As many community buildings are reopening and welcome people back, we recognise the huge task and the effort people have put in to ensure that the premises are Covid secure, to keep people as safe as possible and help to prevent further spread of the virus.

The latest government announcement outlined new guidance and further restrictions on social gathering, which included the ‘rule of 6’ which took effect from 14th September.  This has caused some concern and left some people confused about how the new guidance will impact on the delivery of services in community buildings.

The latest changes appear unlikely to prevent most community activities taking place in venues where appropriate social distancing measures are in place, however, the exact detail of the new regulations are still to be released.

The official guidance states that community facilities can host more than 6 people in total, although an activity should not take place if there is a significant likelihood of groups of more than 6 mixing and socialising and no one should visit or socialise in a group greater than 6.

It is widely recognised that community activities are very important for the wellbeing of individuals, particularly those who have been isolated over the last six months. The emphasis of the guidance is to ensure activities are delivered safely and not to prevent them.

Activities such as coffee mornings, bingo, sewing clubs, book clubs, craft clubs, reading groups, etc could still be held with social distancing in place. Organisations running such activities will need to take particular care to ensure that individuals attend them in groups no larger than 6, and that these small groups remain socially distanced from each other and do not mingle while on the premises.

When making decisions about the impact on the delivery of your services, here are a few things to consider…

• Do people who use your building understand the changes?
• Do you have any activities that can no longer be delivered safely?
• Have you had any cancellations because of the changes and is this due to people not fully understanding the new rules?
• Do you need a different seating arrangement, to prevent people mixing in a group greater than 6 - social distancing rules would still need to be applied
• Do you need to reduce your capacity further to accommodate the new restrictions?

We are working in partnership with our ACRE colleagues to seek clarification from the government on the most recent guidance and to provide you with the latest information as we get it, so keep an eye on our various social media channels and website for the latest updates.

In the meantime our staff team are available to help you understand what the changes may mean for your community building and to provide you with information, advice and support with any queries or concerns you may have. Please email info@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk and your enquiry will be directed to a member of our Community Support Team.