Apr 6

Apr 6 Connected Reality: how clubs can stay virtually connected to their members whilst in lock-down

As the COVID-19 lock-down continues, many clubs, groups and activity networks are thinking about how they can keep in touch with their members throughout this period of crisis. This will be crucial to ensure that we are well positioned as a sector to bring people back to our activities once it is safe for government restrictions to be lifted. Perhaps more importantly though, social connectivity plays a hugely important role in protecting people's psychological and emotional well-being during a period of unprecedented restriction and isolation.

One thing that has been heartening through all this is to see the resourcefulness and creativity which is emerging across communities to help people stay connected. We've gathered together some of the best ideas we've seen so far from the sport & physical activity sector that you can use to keep your members engaged and in touch with each other. We've tried to mix things up so, whilst every idea may not work for your group, hopefully there is some inspiration in here for every age and audience. And don't forget, it doesn't have to be all on the coach or leader to arrange something every week - half the fun is getting team members to step up and show off their hosting skills!

The tech Let's start by addressing what for some of us may be the elephant in the room. Whether for work or for leisure, we've probably all been hearing the names of a whole host of online communication platforms in the last few weeks. Some of us may be dab hands and already fluent in the language of online connectivity, but many of us might never have heard of Zoom or Google Hangouts until a few weeks ago. In case you need an introduction to all things video and teleconferencing, we found this handy article from Wired which gives a good overview of the main ones.

Let's get quizzical

Everyone loves a good pub quiz, but if you can't get down to your local to take part in one, why not set up your own online with teammates? It's a great evening's entertainment, and if you do enjoy a cheeky pint with a quiz then you can still invite everyone to BYO. These are our top tips for a successful online quiz.

Get everyone to log on to your chosen platform a few minutes early so you have time to resolve any techie issues.
You don't need to spend loads of time writing questions as there are already tons online for free. You can even find sites for specialist subjects, anything from Disney to Emmerdale. Pub Quiz Questions HQ is a good place to start, otherwise type 'free quiz questions' with your subject of interest and country into your favourite search engine.
To enable conferring without giving the answers away, set up separate chat groups for each team on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or similar.
Get some tunes on between questions. The quizmaster may not get to answer questions, but you're definitely in charge of the play list.

What's in a game?

If you'd rather something a bit different to your traditional quiz, why not re-enact one of your favourite family gameshows? There are some great online options to help with the set up of some, whilst others need only some ingenuity and a willing volunteer to be the gameshow host. Catchphrases at the ready!

Would I Lie to You Currently hosted by Rob Brydon, with team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack. Why not bring this popular show to a small screen near you? Players need to provide their host with three stories; 1 true and 2 lies - and be prepared for a grilling as the other teams try to figure out which stories are true. Watch an episode here if you're stuck for inspiration.
Family Fortunes / Family Feud Whether you're all about Vernon Kay, watched Les Dennis back in the 80s, or are a Family Feud fan from over the pond, Family Fortunes is a great option for old fashioned team fun. We've found this handy guide which has 45 episodes for you to choose from, but you might have to improvise to recreate that famous wrong answer sound. Here's a reminder of why the game ain't over until it's over.
Countdown Another British classic and one which has been reinvented in more recent years with 8 Out of 10 Cats does Countdown. We found this handy site which will generate the letters or numbers, check your answers and even has its own Countdown clock.

Follow the leader

Cook-along Fancy yourself as a celebrity chef? Maybe someone in your team brings amazing cookies for after sessions and you've always wondered how they make them? Why not have cook-along where everyone can make and enjoy the same tasty treat? Send out ingredients a couple of days before, choose your preferred video chat app and you could be the next Delia in the making. And don't worry if things do go exactly to plan - it happens even to the pros.

TOP TIP 1: Probably best to avoid recipes with really specific ingredients or super fancy equipment which everyone might not have; TOP TIP 2: Have a few quiz questions on hand to fill 20 mins or so if you need some baking time.

Craft-along Maybe your crew are more the crafty types, in which case why not get them making things out of everyday household stuff? If you're stuck for inspiration there are some cool ideas in here.

Group workout or dance lesson Anyone in your group with a touch of the Joe Wicks about them? Many of us may be struggling to keep our fitness up at the moment and, as clubs and groups know well, group exercise is a great motivator. Whether you've got your own moves or you'd rather pinch them from Davina, everything goes.
Cocktail-making masterclass Could you take on the role of bartender extraordinaire for an evening? Maybe show off a few cool juggling tricks but, more importantly, wow your teammates with a lesson in making delicious tasting beverages. With or without alcohol of course, depending on your audience. What’s your signature drink?

Online Games

Turn boredom into board games If a night down at the board game cafe would usually be a top social for your gang, then online board games could be just what you're looking for. Tabletopia and Tabletop Simulator are a couple of options; both with hundreds of board games to choose from and a good number of free options.

Put your drawing skills to the test Find out if you have a hidden Banksy in your team with a few rounds of this online version of Pictionary. This free site allows you to play online with up to 12 players. Our Proper Active founder gave this a whirl with one of her teams recently and, whilst it was a lot of fun, I doubt her drawing skills will be winning any awards any time soon!

A bit of culture

Have a movie night For those lucky enough to have a Netflix subscription, they have introduced an extension called Netflix Party which allows you to host movie nights remotely with other friends and family who also have a Netflix subscription. Don't worry though if your group don't all have Netflix, you can still set up a Movie Night using Skype or alternatively with the Zoom Desktop Application.
Go to the theatre The National Theatre are streaming a new play each week throughout lockdown completely free; new ones come out every Thursday. This week it's One Man, Two Guvnors, with James Corden, but the full schedule can be found here. You can use the same tricks as for your movie night (above) to share your screen and there's even an interval to top up your drinks and chat about the story so far.
Start a book club As long as you remind everyone to bring their own drinks and snacks, there is no reason why a regular book club can't continue online during lockdown. If you'd like to start a new book club, you may find some ideas on what to read on The Guardian's Best Books of 2019 list.

The art of the online challenge

Remember the Triangle Dance? Or the no make-up selfie? To keep your audience engaged in between your regular get togethers, a good online challenge will keep your members busy at home as well as get them sharing videos or photos online for everyone else to enjoy.

What can your team try their hand at whilst they're busy doing nothing?

Most amazing trick shot
Best looking baked goods
Poshest lockdown attire
Grow the tallest sunflower
Compete to learn a new language on Duolingo

Make your team the stars of the show

One final suggestion to get people feeling really connected is to ask for contributions from your whole group to make a film or a photo montage. A couple of ideas to get you thinking.

Pass it on film A number of groups have been using balls, socks, even loo roll - whatever is easy to hand at home - to get each member showing off a few moves and then ‘pass it on’ to the next person. Check out this neat example from Active Surrey.

Turn your members into words Literally! Active Charnwood came up with the idea of spelling your name in yoga poses, but you can ask your members to spell out the letters of any message you want to share with your followers!

Once ready, you can share your creation on your group’s social media channels so it has the added bonus of showing potential future participants that you are a super sociable bunch who are supporting each other off the court, pitch, track or floor, even when you can’t get on it.

Hopefully you're feeling inspired, but please do let us know any more of your brilliant ideas and we'd love to see your photos and videos too at info@properactive.co.uk. We'll update this article over the coming weeks with any other great ideas we find and, with your permission, we may even include your picture or video.

And don’t forget - socially distant doesn’t have to mean emotionally distant so when you are out of the house for your daily exercise, don’t forget to wave, smile or say hi to as many people as possible, from a safe distance of course.