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Thank you. We’ve cancelled everything except our Ofsted registered kindergarten sessions. The government advice is to continue operating for the time being. How long schools and early years will be expected to stay open I don’t know. Surreal experience this week emerging from happy sessions with the children in the woods into this virus-dominated world of worry.
This is very well worded, thank you, Gareth. My work these days is mostly with adults with mental health issues. So far we have kept our distance from each other and taken our own mugs to the woods. I have a home-made sanitiser that is both antiviral (teatree) and antibacterial (lavender) in alcohol & Vit E oil to preserve it and aloe vera to preserve my skin. My heart bleeds for all you freelance peeps, I do hope the Gov’ment offer sensible support.
Thank you for this. I have cancelled all my sessions (toddlers, home-ed, Saturday Club, holiday club and family sessions) but will continue to support our school programs whilst they still want us.
I have cancelled everything but one school for five weeks. (end of Easter holidays) I am hoping that will give enough time while I can afford it.
I also have a police officer for a husband and he is likely to contact Corona while at work and can’t self isolate until symptoms appear in him or with us at home. Staying home for me and little man.
People were voting with their feet anyway and staying home even if booked and paid.
After this I will struggle especially with one employee that rely on wages from me.
I am coming to the conclusion that those who can afford to should cancel and self-isolate themselves. True it is healthier outdoors but it’s entirely possible that everyone in the group inc leaders, teachers etc could be positive without symptoms, so highly contagious. Just done an infection control course, and there is far more to it then separate cutlery. As others have said the 2m distance is impossible, and all paperwork, pens, clothes etc all carry risks of infection. This is the first time in my lifetime that we have had a disease worse than a cold that can’t be treated, and can only be restricted with isolation. I am in Scotland yet already know of people with it and of one death. We shouldn’t be playing around with this using “common sense”. We are not experts. We only need to look at Italy which like other European has a very high standard of health care as we do. The problem for people like me as a freelancer is that I need to carry on. However as each day goes I feel more like I should cancel as well, even if it means potentially going bankrupt, although it seems that we might be able to get financial help from the govt. Let’s get real.
Thank you Gareth for this information and guidance. I’m sure everyone in our community will appreciate having the support of and guidance from our organisation at this time.
Ive cancelled due to Kathy frog and reasoning- about essential and 2 m social distancing.
Also the numbers have dropped so much it’s not financially viable to continue:(. Good luck all freelancers.
Thank you Gary, this is really helpful and I will share with all my team at Educating Kids Outdoors. We are supporting our schools and following their decisions on whether to remain open or not. If they are open and happy for us to come in and run sessions we will do so for the sake of the children and the schools. My freelance leaders are also concerned about their work drying up so we will only stop when the government tells us to. Obviously no leaders go into a school if any symptoms are present.
We are looking into what, if any, group sessions we will be allowed to offer, once the schools do close. We need to get those children outside, but safely and within government guidelines, for their well-being and health workers may need some form of childcare as grandparents won’t be able to help.
Thank you for all of your advice. Much appreciated.
You make some useful points here, Kathy. Thank you.
Many of us are working in schools and nurseries which the government has said must stay open. As Gareth notes others of us may be in a position to decide independently and may choose to cease our sessions for now.
I like Gareth’s hopeful reminder that in the future our message about nature being its own remedy will perhaps fall on ears that are more ready to hear. Our approach to building community will be in demand.
Thank you, Gareth for the business/ financial links.
I think we are all struggling with what the ‘right’ decision is. Gareth has hit the ‘nail on the head’ only you know your personal circumstances and tolerance to risk. This means that any decisions are not therefore a criticism of anyone making a different decision but likely to mean that different personal situations exist. You make the right decision for you, and there is some lee-way while the schools are still open.
One of the main problems is that even people in the ‘low risk’ category can get the virus, but have not symptoms. They are still highly contagious. I would have thought the risks are lower outside, but germs still travel – someone crossing the street could give it to you. The French and Italians now require written permission to even go out and are fined if they don’t have it, Will they stamp it out altogether though? I can see the idea behind creating a ‘herd immunity’ and for keeping kids in school as long as possible. It would often be older people looking after them if not!
In his statement on 16th March, the PM also said that “now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel”. I notice you haven’t mentioned this in your statement. Are we to consider Forest School delivery as “essential”? This wasn’t my take on it at all. I have cancelled sessions until further notice as we can’t maintain social distancing (2 metres apart) in a Forest School setting. Yes there are lots of advantages to health and well-being in spending time in the woods, but I would have thought we should be following the Government’s advice, how ever none-specific that may be. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-16-march-2020