How many people can attend group activities?

Covid-19 update

We’re sharing some advice for community groups who may be uncertain about how many people can currently attend group activities in a community room.

From 17th May 2021 larger gatherings exceeding the social contact limits may take place (up to 30 people) providing certain conditions are met. This may enable certain social gatherings such as informal classes, activities and events to go ahead. These gatherings must be organised by a business, charity, public body or similar organisation. The organiser must take reasonable steps to ensure that those attending do not mix beyond what is permitted – up to six people or two households indoors and up to 30 people outdoors – unless another exemption exists.

Here are some examples of larger gatherings and the current guidance.


Support groups

Activity or meetings can take place with up to 30 participants where officially organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support. Support groups must be organised by a business, charity or public body and if taking place indoors, must not take place in a private home.

Examples of support groups include those that provide support to:

  • victims of crime (including domestic abuse)
  • those with, or recovering from, addictions (including alcohol, narcotics or other substance addictions) or addictive patterns of behaviour
  • those with, or caring for people with, any long-term illness or terminal condition or who are vulnerable (including those with a mental health condition)
  • those facing issues related to their sexuality or identity (including those living as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender)
  • those who have suffered bereavement
  • vulnerable young people (including to enable them to meet youth workers)
  • disabled people and their carers

Exercise, sport and physical activity

You can do unlimited exercise but there are limits on the number of people you can exercise with. You can exercise in a group of up to 30 people when outdoors. When indoors, you can exercise:

  • on your own
  • in a group of up to 6 people
  • in a larger group of any size from up to two households (and their support bubbles, if eligible)

You can also take part in formally organised indoor and outdoor teams sports or licensed physical activity with any number of people. This must be organised by a business, charity or public body and the organiser must take the required precautions, including the completion of a risk assessment. You should avoid contact in training and, for some sports, avoid contact in all activities.

Indoor activity, such as classes, is restricted to the capacity of the venue (100 square ft per person and subject to adequate ventilation). It is the building operator’s responsibility to calculate these capacities, and it is expected that activity leaders reflect this in their risk assessment, which should also incorporate social distancing.


Childcare

Up to six people from different households or a larger number of no more than two households can meet indoors without the need for a formal childcare arrangement. All children can go to registered childcare, childminders, wraparound care and other supervised children’s activities indoors and outdoors.

Gatherings above the limit of six people or two households indoors, or above 30 outdoors, can take place for the following purposes:

  • for education, registered childcare and supervised activities for children
  • for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians
  • to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care
  • to place or facilitate the placing of a child or children in the care of another by social services

Parent and child groups

These can take place indoors as well as outdoors (but not in private homes or gardens) if they are for the benefit of children aged under five and organised by a business, charity or public body. Parent and child groups must be limited to no more than 30 people. Children under five and anyone working or volunteering as part of the group, such as a group leader, are not counted in this number.

Community Champions – help to tackle misinformation

Can you make a difference in your community by tackling misinformation? Can you help encourage people in your local community to take part in the vaccination programme?

Through the Community Champions scheme voluntary organisations will deliver a wide range of measures to protect those most at risk – building trust, communicating accurate health information and ultimately helping to save lives. The Community Champions will tap into their local networks to provide advice about COVID-19 and the vaccines.

Funding is available now for community groups to apply to the Community Champions fund.

Community organisations have until Monday 1st March 2021 to submit their application to round 1 of the grant scheme.

You can download the Community Champions application form online. See the Kirklees Together blog for more information:

Applications open for round 1 of the Community Champions scheme – Kirklees Together

*Please return your form to candc.projectteam@kirklees.gov.uk before the deadline.

Round 2 of the grant scheme, which is due to go live in the coming weeks, will be open for smaller grants of up to £1000. Community groups can apply for this money to develop their own targeted campaigns to help reach communities in all of our local places.

Support grants for community venues who have closed due to Covid-19

Business support grants

Do you run a community centre or other community facility? Business support grants are available for voluntary and community organisations in Kirklees who generate a significant part of their income through activity that has been legally forced to close (or has been significantly impacted) due to Covid-19 restrictions.

