Department of Sport

Covid-19

Updated - Monday 19th July - 9am

Welcomeback

Step 5: Return of all sports facilities and services

From Tuesday 30 November, all University of Nottingham Sports facilities and services will be available. The wearing of face coverings is now mandatory in all indoor areas on campus unless at least 1 metre separation can be maintained.

 

Our facilities will continue to run at full capacity.

Pre-booking will continue for the swimming pool, group exercise classes, courts and climbing, however, pre-booking is longer be required for the fitness suites.

Social distancing measures are no longer mandatory, however, the wearing of face coverings is now mandatory in all indoor areas on campus unless at least 1 metre separation can be maintained. Some building and customer signage will remain in place to encourage and share best practice where appropriate.

Hand sanitising and cleaning stations will remain available for customers to use and we ask that all customers continue to observe rigorous hygiene practices, particularly regular handwashing and cleaning of equipment before and after use.

To find out more about our safety guidance, please click here

UoN Sport staff

Keeping you safe

Our team are committed to keeping you safe with a range of new measures introduced.

DRSV fitness suite

Pre-book your visit

We're in this together - find out more about pre-booking and guidance for all visitors.

University of Nottingham

Work out from home

Stay healthy and active at home with our range of online classes and content.

 


Your questions (University of Nottingham Sport)

We are updating information on a regular basis. Please bookmark and check these pages regularly for the latest University of Nottingham Sport information. 

General access

Which University of Nottingham Sport facilities and services are currently available? 
All sports facilities and services are available and operating normal opening hours.  This includes all indoor and outdoor court and artificial pitch bookings, as well as gym, swim, classes, climbing and the health suite

Do I need to wear a face covering and observe social distancing? 
The wearing of face coverings is now mandatory in all indoor areas on campus unless at least 1 metre separation can be maintained.

Please note: Face coverings continue to be mandatory in clinical settings and we ask all customers to wear a face covering (hidden conditions and medical exemptions apply) when entering and inside the Sports Injury Clinic

Do I need to pre-book my activity
Pre-booking is required for swim, group exercise classes, courts, climbing and health suite only. You can pre-book your activities in advance online here or by calling 0115 74 87000. For pre-booked, activities, please arrive no more than 5 minutes ahead of your time slot.

Pre-booking will no longer be required for use of the fitness suites at the David Ross Sports Village, Jubilee Sports Centre and Sutton Bonington Sports Centre. If you would like to use the fitness suite as part of your membership or on a pay-as-you-go basis, you can access the fitness suite at your preferred venue during our operating hours which can be viewed here

How do I access the facility to attend my activity
Please arrive no more than 5 minutes before the start of our activity and continue to enter/exit the facility through the main entrance. When in the facility, please do continue to follow the customer signage in place to help you navigate to and from your activity.  

Do I need to check in using the NHS COVID-19 app
We strongly encourage all members and visitors to use the NHS COVID-19 app to help prevent the spread of the virus. We have QR codes displayed across our facilities so you can check in when you arrive. Search COVID-19 in the app store to download the app for free. If you don't have access to the app, but would like to support the  NHS Track and Trace programme, please register with our reception team on arrival.

Will changing rooms and toilets be available
All toilets and changing rooms are available for customers to use before or after your session. Our accessible changing and showers will also continue to be available for customers with a disability or long-term health condition. Please speak to a member of our team for assistance upon arrival. 

Will lockers be available to use? 
All locker facilities are be available for customers to use – don’t forget to bring your own padlock to ensure you can keep your belongings safe. You may bring mats, personal towels, foam rollers, gloves, straps, belts, lifting shoes and chalk to your activity where needed but we ask that these are stored in a small drawstring bag. Please do not bring bags, coats or any other belongings to the activity spaces if they aren’t essential. 

