Charity shows it is Covid-safe as it looks to bring members back
A Black Country charity and community initiative has put out a message to its members that it is Covid-safe and open for business.
The Aldridge Shed was one of many groups which had to close its doors in March due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
It has now been able to reopen on an altered schedule, allowing its members to return to design, construct and repair various items, mainly from wood but also from other materials.
Vice-chair Barrie Ashford explained what the charity, which was set up in Aldridge just over five years ago, has done to ensure it was Covid-safe for its members.
He said: "As health and safety officer, I instigated the closure before lockdown, and when we were given the opportunity to reopen, it was my responsibility to make sure we were compliant with the regulations.
"I wrote a risk assessment for the Shed to cover all the equipment we've got and an additional addendum to cover Covid-19 as a risk assessment.
"I also wrote a protocol for everyone who comes to the shed to comply with, including the two metre rule, wearing masks all the time and making sure they wash and sanitise their hands."
Barrie said the shed also had instigated a new track and trace system to keep a trace of everyone who used the centre within a 14-day period and a limit of six people per each daily session.
He said: "We let in five to six people per session and have had to turn people away because of the strict protocols we have in place.
"We used to do two sessions a day, but we're limiting it to one a day because a lot of our members are elderly and are reluctant about coming back.
"We are doing our best to make people feel comfortable, such as having a committee member there to oversee everything, and we want people to come back and see how we've worked to make it safe."
To find out more about the Aldridge Shed, go to aldridgeshed.co.uk/home/
