Courts 1, 2 and 3

The committee are aware of the poor state of courts 1, 2 and 3 in that they do not drain very well due to their age. We are working very hard behind the scenes to raise the necessary funds (around £60K+) and quotes from various companies to have these replaced as soon as possible. This will not be before the end of the forthcoming season, but we will keep you informed as soon as we have any firm dates.

You may have noticed the nets were removed from these courts during the worst of the winter weather, but they will now be re-hung as the drier weather returns. However, this comes with a health and safety warning. Please do not use the courts if you think they are too wet and may be slippy. We do not want any accidents. Use them with caution.

We have also been busy sorting out the insurance claim for the damage caused to the fencing at the back of court 5 during the last storm, or the possibility of grant funding from Sport England which could be available to clubs who have suffered storm damage. This is well underway, and we will inform you as soon as we know when the repairs will be made.

Team Tennis

As we approach our match season we have organised team practices which have started this week :

Men           Wednesday 6.30 – 8pm
Ladies        Thursday 6.30 – 8pm

If you would like to play competitively and represent the club, please try to attend these sessions. They will give players a chance to ‘get back into the swing of it’, They will be playing sessions, as opposed to coaching sessions. If you can’t make those nights then please let me know that you would like to be considered for selection (details below). We have an entered 24 teams this year in a wide variety of teams in Ladies, Men’s and Mixed Competitions in open, over 45 and over 60 categories.

The Tennis Committee are assuming that if you played last year that you would like to be considered for selection this year. However, we know that people’s circumstances change, so if it would help us greatly if you could let me know if you do not wish to play on teams this year. Similarly, if you only wish to considered for certain teams (i.e. over 45, men’s not mixed etc) then again forward that information to me by March 24th.

If you have any other queries at team tennis then feel free to contact me, Jill Carroll, on jctennis48@gmail.com.

Northumberland and Durham League

As most of you are aware this is the league in which we play the vast majority of our matches. The League Executive are going to write to participating clubs in the near future, inviting them to submit proposals about possible changes to the League which would enhance the playing experience for players, starting with the 2026 season. This could be about any aspect of the League from actual match structure to the way that the League is organised in terms of divisions, promotion and relegation etc. Our Tennis Committee have several ideas that we would like to submit, however, we would welcome any comments from yourselves that we could consider. 

Please send any thoughts to Jill Carroll, jctennis48@gmail.com by April 20th. I look forward to hearing your ideas!

Thanks
Jill

Fundraising for new courts
The Funcom have already raised almost £800 towards their £6,000 target for the year after only one event, and most of this is from things which are ticking over all the time in the background. We know the social events are not everyone’s cup of tea but there are other ways you can help towards the £60K+ we need to renew courts 1, 2 and 3. EasyFundraising is one of them. Register here and we get a donation from 1000s of brand names at no extra cost to you! The “compare” type websites offer big donations and holiday websites are a good source of income for us too. It’s just an extra click or two, then you shop online as normal. You can even get a donation reminder so we don’t lose out on a penny! Register now!