If I need to cancel my session how much notice do I need to give?
Due ue to the high volume of non-attendances for pre-booked sessions, we’ve made some important temporary booking changes to improve availability and to offer our health and fitness experience to as many members as possible. Members who fail to cancel their activity more than 1 hour in advance or who do not attend their activity without cancelling, will have a 7-day booking ban applied to their account. During this time, you will be unable to book any additional activities until the 7-day period has finished. If you’d like to get the ban lifted sooner, you can pay a £6.50 charge to reinstate your booking rights. This payment will need to be made in-person at a Sport centre reception. During your 7-day ban you will be unable to book any additional activities until the charge has been paid. Any pre-booked sessions you may have already made prior to your ban will be honoured. The booking ban only affects your ability to book additional sessions.

Can I purchase food/drink when I visit? 
Unfortunately the David Ross Sports Village Café remains closed for the interim whilst we prepare for it’s re-opening ahead of 2021/22. In the meantime, the Roaming Food Trailer located in front of the David Ross Sports Village is open 9am-7pm Monday-Friday and 9am-4pm on weekends providing hot and cold refreshments. All vending machines across all sports centres are also available for customers to enjoy.

Are spectators allowed indoors or outdoors at any University of Nottingham Sports Facilities from 19 July?
There are no Covid restrictions on the numbers of people attending University Sports Facilities in relation to individual or group activities and competitions. Capacities within sports facilities will be increased to pre-Covid levels to enable as many of our students, staff and the community to engage in sport, health and wellbeing activities whilst still complying with fire and other health and safety regulations as pre-Covid. Attendees should make an informed decision on risk and make a judgement on social distancing or wearing face coverings as necessary.

 
Accessibility

I need to use the lift to access my activity – will it be safe to do so?
Yes, we have made some changes to our lift operating procedures to ensure all customers can access our lifts safely. Maximum occupancies of the lifts will be clearly displayed and we ask all customers to be considerate of others and only use the lift where needed. 

I have a visual impairment – what support is available to help me navigate new routes to my activity?
A member of our team will be happy to assist you when visiting our facilities. Please email sport@nottingham.ac.uk  in advance of your visit to ensure that arrangements can be put in place.

I usually access the swimming pool via the accessible entrance - can I still do so?
Yes, if you have access on your membership card, you will be able to use our accessible entrance as usual. Please wait for a member of the UoN sport staff team to collect you ahead of your session start time and use the doorbell if required.

Is there any support for vulnerable members?
We advise that all customers who fall within the vulnerable category follow current government advice regarding accessing sport and leisure facilities and activities. If you'd like to discuss your options further, please contact our team at sport@nottingham.ac.uk.

 

Memberships

I’m an existing sport and fitness member, what activities can I book from the 12 April?  
Please log-in to your member account to view the activities available under your membership and to pre-book. We would highly recommend that you pre-book your swimming pool, indoor group exercise and indoor court sessions to avoid disappoint. If there is availability on arrival at the sports centre a booking can be made.

What happens to my sport and fitness membership?  
Your membership was frozen when facilities were closed and was activated on the 12 April when we re-opened. Your membership will be extended by the number of closure days that affected your membership.

How many days has my membership been extended by? 
The number of closure days that affected your membership has been added to the end of your membership as an extension. You can log-in here to view your membership for further details and your new membership end date. Your membership end date will include additional days from the second national lockdown in November as well as the third national lockdown.

We know it might be quite difficult to keep track of when our facilities have been open and closed, we have listed the dates and number of closure days that may have affected your membership:

  • National lockdown #2 (5 November 2021 - 1 December 2021) = 27 days
  • National lockdown #3 (31 December 2021 - 11 April 2021) = 102 days

Please note, the number of days added will also reflect when your membership was due to come to an end.

If you have any further questions on how your membership extension was calculated, please email joanne.christodoulou@nottingham.ac.uk or call 0115 74 87000

 
Non-members

I’m not currently a member – can I buy a membership? 
Yes, we're pleased to offer a range of great value memberships to students, staff, alumni, associates and members of the public. Please  click here  for more details. 

