As you hopefully already know, Cherhill, Heddington and Yatesbury will be holding outdoor carol services this year. We are all very grateful not only that this is possible, but also that a limited amount of singing is also permitted.
However, no one wants these wonderful events to be the cause of suffering, so could I ask you to follow the guidelines below so that we look after everyone.
1 Hands, face, space. As usual, please come with washed hands, face masks and keep your distance from others. I know we are outside, but wearing masks will reduce the risk even further, so please do consider this seriously, especially while singing.
2 Keep the volume down. The risk of spreading covid is linked to the volume of sound produced rather than whether you are singing or speaking. Could we ask you therefore to sing at a normal conversation level, even if the carols lend themselves to enthusiasm.
3 Follow the one way system. This is intended to keep everyone apart as much as possible.
4 Stick to your cone. We will have measured out 4m between each cone. This should allow you to gather as a group of up to 6 around a cone while still keeping 2m from anyone else. Please don’t move away from that cone (except to leave), even though I know it is tempting to look for a better line of sight sometimes.
5 Respect the numbers. We think there is more than enough space at each venue for the people with links to that village, church or school. They are intended for these people only (and of course family if you have decided to gather for a Christmas bubble). Once we have reached our safe limits we will have to turn people away. Please understand that we would LOVE to host everyone who wants to be there, but safety is the most important consideration.
6 Please do not hang around for long afterwards.
Sorry for all the “don’ts”. I hope they are all straightforward, and you can understand how they meet what we are all being asked to do at these times. We want these services to bring joy rather than sickness. To that end, we are more than happy for you to share these experiences with others via video (including live via FaceTime or similar), but I would be grateful if you respected the privacy of others there by not sharing images or videos publicly in social media without the permission of those who can be clearly seen in them, especially children.
Looking forward to sharing a safe and joyful Christmas with you all.
Matt and the team.
If you wish to view the Risk Assessments for the outdoor carol services please click on the village you are interested in to download a PDF file.