Update on the impact of the coronavirus on The Arts Society Royal Leamington Spa

Dear Member,

I am sure you will appreciate, the situation with the coronavirus is fluid and there have been a number of important changes recently which require us to take further action.  Our first priority is, and will remain, to make sure that we minimise health risks to you and all our members.

It is clear that this situation is not going to be resolved in a matter of weeks; the peak of the infection is now forecast to be late May and the advice to vulnerable groups (including those over 70 which constitute quite a proportion of our membership) to stay away from social contact wherever possible for 12-16 weeks suggests a time frame of 3-4 months which takes us to the end of July.  

Very recently the Spa Centre informed us that it was closing (and it now has) but without a date when it will reopen.

In view of the above, your committee has decided to cancel all our lectures for the rest of this season (i.e. up to and including July 2020) in the hope that we can restart at the beginning of our next season on 2nd September. As I mentioned previously, we are aiming to broadcast the April lecture live on the internet and we will see if we can arrange for the same to happen with some or all of the other three lectures; as soon as we know and have appropriate details I will let you know.

We are also cancelling the day trips to Chatsworth (currently scheduled for 20th May) and Weston Park (scheduled for 19th August) but with a view to re-scheduling these trips for equivalent dates in 2022. Those members who have paid for the Chatsworth trip will get a full refund in the near future.  It also means that the biennial dinner, scheduled for 18th June, will also not now take place.

At present we are still going ahead with the short break to East Sussex from 13th-18th September and there are tickets still available for this – if you would like to go on this trip please contact Roz Crampton at dosi@tasrls.org.uk or on 01926 833609

While I do not suggest that it will be much comfort to you, I understand that a number of the other arts societies in the UK are taking a similar approach to this issue.
 
I am also aware that members will have paid their subscription for the 2019-20 year but will now not be able to access all the lectures and events that were implicit in that subscription. Your committee, led in this matter by our treasurer, Charles Bartholomew, will be developing proposals in respect of 2020-21 which take proper account of these circumstances.
 
If you have any questions  please do contact me – my contact details are on your programme card or use the contact form on this website.

Shaun Pitt
Chairman
21st March 2020