Opening your community building after lockdown

Guidance for re-opening your community hall or centre – updated version issued on 3 July

The guidance from our national partners ACRE has been updated to reflect the Government’s guidance for community buildings, which was released on 30 June.  You can download the document below (PDF), along with a Zip folder containing sample risk assessments and several other appendices as separate Word files that you can edit yourself:

Covid-19 Opening your hall after lockdown 2020 07 04th

Opening After Lockdown 2020 07 04th appendices

Changes from the previous version of ACRE’s guidance are listed below:

1. Links are provided to further Government guidance for multi-purpose community facilities and specific activities eg indoor markets, places of worship, playgrounds, outdoor sports facilities.
2. Social Distancing – reduction to 2m where possible, where not possible 1m plus mitigation measures.
3. Recommendation to wash clothes regularly added.
4. Test and Trace – hirers to be asked to record names and contact details for those attending the hall. This is not compulsory.
5. Capacity figures – the rough guide calculations may provide different answers because the fire capacity is based on number of exits. The answers will be based on separate individuals, not allowing for people attending from the same household, so offer a cautious approach.
6. Playgrounds/play equipment and outdoor gym equipment – new section added, added to Risk Assessment.
7. Cleaning – new section about Toilets to clarify that there is not a requirement to make toilets open to the public.
8. Noise – new section under Hiring and in special conditions to reflect the Government Guidance.
9. Employees – it is made explicit this covers self-employed and employees
10. FAQs – new FAQs added
11. Appendix B – suggestion hirers have COVID insurance removed (unlikely to be obtainable)
12. Appendix D – Considerable revision to reflect the Government guidance
13. Appendix E – new Special Conditions of Hire e.g. Track and Trace, no live performances.
14. Additional Appendix H – list of suggested items for a COVID 19 First Aid box, for use in case of a suspected case at the hall.
15. Additional Appendix I – sample poster for play equipment

Please contact Kevin Sawers (by email or on 01962 857358) with any queries but be aware that Kevin is dealing with a lot of enquiries at the moment and may not be able to reply straight away.

We gratefully acknowledge ACRE’s tireless work in preparing this guidance document, and all the other resources they supply for community halls and centres.  Please see our website for details of these other documents and how to access them.  Action Hampshire can help in other ways too – with regular news bulletins and a membership offer.

Changes since the guidance was released

As of Friday 3 July, the ACRE Information Sheet is fully up to date with the Government guidance.  Please check back here for further updates.