Can I access the UoN Sport facilities on a Pay as You Go basis? 
Yes, we are currently offering access on a Pay as You Go basis to David Ross Sports Village, Jubilee sports centre and Sutton Bonington sports centre. Please click here for details of available services, charges and pre-booking.

Please log-in to your member account to view the activities available to pre-book. We would highly recommend that you pre-book your swimming pool, indoor group exercise and indoor court sessions to avoid disappoint. If there is availability on arrival at the sports centre a booking can be made.

 
Fitness Suite

Do I need to book in advance to use the fitness suite? 

No – pre-booking will no longer be required for use of the fitness suites at the David Ross Sports Village, Jubilee Sports Centre and Sutton Bonington Sports Centre. If you would like to use the fitness suite as part of your membership or on a pay-as-you-go basis, you can access the fitness suite at your preferred venue during our operating hours which can be viewed here.

Will I be able to clean my equipment before I use it? 

Hand sanitising and cleaning stations will remain available for customers to use and we ask that all customers continue to observe rigorous hygiene practices, particularly regular handwashing and cleaning of equipment before and after use.

 
Group exercise classes

Are group exercise classes currently available? 

Yes – both indoor and outdoor group exercise classes are running as normal. Please log into your member account to view the timetable and book as normal. We recommend that members bring their own exercise mat when taking part in classes.

Can I still access online classes? 
Yes.  There is a vast range of online class content that has been created during the pandemic which remains free and available to members and non- members via our Health & Wellbeing Home.

 
Swimming

Will I have to pre-book to use the swimming pool? 

Yes,  pre-booking  is required for swimming and will be available to book up to 7 days-in-advance. Please login to your member account to pre-book. 

The casual swim sessions we have are as follows:

  • Swim session – 4x Lanes in one half of the pool, and social swimming in the other half of the pool

  • Lane Swimming – Lane swimming only across the pool (no social swim options)

  • Deep water lane swimming – Two lanes, only available in the deep water of the pool, not ideal for weak or those new to swimming

Will changing facilities be available? 
Yes - changing facilities will be available to customers before and after your swim.

Our accessible changing and showers will also continue to be available for customers with a disability or long-term health condition. Please speak to a member of our team for assistance upon arrival. 

Will locker facilities be available? 
All locker facilities are be available for customers to use – don’t forget to bring your own padlock to ensure you can keep your belongings safe. You may bring mats, personal towels, foam rollers, gloves, straps, belts, lifting shoes and chalk to your activity where needed but we ask that these are stored in a small drawstring bag. Please do not bring bags, coats or any other belongings to the activity spaces if they aren’t essential. 

Is the Health and Wellbeing Suite available? 
Yes – the health and wellbeing suite will be open from Monday 19 July. To book a session, log in here or call 0115 74 87000

 
Swim School

When will the Swim School programme resume? 
Our Swim School programme will resumed on 12 April in a phased approach to allow everyone to adjust to the new measures.   

 All Swim School customers will be emailed directly with the start dates and details of their lessons. If, due to new safety measures your class is now oversubscribed, we will contact you directly with available options.  

Please ensure you check your junk / spam folders, please email us on  swimschool@nottingham.ac.uk.  
 
Do I need to do anything regarding my / my child’s place? 

 No – the money you have already paid is holding your place on our programme and will be credited towards your lessons in 2021.  

How is the Swim School programme being made safe? 

We have introduced a  range of measures  to ensure the safety of our staff and customers including specific changes for our Swim School.   

For our Early Years lessons we’ve reduced our class sizes and at the main swimming pool, lessons will be spread across our spacious pool to ensure safe social distancing can be maintained. We’re following Swim England guidelines carefully in all lessons.  

Our instructors will conduct more teaching from poolside.  

Clear one-way systems are in place throughout the building and we’re also asking only one parent/ guardian maximum to attend with our younger swimmers. We ask that siblings only attend if they have their own lesson that day.   

No equipment will be shared during our lessons and all equipment will be cleaned at the end of each lesson. You can also bring your own equipment - please ensure it is cleaned beforehand. You’ll also see our cleaners and staff ensuring everything is kept spotless. 

