We finally have further light at the end of the tunnel and tennis will be allowed from the 29th March.  Very welcome news as I know everyone is itching to get back on court.  Singles and Doubles will be allowed with social distancing rules applying to different government phases as we head towards normality later this year.  These are very exciting times for us all.  What I would like to ask is for all of us to be sensible and to follow the applicable government rules on social distancing as we progress though the different phases towards normality.

Survey

The survey conducted by Sandy and Russel Chidwick had a fantastic response as outlined in the note to all members on the 8th March.  To receive such positive feedback and suggestions from such a high number of members is truly fantastic.  As outlined, each of those comments are being considered and actioned where possible.  We will keep you posted on those developments as they progress.

Membership

March saw the start of our membership year.  We have had a very high percentage of renewals and a number of new joiners to the club.  Lockdown has brought many challenges to us all, including the restriction of playing tennis.  We have been asked by a few members as to whether we could reduce the membership fee for the lack of tennis.  Whilst this is a very reasonable request, as per my previous email, as a management committee we took the decision to maintain the same membership fees as last year.  Firstly, we believe the value members get at our club is fantastic.  Many visiting players are envious on what we get for the membership we pay.  Secondly, there is a significant amount of investment that is underway that impacts massively on all members and does need the support to help fund it.

We are investing significantly in the clubhouse

Many of you passing the club will have seen work underway on the changing rooms, kitchen and bar area.  Whilst by comparison to many other clubs we do have a fantastic clubhouse, it was time to revamp it in multiple areas.  All members will get to see this, and I have no doubt will be impressed, when they return to the club from the 29th March.

The last two courts will be resurfaced in July this year

The feedback on the new surfaces on courts 1 to 3 has been fantastic.  As a management committee we decided to resurface courts 4 and 5 this year too.  These courts are very forgiving on the body compared to hard courts.  We therefore felt it made sense to have this done sooner than later.

We are hoping to invest in additional courts for the club

The location of these courts are still in discussion but we are optimistic that this will become a reality for the club soon.  Whilst the LTA does offer funding support for this, it will require a deep dive into the club funds to enable such a facility enhancement to become reality.

Guest passes for every senior member

As a way to say thank you for your ongoing support in this very challenging time, and to encourage members to bring guests to the club, we have decided to offer 3 guest passes to each senior member of the club.  We continue to strive to make our club as welcoming to visitors as we possibly can and give a guest as much opportunity to experience what we have.  With that good experience we hope that they too will become members.  The mechanism for using these passes will be shared with you soon.

Social

Elizabeth Laurent is reviewing the social calendar for the year and will be sending out a note relating to this shortly.  Social events have severely been curtailed thanks to lockdown rules.  We aim to take advantage of the relaxing of the rules and have fun but safe social events at the club once we are permitted to do so and within the rules for the period they are scheduled.  Most of the new members would not have experienced the BBQ's, the social evenings, the charity events, etc.  This is the added value to being a member at Bearsted tennis club.   It is a lot of fun and we want to get back to that as soon as possible.

We will be playing tennis again soon.   Really looking forward to seeing you all at the club.  Please stay safe.

Yours Truly
Mike Laurenson
Chairman