You could apply for financial support if:

  • You have been required to close your community venue due to Covid-19 restrictions.
  • Your organisation has remained open but has been severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions.
  • You have lost income due to the restrictions, such as losing out on hall hire fees or not being able to operate a café or other community facility.

What kind of organisation can apply?

Support is available for:

  • community centres
  • community buildings
  • community facilities
  • faith-based venues

There is more than one type of support grant available depending on your circumstances. Please read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. You could be eligible for support whether or not you usually pay business rates. The amount of funding will depend on your circumstances.


What about other organisations?

This is business funding, which is also available for community organisations who have a commercial aspect to their work. Not every type of community activity can be supported (for example, the grant cannot be used to replace income from donations). If you’ve lost vital income due to Covid-19, please check to see if you can apply.

Kirklees Council are continuing to work closely with Third Sector Leaders Kirklees on other ways to support voluntary and community organisations over the coming months. If you’re not eligible for a business support grant, there may be other ways that we can help.


Find out more and ask for advice

If you’d like advice about whether your voluntary or community organisation is eligible for a business support grant, please contact:

business.enquiries@kirklees.gov.uk

You can find more information and online application forms at:

Coronavirus: Help for businesses

 

Third Sector Leaders Kirklees offer free advice and support for voluntary and community organisations and can connect you to other people and organisations:
Third Sector Leaders Kirklees


Coronavirus Emergency Fund for Kirklees – reopen

One Community foundation

Update 16th December 2020: This fund is currently paused. Please check for the latest info:

Coronavirus Emergency Fund


The Coronavirus Emergency Fund is reopen for applications. Grants are available from the One Community Foundation for a period up to March 31st 2021 – you must be able to spend your grant during this time.

One Community Foundation understands the impact that the Coronavirus is having on communities. With this in mind, the Foundation and their donors have come together to provide a response. They are keen to make sure that the organisations helping those most affected get the support that they need, so have reopened the Coronavirus Emergency Fund in partnership with NET (National Emergencies Trust).

How much can you apply for?

  • £5,000 for charitable organisations
  • £10,000 for Hubs or Anchor organisations (including those supporting mutual aid groups).

You must be able to spend all of your grant by March 2021.

Who can apply?

Voluntary and community organisations, including:

  • registered charities, including charitable incorporated organisations
  • constituted organisations and non-registered charities
  • community interest companies and community benefit societies
  • parish and town councils
  • Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs)
  • Churches and faith organisations

What can be funded?

The cost of food and hygiene products, delivery costs, for example, petrol, PPE and additional cleaning costs, volunteer costs responding to the effects of the crisis, staffing cost relating to the project, equipment costs etc. You can find the latest info and guidelines on the One Community website:

Coronavirus Emergency Fund

 


Tier 3 guidance about community buildings, support groups and leafleting

What tier 3 restrictions mean for local organisations

Community centres and halls

Community buildings can be used for permitted, organised gatherings but should not host events for private hire or be used for social gatherings.

Permitted gatherings could include, but are not limited to:

  • Work purposes or provision of voluntary or charitable services
  • Providing emergency assistance
  • Enabling one or more people in the gathering to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm
  • Providing care or assistance to a vulnerable person or a person who has a disability

When deciding whether to open you must consider:

  • Can you meet your outcomes or deliver your service or activities online? This remains the safest way to operate services and classes.
  • If you can’t deliver online – can you run some, or all of your activities, outside?
  • Is it necessary that you meet face to face during this time?

If it is necessary to meet indoors:

  • You need to complete a risk assessment specific to your activity and premises
  • You must implement all reasonable measures to prevent the spread of the virus
  • You must keep a record of attendance for Test and Trace
  • Keep your risk assessment on site, with a named responsible person.

If you open, you must also consider:

  • Take all the usual precautions like social distancing, hand washing or sanitising and wearing face coverings.
  • It is not advisable to share equipment of any kind.
  • You must not provide or sell communal refreshments – although people can bring their own.
  • Cafe facilities must remain closed or offer take away (off site) only.