All our facility and Swim School team have completed additional training to support them to safely deliver our new measures. Please do ask them if you have any queries at all. 

Finally, all of our return to swimming plans have been developed using certified industry guidance and have been approved by Swim England.  

Please click here for a short video explaining all the new measures our team have put into place for our Swim School customers.  

Will my / my child’s lesson time and length have changed? 
Yes – so we can manage our new safety measures including flow through our changing facilities, we have had to adjust the majority of our lesson times. All the details for your class times will be on the  Swim School website  – please click through to your lesson type.  

We’ve also slightly shortened lessons by 5 minutes e.g. 30 minute lessons will now be 25 minutes.  

Will I / my child have the same teacher? 
The teacher for your lesson may have changed to support us in adhering to key safety guidelines. Please check the  Swim School website  for details – please click through to your lesson type. 

If the instructors are no longer teaching in the water, what does this mean? 

Having instructors in the water was an additional service we chose previously to offer to swimmers – all swimming lessons can be safely delivered with instructors poolside. 

Under the important new safety measures from Swim England, we have been advised that all instructors should teach poolside and maintain safe social distancing at all times. Hence they will not be able to offer hands-on support during lessons as previously.  

If your child is a beginner and cannot confidently submerge under the water, please bring armbands for them and ensure these are fitted before you leave poolside.  
 
Are there new routes / guidance to follow when we arrive? 

For the main pool lessons, we ask that all swimmers please arrive no more than 10 minutes before their swimming lesson. For Early Years lessons, we ask that you arrive no more than 20 minutes before your lesson and be on poolside changed 5 minutes before your lesson.  

Please wear a face covering at all times in the building when not swimming (for young people, please adhere to current government guidelines).  

Please continue to enter via our David Ross Sports Village main entrance, using your membership card to swipe through. If you don’t have a card, these will be prepared for you to collect on your first lesson. 

We’ve added new routes to the pools, please follow our signs and then exit via our one-way systems. Don’t forget to scan our NHS Track and Trace QR codes with your app when you arrive.   

If you would like to use the toilet before your lesson, please use the facilities available throughout the building before you arrive at the swimming pool area – our new one way systems mean you will only be able to access pool toilets once departing poolside.  

What changing facilities are available?  
Limited changing facilities are available to all customers using the swimming pool with new measures in place to ensure everyone’s safety. 

We ask all swimmers to please arrive 'beach ready' (with swimwear on underneath clothes) and having showered at home.  

- For our main swimming pool, please remove your shoes before entering the pool area you are welcome to bring your own flip flops. 

You will then enter poolside via our Health and Wellbeing Suite entrance – this will be clearly marked and our staff will be on hand to support.  

Please get changed for your lesson or help your child get ready at the designated drop off point, please take any personal belongings with you to the parents waiting area. Adult swimmers are asked to leave their belongings on poolside so please bring a single bag only. 

Please also ensure that your child’s hat and goggles are securely fitted before leaving poolside. As our instructors are no longer in the water to support, if your child is a beginner and cannot confidently submerge under the water please bring armbands for them. 

Parents / guardians will then need to please exit through the changing rooms and wait in our new waiting area by the squash courts. If your child needs you during the session, our team will come to get you from here. 

Please remember all lessons are finishing 5 minutes earlier. 

After the lesson, please follow the same one-way system back onto poolside and once you have collected your child, head to the changing facilities. Please spend a maximum of 10 minutes in the changing rooms. There will be no showers or hairdryers available and we ask that swimmers also do not use personal hairdryers.  
 
- For our  Early Years programme, changing facilities will be available on the way in and out but we ask all customers to change quickly as possible to ensure that there is no overlap in the changing rooms. 

Please arrive for your lesson as ready as possible (adults to arrive beach ready and children where possible) and enter poolside changed for your lesson 5 minutes before the start time. Please bring all belongings poolside with you. After your lesson, please change promptly in the same changing room, showers will not be available and we ask that no personal hair dryers are used.  

