on Court 5, we would recommend going in and out via that door
• Take your kit bag on court with you and as much as possible, avoid straying off the area immediately behind the court you’re playing on
• Please take a look at the England squash website or see the posters below for details of who you’re allowed to play and whether or not you can play ‘properly’ against them or whether you have to play ‘sides’. There are notices up in the club explaining these further
• Do not wipe your hands on the squash court walls as this may spread infection
• Stay as far away as possible from your opponent even if it means conceding more ‘lets’
• At the end of your game, don’t hang around indoors. Collect all your property. As you exit the court, clean the court door handle with the wipes provided.  Sanitise your hands as you exit the building
• Once outside in the fresh air, you can have a proper catch up with your opponent and yes, you can visit the bar for a drink, ideally seating outside but you are allowed to stay inside the bar as long as you use a generous amount of deodorant
• To reduce the risk of transmission of infection, THE SHOWERS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. The club will keep this under review
• https://www.englandsquash.com/backtosquash     
• Please watch this space for our ‘walk through video guide to Playing squash at the Northern club’
• While we are amending the OLBS booking times, you will not be able to book any courts. Please bear with us for the next day or two.
• Please have a look at our updated COVID 19 First aid policy
• Unnecessary furniture has been removed in order to reduce contact points for infection.

We are grateful for the continued support our members have displayed during the closure of the club. We are also excited that we are able to make a gentle return to playing and look forward to seeing you all very soon

Ade Taiwo

Squash and RB section Chairman

On behalf of the Squash and RB committee 

1^ST AID DURING COVID 19

1. If someone is injured or unwell, try to assist from a safe distance and minimize the time you share a breathing zone
2. If you have to call 999, tell them if the unwell person has COVID 19 symptoms
3. If you have to get close to an injured or unwell person, wear PPE which is kept in a bag situated next to the defibrillator behind Court 4
4. Before starting CPR, to minimize the risk of COVID 19, use a towel or cloth to cover the mouth of the unwell person while still permitting breathing to restart following CPR.
5. Deliver CPR by chest compressions ONLY and use a Defibrillator. Do not use rescue breaths.
6. After delivering first aid, safely discard disposable items and clean reusable ones
7. Wash your hands thoroughly