Welcome to
Barnes Home Guard Association

The Club will reopen for members on Friday 10th July at 7.30 pm.

• It’s been so long since we’ve seen you and we very much look forward to seeing you all again.

  As will be expected, the Government have issued guidelines and instructions as to how we have to operate, to ensure we maintain social distancing - so you can expect to see a number of notices around the Club house.  Please bear with us on these - they are they for our safety and protection.

  These Government guidelines cover 43 pages, so Committee have just noted below the main points we will all have to follow, plus indicate how we will be operating:

•  Everyone will be required to sanitise their hands on entering the Club.
• All will be encouraged to wash your hands frequently.
• Indoor gatherings can only be groups from two households - thus if your group contains more than two households, tables and seating will need to be arranged to provide a 2 metre distance for all, as appropriate.
• Outdoor gatherings can comprise up to 6 people from any number of households.
•  Everyone to maintain social distancing from others at all times if possible (except of course those from your own household).
• If 2 metres distance cannot be maintained, then the “1 metre plus”      rule applies - which is:      Sit side-by-side, rather than face to face
• Wash hands frequently
• Wear a mask or face covering
• No singing or shouting (breath travels further when there is more force to it) !!
• There will be no standing or sitting at or alongside the bar at any time.
• Everyone will be served by the bar staff at your table at all times - and the bar staff will be wearing masks / face coverings / face shields, etc.  They will also sanitise their hands when moving from table to table.
• Toilets will operate on a one in / one out basis - we will be putting vacant / occupied signs outside the doors to assist.
• Committee would prefer contactless card payments if possible - but will accept cash (not £50 notes).
• Please try not to make contact with any surfaces (other than your drinking glass of course) and please refrain from shaking hands / hugging friends etc.
• Please bring your membership card with you - it is necessary for us to record all visitors for three weeks.  If you take a non-member to the Club at any time, they will be required to provide their name and a contact telephone number - just in case “test and trace” becomes a requirement.
• A copy of these requirements will be on posters around the Club and at each table - just in case you forget (easily done when you are enjoying yourselves).
• The Club has purchased two stand alone “sneeze screens”, which can assist separation between groups - please feel free to use as appropriate to assist social distancing.
• Please remember - anyone can be infected and infectious, but not show any symptoms.

The Club is required to follow these guidelines for the benefit of all, so if any member or guest does not comply, we regret we will have no alternative other than to request them to leave - the safety of all our members is paramount.

As will be expected, the Club has undergone an extensive clean over the past couple of weeks - everything has been washed and cleaned - including the bar area, the furniture, the walls and the carpet.  Even the office has been clean and tidied and our exterior walls have also had a re-paint.  This has all been achieved by a small band of volunteers and I am very grateful for what they have achieved.

Notwithstanding all the above - on Friday 10^th July we will be having our usual Friday night quiz (with Graham asking the questions) and the Snowball draw - plus low volume music.

Other Club opening times for July will be just Friday and Saturday nights - 7.30pm to 11pm.  It is hoped that we may have some more relaxed requirements from the government by the end of July and you will have got back into the routine of visiting the Club.  Hopefully, August will see the resumption of Bingo evenings and, likely, poker evenings - but more of that later.

So sorry about all the precautions / requirements, but please come and join us on Friday 10^th July - I will be wearing a name tag (just in case you have forgotten what I look like !!)

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We are delighted to say we are continuing to expand on our 2020 social activities throughout this year – a number are already in the pipeline, and we will confirm these as soon as possible. You can, of course, always keep updated by visiting our website www.bhga.org,uk , Facebook & Twitter and checking the “what’s on” page.

Other Standard Club Events

 Just a reminder to you all that we have other standard weekly events at the Club – these include:

Poker Nights

Every Wednesday night 8.00pm to 11.00pm. There is a £5 stake and all are very welcome.

Friday “Members” Night

For those of you who have not  experienced Friday Night at the Club, please come along. It’s classed as “members” night and every week there is a raffle, a multi-choice answer quiz (run by Graham) and a Snowball raffle for members. For the Snowball raffle, if you have bought a raffle ticket and are present if your number is drawn (between 2130 and 2230) you will win a minimum of £100. The prize money increases to a maximum of £500 if not won – and just recently saw one delighted member win £500. Why not give it a try?

Private Events

As will be appreciated, private events are held at the Club as this income is very necessary for our survival. Whilst members are always entitled to come into the Club House, free of charge, at all times, except when an entry fee is payable, we hope you will respect the privacy of these private events.

Linked to this, of course, if you are thinking of having a private celebration, why not hold this at the Club – it can hold up to 100 guests and, for some, an extension to midnight can be possible.

Whilst we do not, currently, offer a catering function, use of our kitchen for private and self catering is entirely possible.

Committee Meetings

As is customary, the Committee looks to update members, via this method and where possible, on Committee discussion/agreements / actions. You will all be aware that a new Committee is in place, following the AGM – full details are on the website. The refurbishment plan for the Club continues and we hope all visitors are impressed with our new toilet facilities and lobby refurbishment. Our next project will be to the roof, followed by internal refurbishments in the main hall of the Club house. Committee are, of course, very mindful that this work is being carried out from donations and loans made to the Club – all of which are repayable in four years time. Committee believe that, following the necessary adjustments made as regards Club expenditure, we are now on track to build up sufficient reserves to fulfil this commitment – but, of course, you are all vital to this and we urge you all to use the Club as often as possible – for music nights / quiz nights/members nights/poker nights – or just a good meeting place to chat with friends.

Bingo Nights

Bingo nights continue at the Club twice per month – eyes down 8.15 / 8.30. See WHAT’S ON PAGE  for 2020 dates.

Thanks. Glo Restall