Minutes of Beccles Tennis Club AGM

Tuesday 18th March 2025 at 7.30pm

At Beccles Sports and Social Club

PRESENT Emily Drake, Kate Murray, Bev Barber, Lucy Goodman, George Caplin, Trish Nejranowski, Philip Tye, Lucy Foster, Tim Morton, Rod Kay, Tom Riches, Tim Newman, Jan Newman, Sarah Payne, Graham Richardson and Linda Green

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Lisa Bligh

MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM -Matters Arising No matters arising.

CHAIR REPORT Emily welcomed everyone to the meeting and began by thanking the Committee for all their efforts over the last year as she had not been able to devote as much time as she had hoped due to personal commitments. One of the highlights of the year has been the success of the coaching programme for both adults and juniors. In the coming year it’s hoped to build on this and in addition to try to look at ways of increasing numbers at club play.

Thanks to Philip it is expected that the floodlight upgrade will take place very soon which will help encourage play in the evenings and at the same time reduce energy consumption.

Our teams continue to perform well in the Norwich Winter League and the Lowestoft League which has given many players the opportunity to play competitive tennis. The membership currently stands at around 105 of which approximately 45 are juniors. A major refurbishment of the courts is now a priority. The condition of the courts is deteriorating and it’s unlikely the surface will withstand another winter. So if we want to attract new members we must consider how we are going to take this forward. There is only so much that the Committee can do so we are looking to members who have the necessary skills and enthusiasm to drive the project. There have been some issues regarding contacts on the database so we must look at this and the use of Club Spark particularly if a smart gate system is put into place. Tim Morton has stepped down from the Committee and Matthew Thompson has stood down as Club Captain. We thank them both for all their support and help.

TREASURER’S REPORT Linda extended her thanks to Sarah Wells for checking and presenting the yearly accounts. As advised the Club made a slight loss for the first time in many years. Subscriptions were down slightly but the main difference was the high cost of repairs and maintenance in particular to the floodlights. In addition a full set of new net posts was purchased. The cost of electricity is still a concern despite junior sessions going indoors over the winter we are paying around £200 a month. A lot of time and effort has gone into trying to resolve the issue with the suppliers but with no success. Hopefully the change to LED bulbs will reduce this expense. There is money earmarked to pay for the lights upgrade and this work should take place the week of 28th April. The lease has finally been agreed and signed but the legal costs have not yet been invoiced. It was raised that the Club wasn’t getting a good rate of interest from Barclays and had other bank accounts been considered? Linda reported that efforts had been made in the past to change but unfortunately most banks no longer offer club accounts. Graham Richardson volunteered to explore other banking options for better interest rates and accessibility and report back.

CAPTAINS REPORT As there was no captain in attendance Kate Murray reported that the ‘A’ team gained promotion to Division 1 of the Lowestoft League and the ‘B’ remained in Division 2. However, there is to be a major change in the way the League will be organised in the future. To ensure that it continues to survive it is proposed that the Clubs themselves take on the responsibility. Each Club to take on the role of chair for 1 year and each division to have its own match secretary again for one year. Further information will be available after the League AGM next week. The Norwich Winter League teams have had a challenging season. The ‘A’ team have struggled for players and have had to concede a number of matches and as a result will be relegated to Division 3. The ‘B’ team did well and maintained their position in Division 5 At the moment the position of Club/’A’ team Captain and ‘B’ team have yet to be finalised.

COACHING REPORT George reported a successful year with good numbers attending both the adult and junior sessions. Coaches are considering moving the programmes to term time only with some junior camps taking place in the school holidays and possibly adult clinics on a Saturday morning. Numbers attending club play is still a little disappointing but the weather hasn’t helped. That said those who did attend were enjoying the sessions and hopefully once the clocks change more will come. The weather put pay to the walking tennis and the pickle ball but Mark hopes to start these sessions in April. Also it is hoped to organise a Wimbledon Day, an April Social event, an Open day, maybe a club championship and the Tinsel and Tennis; dates to be confirmed in the near future.

A Club Singles competition has been organised and is up and running. A passport to play was being considered linking up with Loddon and Southwold clubs allowing members the flexibility of playing at a different venue. However the considerable difference in yearly subscriptions was likely to be an issue so it was suggested that perhaps some social tennis could take place between the clubs. However, increasing numbers at our own sessions needed to be the priority.

WELFARE The Welfare Officer reported that there had been no issues. However, George had completed 2 minor accident report forms. George agreed to update the First Aid Kit. All the relevant policies probably need updating and Emily agreed to look into this to ensure we are complying with LTA audit requirements.

SUBSCRIPTIONS It was unanimously agreed that there should be no rise in subscriptions with the exception of the Family Membership which will be increased to the equivalent of two adult members. The padlocks will be changed on 1st April and members will be informed once they have joined/renewed.

REFURBISHMENT COMMITTEE This is now our priority as the courts are in desperate need of resurfacing. It is expected that this plus the introduction of a smart gate and any subsequent ground improvements will cost in the region of £60k. Unfortunately as the lease is only for 7 years we are not eligible for most grants. Tim Morton confirmed the Beccles Townlands Charity would look favourably at providing some finance but would require a proper business plan to be submitted. Emily has a template business plan which could be updated. The Club has recently acquired a licence to park on the piece of land behind the courts for a cost of £100 a year subject to nursery having use of the space on their Open Days. There are other sources of funding available but making the applications is a time consuming task as is any other form of fund raising event. There was some discussion as to whether we should press ahead with the Smart gate as it was felt that the current system of booking courts by the public was putting people off. It was felt that an online system would be more efficient, improve access and result in more bookings. We should also look at advertising to reach as wider community as possible. We may also need to look at internet connectivity to ensure that the system will work effectively. It was proposed that a small sub-committee be formed to take the project forward. There is a need to research grant and funding opportunities, to obtain quotes, assess installation costs of Smart gate, consider ground work etc. Graham Richardson, Rod Kay, Tim Morton, Philip Tye and Lucy Goodman agreed to form that committee.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS No nominations have been received so Linda Green has kindly agreed to continue in the role of Treasurer. Emily will continue to undertake the various secretarial responsibilities required with assistance from Beverley. The remaining Committee members will continue to stand. Matt Thompson has stood down as Club Captain so at the moment the post remains vacant. Brent and Lisa are to be approached to stand as ‘A’ and ‘B’ team captains respectively. Lucy Goodman was welcomed on to the Committee.

AOB Suffolk LTA are holding a Cluster Meeting on 7th May at 4pm which Beccles Tennis Club are hosting at the Sports and Social Club. Tim Morton informed the meeting that there is a proposal that all local clubs meet to discuss the upcoming parking refurbishment and its impact for users. We have already offered the minibuses parking on the grass area behind the courts while the work is undertaken.

There will be a Working Party on 12th April 2025 to give the grounds and clubhouse a tidy up before the summer season. Details to follow. Tom Riches won the raffle for half price membership. Date of next Committee Meeting: 29th April.