Please remember, reducing social contact with people from outside of our households and support bubbles is key to protecting ourselves, our loved ones and the wider community.


 

Support groups

Some support groups can meet. Up to 15 participants are allowed. Under-5s do not count towards the 15 person limit.

  • They must be formally organised groups
  • They can provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support, where they have to take place in person
  • They can’t meet in private houses
  • They may meet in community centres, which can open as long as they are COVID-safe, have undertaken a risk assessment and keep a record for Test and Trace.

When deciding whether to run a face-to-face support group you must consider:

  • Can you meet your outcomes or deliver your service or activities online? This remains the safest way to operate services and classes.
  • If you can’t deliver online – can you run some, or all of your activities, outside?
  • Is it necessary that you meet face to face during this time?

If you open, you must also consider:

  • Take all the usual precautions like social distancing, hand washing or sanitising and wearing face coverings.
  • It is not advisable to share equipment of any kind.
  • You must not provide or sell communal refreshments – although people can bring their own.
  • Cafe facilities must remain closed or offer take away (off site) only.

Please remember, reducing social contact with people from outside of our households and support bubbles is key to protecting ourselves, our loved ones and the wider community.


 

Leafleting

Leafleting is permitted but when deciding whether to do it you must consider:

  • Can you meet your outcomes online? This remains the safest way to operate
  • Is it necessary that you meet face-to-face during this time?

If it is necessary to take part in leafleting:

  • You need to complete a risk assessment specific to your activity
  • You must implement all reasonable measures to prevent the spread of the virus
  • Keep your risk assessment with you at all times.

Please remember, reducing social contact with people from outside of our households and support bubbles is key to protecting ourselves, our loved ones and the wider community.


 

COVID-19 restrictions in Kirklees

Community buildings and activities

The ‘rule of 6’ and community buildings

stay two metres apart where possible

If you’re in the process of trying to re-open your community building safely, please take a few minutes to read through the latest guidance. We’ve included links to Government updates and an example risk assessment document.

The Government have updated the rules for social distancing for meeting people indoors and outdoors.

From 14th September 2020, people from different households must not meet in groups of more than 6, either indoors or outdoors. This limit does not apply to meetings of a single household group or support bubble which is more than 6 people.

If you live in an area subject to local restrictions, we continue to advise that you should not:

  • socialise with people who you do not live with, unless they’re in your support bubble, in any public venue. This applies to inside and outside of the affected areas. Examples of public venues include pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions and parks.
  • visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances. Care homes should restrict visits to exceptional circumstances only.

The ‘rule of 6’ doesn’t apply to local restriction areas. Community centres within areas that are under local restriction should take steps to make sure people do not socialise with people who they do not live with, in line with Covid-19 secure guidance.

In areas where there are local restrictions, risk assessment is key. This might mean it is not viable for you to open your community building. Nurseries running from community centres are subject to the government guidance on early years settings.

If you are in an area where there are no local restrictions, community facilities can host more than 6 people in total, but no-one should visit or socialise in a group of more than 6 – and you must follow the Covid-19 secure guidelines and ensure you have the appropriate risk assessments.

 


Government links and example risk assessment

Updated, 15th September 2020

The Government have updated their guidance for community facilities since we published this post. This new guidance says that activities and social groups where there is a significant likelihood of groups mixing and socialising (and where it will be difficult to prevent mingling and therefore breaking the law) should not take place in a community facility.

We encourage you to read Section 3c in this latest Government guidance for community facilities:

Guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities


Further information on social contact rules, social distancing and the exemptions that exist can be found on the UK Government website. We encourage you to read Section 3:

Guidance on meeting with others safely


These rules will not apply to workplaces or education settings, alongside other exemptions. There is more information on the UK Government website.

Details on what has changed


 

People who are using Covid-19 secure community facilities should limit their social interactions with anyone who they do not live with. Where activities have 6 or more people participating (where it is safe to do so and capacity permits) it is important for all parties to maintain social distancing, 2 metres or 1 metre apart, with actions taken to reduce the risk of transmission (where 2 metres is not viable) between households. You should encourage the use of face coverings and good hand hygiene on entering premises and throughout a person’s visit.



