CPSA Statement on the Opening of Grounds during the Coronavirus Pandemic

The following email was sent to all CPSA Club, Ground, and Trade members this morning (12 May 2020), and will be of interest to all CPSA members:

Dear CPSA Club, Ground, and Trade members,

Regarding the CPSA’s position on the opening of shooting grounds during the ongoing CV19 pandemic:

We have reviewed the latest government guidance released yesterday 11 May, and unfortunately feel that we need to ask the Government for greater clarity and confirmation regarding shooting grounds specifically before we, as the sport’s National Governing Body, can advise grounds to open.

While the comparison to golf courses has been made, there are certain points in the documents that refer to some outdoor leisure facilities not being permitted to open at this point in time. Shooting grounds’ 11(6) exemption certificates and RFD Licences may be at risk if found to be in breach of lockdown regulations. There are also additional concerns over the Home Office guidance to the police regarding Shotgun Certificate holders travelling while under lockdown restrictions. Again, clarity is required to give our members the best possible information when considering participation in our sport.

We have been in contact with the relevant government departments already and would hope to have confirmation in the coming week.

We hope we can get this confirmation as soon as possible and in turn give guidance to grounds regarding opening in the coming weeks. We will be studying the re-opening of golf courses and other sports specifically named in the guidance to learn from any issues they may encounter.

If we are able to promote the re-opening of grounds next week we have issued some guidance for grounds considering the strict social distancing measures and safety measures to protect shooters and our sport.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Iain Parker                 John Martin
CPSA CEO                CPSA Chairman