All GOC events must be risk assessed to ensure they are run in a Covid Secure maner.

Our guidance is based on the advice and standardised risk assessment forms produced by Ramblers. (https://www.ramblers.org.uk/volunteer-zone/coronavirus/volunteering.aspx)

To ensure your event is Covid Secure, you should consider the following points in planning and running your event:

Planning your event

• Plan your event to start from a quieter location, and at a quieter time of the day. For example, a walk in North Wales should not be planned to start from any of the primary Snowdon car parks
• It may make sense to run events on week days rather than weekends, as these will tend to be quieter.
• Check that your intended route does not include any particularly narrow or confined sections where social distancing would be difficult, especially if you met a group of walkers coming in the opposite direction.
• Plan for your meal/drink breaks – does the planned stop have sufficient space for your group to sit at a safe distance from each other?
• If you feel that your planned event would not be Covid Safe with an unspecified number of participants you should consider restricting the event to fewer participants via the booking system.
• Where local regulations require a lower number of participants this should be enforced by using the online booking system to limit numbers.
• Be prepared to cancel your event at short notice where a local lockdown is put in place. When an event is cancelled, a message should be posted to the event page using the option to email a copy to the participants.

Running your event

• A list of attendees must be kept for the purpose of NHS Contact Tracing. The easiest way to do this is by using the online attendance or booking systems and only permitting those who have booked in advance to attend the event.
• Only GOC members (full members and trial members) are allowed to attend GOC events.
• Remind all participants to follow social distancing guidelines at the start of each event, and of the importance of sanitizing hands after touching any gates or stiles, and before eating.

Suggested briefing wording at the start of each event