Our  accessible changing and showers are available for customers with a disability or long-term health condition. Please speak to a member of our team for assistance upon arrival. 

Can I still watch my child’s lesson from poolside? 
Due to new safety measures, we are not able to permit spectator poolside for our lessons. Please ensure only one parent / guardian attends per swimmer and siblings are only present if they are attending their own lesson that day.   

For lessons in the main pool, after supporting your child to get changed poolside we ask all parents / guardians to please exit through the changing rooms and wait in our new waiting area by the squash courts. If your child needs you during the session, our team will come to get you from here. 

For our  Early Years programme, we ask that only the parent / guardian accompanying the swimmer in the pool attends the lesson.  

What happens if my child needs assistance with their hat or googles during the lesson? 
Please ensure you child’s hat and goggles are securely fitted before leaving them poolside. To maintain important safety measures, our instructors will support swimmers to adjust their own hat and googles, or if absolutely necessary will assist using the appropriate PPE protection.  

I / my child have had a long break from the pool – will this be taken into account? 
Yes – we understand many swimmers have had a long break from the pool, therefore building confidence and developing skill will be our top priority when you return.  

We’ve carefully redesigned our lessons to focus on the foundations of swimming to regain skills and stroke techniques 

The shallow end will be available for all swimmers who may wish to swim in this area, rather than returning immediately to the deep end.  

If you / your child is anxious about returning to swimming, please let our team know. We’re there to help, support and reassure to ensure our swimmers feel comfortable at all times.  

What if I / my child feel the lesson level is too easy or too hard, or my child is now older than their previous lesson age group? 
To begin with all swimmers will return to their previous lesson age group / level. 

Our focus will be on building confidence, developing skills and supporting stroke techniques rather than any assessments.  

Please rest assured, our team will work with all swimmers and parents / guardians closely upon the return of the programme and look to move swimmers if appropriate and where capacity allows.  

What should we do if we’re self-isolating or have Covid-19 symptoms? 
If you have any symptoms of Covid-19 as detailed by the NHS, please do not attend your lesson. If you do test positive for COVID please notify the Front of House team so we can take appropriate action. We will not be able to offer refunds for missed lessons in line with our existing illness policy.  

We advise when attending lessons that you use the track and trace app. 

What happens if I’m not ready to return or I am in the high risk category? 
If you / your child are not ready to re-join the programme or are in a vulnerable category, then you will have the option to join a priority waiting list however please be aware that we cannot guarantee the same day and time when you return. We will however work with you to find a space that is suitable for you.  

I’d like to join the Swim School as a new customer – are places available? 
Please note, we’re not currently able to accept new customers onto our Swim School programmes. Our waiting list will be closed until June 2021 to new customers wanting to join. For those customers already on our waiting lists, we will contact customers as soon as we have spaces available. 

My child is on Early years lessons and is now a year older? 
For those children who are still under 4.5 years old, we will update the class names to reflect the age of the swimmers in the group. For swimmers who were in Early years 4 and Early years 5 who are now over 4.5 years old, we will be contacting you directly to arrange your move to the next stage in the Learn to Swim programme.

 
Climbing

How is the climbing wall being made safe? 
We have introduced a  range of measures  to ensure the safety of our staff and customers. 

In our climbing wall, we’ve reduced capacity, introduced a new  pre-booking system for casual climbing or bouldering sessions  and marked out clear areas and a new circulation route for climbers to help ensure social distancing can be maintained. Our team will be cleaning regular touch points between each session. 

All climbers will be asked to follow new guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. This includes arriving ‘exercise-ready’ as changing facilities will not be available, following new routes to enter and exit the facility and wearing face masks when travelling to your activity and while in the climbing wall (these can be removed when climbing). 

All climbers should ensure they observe social distancing when in the climbing wall. Hand sanitising stations will be available for you to use within the wall and we ask you use these before, during and after your session.  