Most community buildings can continue to open, provided that you follow the guidance.
However, if direct social interaction is key to the activity (and if the activity is not a support group such as victim support or mental health groups) then you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

Gatherings of over 30 in public outdoor space are not allowed in Kirklees at this time.

Please feel free to use this risk assessment as learning to support you to complete your own risk assessments:

Thornton Lodge Community Centre risk assessment (Doc)

 


Who to contact for advice

Local organisations are welcome to contact Third Sector Leaders Kirklees if you have questions about safely re-opening your community building.

Bridget Hughes – bridget@tslkirklees.org.uk – 07540 434 573

Becky Bracey – becky@tslkirklees.org.uk – 07776 588 691

 

Community Response Hubs – take part in our evaluation

hand reaching out behind glass

Many people have contributed to the amazing community response to Covid-19 in our local places. Mutual aid groups, voluntary and community organisations, ward councillors, Kirklees Council officers, volunteers and partners have been working alongside each other to keep people safe. We are all part of the co-ordinated Community Response in Kirklees – and we all have a stake in our local places.

Our response has been supported through place-based Community Response Hubs, with people working together in new ways. We really value the relationships that have been so vital for this work. We want to grow and strengthen those relationships as part of our recovery and for the future. We are still in the very early stages of beginning to work with and alongside citizens in a meaningful way in our local places. Your insights can help us go much further.

On behalf of our Place Based Working Board (which includes council, voluntary sector and health colleagues), I’d like to ask for your support in helping us to think about what has gone well and not so well with the hubs.

How to take part

If you’ve been part of the co-ordinated Community Response in our local places, please take part in the Community Response Hubs Evaluation by 21st August 2020 to share your personal experiences:

Community Response Hubs Evaluation – take part now

Thank you for helping us learn how we can work together well in our local places in the future – and thank you for everything you’re doing to help keep people safe.

St. Andrew’s Church Liversedge – our food box network

Volunteers at St Andrew's Methodist Church

In spring 2020, Kirklees Council more than doubled the funding that ward councillors have available to support local projects in their area. Through this extra £30,000 of funding per ward, councillors are able to support the groups, projects and volunteers who are such a vital part of the community response to Covid-19. We’re sharing some stories from different wards, so you can see how councillors are using these funds in our local places.

The relationships councillors have with people in their communities, and their local knowledge, continues to be an important part of helping citizens in our local places respond to Covid-19.

Like many local groups and organisations, volunteers from St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Liversedge realised that if they were going to set up a project to help their community, they were going to have to act fast to get it off the ground before lockdown happened. Their aim was to be ready to provide food boxes to vulnerable people across parts of North Kirklees.

Administered by Wesley Playhouse Ltd (as part of the Howden Clough Methodist Church in Birstall) the project quickly brought together representatives of other churches in North Kirklees, who together made a plan for the food box network.

Caroline Holt, one of the lead organisers, explained how the project came about and what they’ve achieved by working together with other partners. Funding from local councillors has been important in supporting their work.

“I was approached by a local ward councillor, Cllr Lisa Holmes. She has a really good knowledge of the communities and knew that through the network of churches something could happen. Churches covering the North Kirklees circuit quickly became part of the project.

“Getting funding to run a project under normal circumstances isn’t always easy. The bureaucracy involved can really hold things up. Cllr Holmes explained local ward councillors had been given extra funding so they could tackle issues more quickly. This allowed us to focus on getting the project up and running with minimal time wasted on form filling.

“We were keen to do things properly though, so made sure we consulted with parishioners on what they thought would be more useful to go in food boxes. From this we were able to work out the likely costs and let the councillors know how much funding we thought we’d need.

“We wrote a business plan to give ourselves some structure and an ability to demonstrate our approach. The councillors from Liversedge and Gomersal ward and Mirfield ward initially gave us £5,000 between them. They offered reassurance too though, that if the numbers of people requiring our help increased, they would support us with additional funding.

