Covid Policy September 2021
We are pleased to announce that our in-person classes and workshops will resume again from September 2021. The new classes will be held at St Michael’s Mount Community Centre in Hitchin, as unfortunately we are unable to hold classes in our studio due to the size of the space and current social distancing rules.
The space at St Michaels Mount is light and airy and there are many windows and doors that can be opened to allow a flow of air throughout the space during our sessions. We also chose this particular community centre as it has a ‘fogging machine’ which is used to produce a fog like mist of tiny droplets of a sanitizing solution. This is performed every week and is the most effective killer of pathogens such as bacteria or viruses, this gives us the reassurance that we can keep you, our students as safe as possible whilst providing our services.
We aim to recreate the community feel and atmosphere we have in the studio as far as possible, but still adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines. Please read the following information before the first session.
Guidelines which we will follow:
- The tables will all be set up and cleaned by us beforehand and set out at least 1m apart with your own chair.
- We will provide the following equipment which we ask you to wipe down after each use (we will provide the products to do this):
- An overlocker
- An ironing board and iron
- A table for cutting
- We will provide a refreshment station (Main Hall only) to include kettle, teabags, coffee, milk and sugar. If you would prefer to bring your own please do so. The refreshment station will be cleaned regularly.
- There will be antibacterial sprays and lotions located at many points in the hall.
- There will be a maximum of 12 students allowed in the main hall and 6 in the meeting room to allow for space between each student.
- We would ask you to keep at least a 1m distance from each other person in the room unless they are in your household/bubble.
- Where possible we will keep the premises well ventilated with doors and windows open as far as convenient.
- We will keep a record of everyone attending for 3 weeks after the event and provide the record to NHS track and trace if required
Guidelines which we ask you to follow:
- Please use the hand sanitiser supplied when entering the centre and as required during the session.
- When waiting to enter the centre please observe the 2m distance rule and observe the one-way system within the premises. For the hall – you will enter and exit via the main door and For the meeting room – we have organised staggered leaving times for anyone else in the premises.
- We ask you to all bring your own facemask to the session. Wearing of face coverings is now optional.
- We ask you to respect each other’s space and keep your distance to limit risks.
- Students will need to bring their own snacks and water (please bring this in a sports style cup/ bottle that won’t spill if knocked over) plus your own mug(Hall only) Please observe the 1m social distance rule at the refreshment station (see refreshments provided above).
- You will need to bring your own equipment as follows:
- sewing machine
- sewing box with all the equipment, haberdashery and fabric you may need for your session.
- During the session we would advise you not to borrow or share items with others.
- Sharing equipment is at your own risk.
- Please let us know in advance if you will need help carrying our equipment into the premises.
- Please do not attend sessions if you are experiencing any signs of illness, or if you or anyone in your household has had Covid-19 symptoms in the last 7 days. We recommend that all students do a lateral flow test prior to each class.