Dear Otters

The reopening of society after Lockdown #3 feels much more sustainable than previous attempts. Hopefully, this one will be for good!

“RETURN TO POOLS” - MASTERS SWIMMING

The Committee is now focused on getting the Master Swimming section back in the pool starting from Monday 17th May. We are working hard to ensure that we can retain as many as possible of our pre-Covid training sessions and to that end, we are already engaging with the pool owners/operators.

We will let everyone know all the details in due course.

SESSION BOOKING SYSTEM

Covid restrictions have meant that pool operators are required to impose maximum number limits on all indoor Club training sessions. We expect this policy will continue for some time and possibly beyond the June 21st target date for a full reopening of society.

The Booking System we put in place for previous “Return to the Pool” episodes will be reinstated and as before all session participants will need to have made a booking for each training session they attend. NO BOOKING - NO SWIM.

In the interests of fairness to all, we will initially be asking everyone to limit their bookings to not more than 3 sessions per week. Members who abuse this simple request will be denied access to the Booking System. We will keep this booking limitation under review and will relax it as soon as we feel we are able to do so.

The Booking System requires you to have a set of personal log-in credentials. If do not have those log-in details or need a reminder then please email otterbookingsystem@gmail.com.

OTTER SUBSCRIPTIONS – MASTERS SWIMMING

We expect all returning Masters Swimmers to continue to pay or to reinstate their Otter subscriptions prior to attending their first Otter swim training session after Lockdown #3 as follows:

IF YOU CONTINUED TO PAY NORMAL SUBS
Thank you.
We will have automatically registered you with Swim England as Category 1 (an active member who does not compete externally) or Category 3 (volunteers, coaches etc), as appropriate.
However, if you wish to wish to retain/change your Swim England registration at Category 2 (i.e. an active member of the club who competes externally) and have not already done so, please pay an additional one off payment of £20 (this being the cost differential between Category 2 and Category 1 SE registration); this approach is in line with the policy adopted by the Club in recent years.
IF YOU PAUSED PAYING NORMAL SUBS BUT PAID A £35 FEE IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY
Please subtract £35 from your 1st reinstated Subscriptions payment, and then pay in full from the 2nd reinstated Subscriptions payment onwards.
We will have automatically registered you with Swim England as Category 1 (an active member who does not compete externally) or Category 3 (volunteers, coaches etc), as appropriate.
However, if you wish to wish to retain/change your Swim England registration at Category 2 (i.e. an active member of the club who competes externally) and have not already done so, please pay an additional one-off payment of £20 (this being the cost differential between Category 2 and Category 1 registration); this approach is in line with the policy adopted by the Club in recent years.
IF YOU PAUSED PAYING NORMAL SUBS AND PAID NOTHING MORE
Please reinstate your Subscriptions payments in full.
Once your 1st reinstatement payment has been received we will automatically register you with Swim England as Category 1 (an active member who does not compete externally) or Category 3 (volunteers, coaches etc), as appropriate.
However, if you wish to wish to retain/change your Swim England registration at Category 2 (i.e. an active member of the club who competes externally) please pay an additional one-off payment of £20 (this being the cost differential between Category 2 and Category 1 registration); this approach is in line with the policy adopted by the Club in recent years

FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT WISH TO RETURN TO TRAINING IMMEDIATELY

In normal circumstances anyone who leaves the Club, i.e. stops paying subscriptions, and then wishes to rejoin at a later date has to pay another joining fee. In today’s circumstances, the Committee has decided that for all existing members we will waive the re-joining fee providing you rejoin the club and commence paying subscriptions before the end of 2021. If you wish to rejoin after that date you will be expected to pay a new joining fee.

OTTER SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Are available on the admin page of the Otter Swimming Club website.

We look forward to seeing you all back in the pool very soon, and in the meantime please stay safe.

On behalf of the Otter Committee

Paul Hindle

President