Advice to Members Participating in Hikes taking place during Covid-19 which are arranged by Ashbourne & District U3A.

1: Participants in any walk must either be a member of Ashbourne & District U3A or a prospective new member attending one walk as a trial.

2: Prior to participating in each walk, members must undertake their own personal assessment to enable them to decide and be confident that they should participate. A personal participation risk assessment should take into consideration a person’s physical health and any underlying issues & age. The assessment extends to include the condition of any person residing in the same household as the member or with whom the member has been in close contact & is known to the member to be showing any symptoms of coronavirus or to be self-isolating, suspicious of having been infected. If such member or person with whom the member has been in close contact is showing any symptoms of coronavirus, such member must not participate in the walk but follow appropriate isolation and health guidance.

3: Such assessment is personal and does not need to be shared with any other person.

4: Participants must make their own arrangements to travel to the location specified for commencement of the walk & to travel home after the walk has ended. It is recommended that members should NOT share cars with other members who are not part of their household.

5: While Ashbourne U3A will not make any arrangements for any food or refreshments following completion of the walk, if members wish to patronise an establishment for a drink or refreshment, the onus is on them to comply with procedures in place at the establishment regarding hygiene, distancing and track and trace. Packed lunch items, and drinks should not be shared with other members.

6: While well behaved dogs may be brought on walks, they must be kept on a short non extendable lead. They are the responsibility of their owner, who should not expect help from other walkers getting the dog over stiles etc. Other walkers should not handle the dog, or it's lead.

7: Participants must be able to climb over stiles without assistance except from members who are part of their household. Other walkers should wait while a walker is crossing a stile, and give them time.

8: Members should bring their own first aid kit & should not share this (except in real emergency) or any equipment (eg sticks).

9: Members are recommended to take hand sanitizers for personal use, especially after passing through gates or over stiles.

10: Members must observe Government current regulations concerning physical distancing & take face masks to be worn in situations where such distancing is impractical.

11: Catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue and dispose of them responsibly.

12: It should be remembered at all times that cross-contamination or infection might occur not only between members but also between members of the public encountered during the walk, or who have recently walked along the same route, or who may do so shortly afterwards. Members should be especially vigilant along narrow sections of the walk or when passing through gates or over stiles. It is suggested that one member should open a gate, and hold it open until all members have passed through, then close it.

13: The maximum number of participants on any walk is 29 plus the leader, but the organizer of the walk shall have the discretion to set in advance & announce a lower limit for any particular walk. The organizer reserves the right to allocate walkers to groups, which may vary from walk to walk and her decision is final.

14: The leader shall ensure that participants keep together as a group throughout the walk. If any walker needs to 'hang back' they must inform the leader or another walker.

15: Members are required to accept instructions given during the walk by the leader.

16: Before commencement of the walk, the leader will record & preserve the names of every participant, this being a requirement for any subsequent track & trace becoming necessary.

17: Any member showing any symptoms of coronavirus within 14 days after conclusion of a walk must promptly notify the leader of the walk or a member of the committee of Ashbourne & District U3A of that fact, apply for a Covid-19 test, & then notify the leader or committee member of the result of the test.

General Explanatory Notes:

A: This Advice applies in addition to the general advice which is displayed on Ashbourne & District U3A’s website & on the basis of which we have walked for over 5 years but, in the event of any conflict between the two, this Advice shall prevail.

B: As this Advice may frequently alter to comply with Government prevailing regulations, members intending to participate in any walk are required to read this Advice immediately prior to participating in such walk & each time to undertake their own personal assessment (see 2 above).

C: This Advice is based upon current regulations issued by the Government.

Updated on 14 May 2021