Sheldon retreat centre-Covid protections

Last updated October 2025

Why we (still) bother about this.

• We want every guest to go home as healthy as when you arrive. Covid is still randomly and unpredictably nasty for some people in the short term, and every infection increases longer term health risks for everyone. So we work on the basis that every infection is worth avoiding because we're not big fans of playing russian roulette. As at October 2025 we are in a Covid wave with estimated 1 in 60 of the population infected. 
• Other guests may, unbeknown to you, be immunocompromised or living with someone else who is vulnerable - how would we feel if they took Covid home from Sheldon?
• We need our community and staff team to stay healthy in order to keep Sheldon running. If we get sick Sheldon has to close, sometimes at short notice. 
• Covid is airborne (and so are flu, RSV, whooping cough, norovirus, etc). The air we breathe out drifts in the air like smoke. If we're breathing out viruses then other people will breathe them in. We can reduce the risks by making sure there is plenty of fresh air in the room and filtering viruses out of the air. 
• The higher the CO2 level in the room, the more we are rebreathing each other's air, so we monitor CO2 levels in all shared spaces.
   

Here is what we do to help

• We reduce the risk of staff and guests bringing infection onto site. 
  • Sheldon offers good discretionary sick pay and testing for our staff and offers free vaccinations twice a year to all staff willing to take it 
  • We ask guests to contact us to discuss before travelling to Sheldon if you have new symptoms or recent known contacts. 
  • Please do not travel here if you currently test positive for Covid or have a strong reason to believe you have been exposed (eg a case in your household). 
• We reduce the risk of sharing infections between us while we are together
  
  • If you develop any new symptoms (even if you think it's nothing much) during your stay please ring the team on 01647-253914 - depending on circumstances we may arrange for testing, masking, moving to alternative accommodation, etc.
  • We keep the number of people in communal spaces smaller than before
  • We clean the air with HEPA air cleaners running in all main rooms
  • We ventilate all main rooms with plenty of fresh air and have continuous monitoring of CO2 with text alerts for the team if levels rise over 750. We encourage guests to be pro-active in opening windows. (At 800 1% of air is re-breathed and at 5000 it's 12%. Great ventilation keeps transmission risks lower) 
  • Please wear a cosy layer of clothing to meals and meetings to keep you comfortable
  • We support anyone who wishes to wear a face mask. We ask everyone to wear one for community prayers in chapel. (This is because numbers are unpredictable in chapel and there are fewer windows so harder to ventilate). 
  • We use testing and air filtration to protect those giving and receiving a massage 

We provide clear guidelines on how you can play your part. Thank you for being willing to take a test on request even if you think we're being over-cautious. 

Anyone who tests positive during their stay will be asked to leave for home or, if we have suitable space available, can swap to a private retreat and isolate from other guests here. People who are symptomatic but testing negative may be asked to mask and/or take meals separately. 

Not every cough or sniffle is Covid. However, half of Covid infections are passed on before symptoms arrive or while they are very mild. 

Cancellations

We have continued with our more generous arrangements for cancellations in the light of the ongoing uncertainties we all have to manage. We want you to have the confidence to make a booking while having a reasonable framework for flexibility where needed.

Useful websites

https://www.covidisairborne.org/

The physics of masks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBJpvdZXxcs