By Richard Hardy Leave a Comment
The Great Covid swim Challenge
As pools are operating a restricted swimming time we have introduced a 30 minute swim challenge. Based around our already popular One Hour Swim Challenge the principals and format are the same but the swim time has been reduced to 30 minutes. Lets get back into the water as soon as the restrictions are lifted. (If nothing else it’s something to look forward to)
By Richard Hardy Leave a Comment
The BLDSA Executive Committee met in a Zoom Meeting on the 17th October. The main topic was the continuing Covid Pandemic and its effects on the 2021 events. Our priority must be to take our Members and Volunteers welfare and safety into consideration.
Looking at the overall picture and the huge implications on safety and first aid for swimmers, safety crews and management teams on the day, it has been agreed that unfortunately, we will have to put some events on hold for 2021. Therefore the swims that were planned to take place at Wykeham Lakes and Holyhead Harbour (Wales) have been cancelled. The remaining events will be kept under constant review as the Covid situation evolves over the next few months before the first planned event on the new Calendar at Colwick Park in May.
We will be contacting all the entrants in any events we have to close for 2021 regarding the refunds of entry fees.
On behalf the BLDSA Executive Committee
By Richard Hardy Leave a Comment
We hope that you continue to be safe and well and we look forward to welcoming you all back to our events in 2021.
The events will be opening in October on the basis that Covid restictions will allow the swims to go ahead. We as an organisation will only be allowing the events to run if all current Covid guidelines can be followed, this will also include our own insurance and risk assessment guidelines which will be followed to the letter.
We are trying to remain positive that events will be able to go ahead as planned but it is up to you as an individual to make an informed decision about entering swims. Rest assured your safety and the safety of all our volunteers remains our main priority as is always the case regardless of the current pandemic, so with this in mind we are planning new ways of enabling the swims to run but they will only run if its safe to do so. You will of course be updated as soon as we know if the event can not take place. It may be worth ensuring if you enter an event which requires accommodation bookings, that they offer refunds if the event is cancelled and this may be at short notice if the government makes drastic changes.
By Richard Hardy Leave a Comment
The BLDSA Executive Committee, hope you and your families are all well and are not physically affected by the virus and if you are, we hope you make a full recovery.
After the governments change to its advice on Covid-19 and exercising outdoors, we felt it important that we also updated our members and people who had entered our events for 2020. As previously communicated, we have cancelled all our events for 2020, offering entrants to defer their entry to 2021 or to have a refund.
In our communication detailing our difficult decision to cancel all our 2020 events, we had the well-being and safety of not only the entrants, but everyone involved in the running of the events at the heart of our decision. We are being told that social distancing is the key to beating this and this would be virtually impossible to maintain during an event. In addition, safe places to train will not be fully operational for some time and therefore proper training cannot be carried out in a safe manner. The BLDSA does not encourage lone swimming and strongly recommends its members to comply with the guidance issued by the Government (including social distancing and travel guidelines). We therefore still stand by our earlier communication of cancelling all of our events for 2020.
We hope that you continue to be safe and well and we look forward to welcoming you all back to our events in 2021. Please continue to support us, to follow us on social media to see what we are doing whilst we aren’t running physical swimming events and to look out for each other during these difficult times.
Amanda Bell, President & Vince Classen, Hon. Gen. Sec.
By Richard Hardy Leave a Comment
An update on the 2020/2021 Season
Firstly, we hope you and your families are not suffering with any medical issues caused by Covid-19. If any are, we hope you or they make a full recovery.
The BLDSA Executive Committee met recently and discussed the closure of the 2020 season the rolling over of Memberships and Events and the way forward. At the time of writing this it looks like the virus and its required social distancing is going to be around for quite some time, perhaps into 2021.
We electronically contacted every member and “Open” event entrant for 2020. The vast majority although disappointed, understood the rationale and thinking behind the decision and they thanked the Executive for their actions. We thank the membership and “Open” entrants for their understanding of this issue and look forward to Covid-19 being behind us and we can get back together and in the water. To this end we will shortly be publishing the proposed dates for 2021, because of the difficulty of contacting the various event locations, the dates will not be set in concrete but we expect the dates will be acceptable and at least the provisional dates will allow you to get planning your 2021 season.
We have not opened swim recognition for 2020 in line with social distancing and travel restrictions. Should the situation regarding social distancing and travel restrictions be lifted and the government relaxes matters, it may be possible for swim recognition to be opened. The whole subject will be kept under constant review.
Regarding memberships and the opening of events for 2021, the annual memberships for the 2020 memberships have already been “rolled over”. If you were a 2020 member and did not request a refund your membership is now due to expire on the 31st December 2021. Once we know the 2021 season can go ahead the membership and event entry systems will be opened. This will be on or just after the 1st January 2021.
So until we can meet again please stay safe.
If you have any queries please send them to the Hon. Gen. Sec. using secretary@bldsa.org.uk
Amanda Bell, President & Vince Classen, Hon. Gen. Sec.