“The trust they showed in us to deliver a project like this was really important. We would have done something to support our communities anyway, but the time taken to do this would have been time lost when people really needed our help.”

As well as the benefit of having a good relationship with the councillors, Caroline also told us about the importance of managing the project properly and the support from other parts of the community.

“We knew it was important we reached the right people, so relied in part on referrals from the Covid-19 Community Response phone line set up by Kirklees Council. In this way, we knew the referrals we were getting were from people in need and were at a level of need we could definitely help with. We had so many people come forward to volunteer that we couldn’t even use all of them. This shows how brilliant the community response has been.

9E59F213-43F1-4A5E-BA12-D910D2FC8E4F
Mav Morse taking a request

“Some people gave up their time every day, such as Liz and Richard Sands, along with Mav Morse who manned the phone line. We’re also hugely grateful to Steve Dawson of Tesco and Wendy Clough of Morrisons supermarkets, whose local branches gave us donations of food, meaning the funding we did have could go a lot further. It probably doubled the length of the project.

“In all, throughout the lockdown, we’ve helped over 200 households and continue to help some. We’ll keep helping them until we know they’re no longer vulnerable, but will also encourage them to take back their independence as time goes by.

“The success of the project and the benefits to our communities shows why it’s good for groups to have a good relationship with your local councillors. The councillors took the initiative in approaching us, trusted that we could help and gave us the funding to deliver something much needed in our communities at the time.”

Ward project budgets – your councillors can help

Learn more about councillors

 

The Welcome Centre – help with food and more

The Welcome Centre food bank and more

Do you know someone who needs help to get food?

The Welcome Centre is a food bank and more. This independent charity can help anyone in Huddersfield and South Kirklees. They can supply food, toiletries and household cleaning items. The Welcome Centre also offer advice and guidance.

If you know someone who cannot buy the food, toiletries or other household items they need, please advise them to contact someone who can make a referral for them (or seek their permission to contact someone on their behalf). This person could be their GP, teacher, health visitor, housing worker, counsellor or church.

These organisations can also offer help and can make a referral for a food parcel if necessary:

  • Local Welfare Provision team at Kirklees Council: 01484 414 782
  • The Mission advice workers: 01484 421 461
  • Kirklees Citizens Advice: 0344 848 7970

Advice leaflets

Do you need help to get food? (PDF)

More than a food bank (PDF)

 

Find out more

The Welcome Centre

How to get help from the Welcome Centre

 


We haven’t beaten the virus… yet

stay two metres apart where possible

Covid-19 is still in our communities. The only way to eliminate it is to stop it from spreading.

You can play your part by:

Staying 2 metres apart, washing your hands, staying away from crowds, wearing a face covering, isolating if you show symptoms and following instructions from the NHS Test and Trace.

You can also contribute to the gathering of local insight through this online form:

Gathering local insight about Coronavirus

It’s really helpful if as many people as possible can contribute their local insight.

You can also report unsafe practices, incidents or planned events through this online form:

Reporting an incident which increases the risk of spreading Coronavirus

 


Preventing an outbreak

We need your help to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19)

Download our advice posters

Kirklees Covid-19 advice posters (PDF)

 

Arabic poster (PDF)            اضغط هنا للغة العربية
Albanian poster (PDF)         klikoni këtu për shqip
Guajarati poster (PDF) ગુઆજરાતી માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો 
Farsi poster (PDF)                برای فارسی اینجا را کلیک کنید
Hungarian poster (PDF)     Kattintson ide a Magyar
Kurdish poster (PDF)          لێرە كليك بكە بۆ كور د ى
Mandarin poster (PDF)      点击这里查看普通话 
Polish poster (PDF)             Kliknij tu, aby wybrać j. polski 
Romanian poster (PDF)     apăsați aici pentru limba română 
Spanish poster (PDF)         Pulse aquí para Español’ 
Urdu poster (PDF)              اردو کے لئے یہاں کلک کریں 

 

Coronavirus: Information in other languages

Covid-19 Translated information – Kirklees Welcomes blog