Please note, climbing holds will not be cleaned between sessions following Public Health England recommendations which confirm these are part of the building infrastructure. We will be providing hand sanitising stations for climbers and strongly encourage all climbers practice good hand hygiene at all times.

Please visit the  Association of British Climbing Walls (ABC) website  for more information on how climbing walls are being made safe to use.  
 
Will I have to pre-book to use the climbing wall?  
Yes,  pre-booking  is required for climbing and will be available to book up to 7 days-in-advance (3 days-in-advance for non-members - please click here for pricing). 

Sessions will be for 80 minutes and you can choose from Casual Bouldering or Casual Climbing. Please note, you will only be able to select one of these activities and must have the appropriate eligibility to book. Please note, access is only currently available for UoN sport and fitness members. 

Please  login to your online account  to pre-book.   
 
How do I know if I have the appropriate eligibility to climb? 
To be eligible to climb, you must have registered with the David Ross Sports Village climbing wall within the last 12 months. To extend this eligibility for another 12 months, please visit the David Ross Sports Village reception or call us on 0115 74 87000. 

If you haven’t registered previously, you will need to complete our registration documents at the David Ross Sports Village reception before you will be eligible to climb.  

Will lockers be available at the climbing wall? 
Climbers will be able to access the shelving space within the climbing wall. Please bring only essential personal belongings – no large bags or coats are permitted.  

Please do not leave any bags or belongings on the floor within the climbing wall.  

Will I be able to borrow climbing equipment? 
Hire shoes will be available to borrow from reception and will be sanitised on the inside and outside by our team in between uses using hi-grade anti-viral spray. 

A limited supply of harnesses will also be available to borrow and will be cleaned by our team after each session. Where possible, we recommend that climbers bring their own harnesses.   

What chalk can I use – is loose chalk permitted? 
Only liquid chalk and chalk balls are permitted for use within the climbing wall – liquid chalk is available to purchase at reception. Loose chalk is not permitted.  

Will there be any climbing courses available? 
Our climbing course programme will resume in due course – please check our  climbing pages  regularly for the latest updates.  

I have already paid for climbing sessions for my child – do I need to do anything? 
We will contact all customers who have paid for children’s climbing sessions directly via email as soon as an update is available on these sessions. 

 

Sports Injury Clinic

Can I book an appointment at the Sports Injury Clinic? 

We have been offering face to face appointments routinely since March 2021. However, we will still offer virtual appointments by telephone of video should people feel the need or would prefer this.

To book an appointment, please email sportsinjuries@nottingham.ac.uk or call the Clinic team on 0115 748 7070.

How are face-to-face appointments being made safe? 
WeOur Sports Injury Clinic team will continue to follow our professional body, NHS and PHE guidelines for clinical consultations. This means your therapist will be wearing PPE consisting of gloves, apron and a mask when they treat you. We will continue to thoroughly clean our treatment rooms between clients. 

We will continue to ask you to complete pre-assessment paperwork prior to arriving to screen for covid symptoms. 

As wearing a mask continues to be mandatory in clinical settings we ask you to wear a mask once inside the Sports Injury clinic

Hand sanitiser will still be available for you to use.

How do I get to my appointment? 
The Sports Injury Clinic is on the first floor the David Ross Sports Village 

How do I pay for my appointment? 
Our team will take payment at the end of your appointment and book your next session if required

Is parking available? 
Patient parking is available free-of-charge outside David Ross Sports Village for up to 2 hours. Please ensure you collect and display a sporting participant ticket from the parking machine.

I have access requirements - will I be able to attend my appointment? 
David Ross Sports Village is fully accessible and blue badge parking is available outside.  

If you have any concerns at all or have a visual impairment and require assistance, please contact our team at sportsinjuries@nottingham.ac.uk in advance of your appointment.

 

 

University of Nottingham Sport

David Ross Sports Village
University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD

telephone: +44 (0)115 74 87000
email: sport@nottingham.ac.uk