Felixstowe Judo Club are to open its doors to members and resume their weekly Monday classes at Kirton Church Hall this evening (Monday 7th December).

The club has had to temporarily relocate from its familiar home of the Felixstowe Academy High School, due to Covid-19 measures and refurbishment work to the sports hall meaning local sports clubs have been unable to use the school facilities since the first lockdown in March.

However, Felixstowe JC were not going to let this stop them returning to the mat once Government guidelines allowed and they moved their mats to a temporary home; Kirton Church Hall.

The successful application of the BJA Club Grant has enabled Felixstowe JC to continue into 2021, with the grant covering the additional fees incurred by the temporary venue hire and associated Covid-19 costs to ensure the club complies with the BJA Safe Return to the Dojo Guidelines. Felixstowe JC have also put in place an online booking system with two classes currently taking place each week.

Dave Martin, Senior Club Coach at Felixstowe JC said: “We are really looking forward to resuming our weekly classes this evening. The mental and physical well-being benefits of returning to the dojo are immense for our club members and we can’t wait to welcome everybody back.”

Speaking about how easy it was to apply for the BJA Club Grant, Martin said: “The online form made applying for the BJA Club Grant really simple. After being made aware of the grant by British Judo, I used their Grant Application Guide to assist me.”

“I would recommend anybody thinking of applying for the grant to read through the guide carefully, ensuring the application meets the eligibility criteria. This should give you a good chance of being successful.”