Information Sheet 2025/26
Information Sheet 2025/26
Please read this information sheet to ensure that you are aware of everything that the club has to offer as well as our few rules and regulations.
2025 Events
Our events for 2025:
- 25 April: Games evening in the Pavilion
- 9 May: Quiz night
- 18 May: American tournament
- 29 June: Humphries Cup
- 14 September: American tournament with refreshments
- 21 November Annual Dinner
The annual knock-out tennis competitions (ladies' and men's singles and doubles and mixed doubles) run from May to September (details on the News page).
The ladder competition runs from the start of the new membership year (1st April). See the Ladder page for details.
Membership
The club is open to players of any standard and any age. Membership runs from 1 April to 31 March. Reduced half year membership is available from 1 September. For membership subscriptions, please go to the Membership page.
Constitution and rules
The Club is a charitable incorporated organisation and a registered charity, number 1214037. By joining the club you agree to follow the Club's constitution. You can find the constitution here. The Club's few further rules are set out in this information sheet.
The tennis club is one of the four clubs that form the Forest Row Sports Ground Association (see further below). By becoming a member of the tennis club you will also become a member of the Association. Details here.
Court Booking
Courts can be booked for up to four sessions up to two weeks in advance using the club’s booking system on our Booking page or the ClubSpark Booker App. Courts may not be booked for more than two hours consecutively and may not be booked during club sessions or other club-organised activities.
Club Sessions
For those who play to a reasonable standard, there are a number of club sessions every week when mixed doubles are normally played. These are: -
- Sunday 10 am - 1 pm approx
- Tuesday 6 pm – 8 pm (intermediate and advanced players by invitation)
- Thursday 6 pm – 8 pm
- Friday 10am - 12 noon
New tennis balls are provided each week for use at club sessions - details here. Floodlights are used for evening club sessions during the winter months. Members are asked to contribute £1 each session towards the cost of the floodlights.
WhatsApp groups
We have WhatsApp groups for the social sessions and the ‘by invitation’ session. Please ask a committee member (see Contacts page) if you would like to join the social session WhatsApp group. If you are invited to join the ‘by invitation’ group you will also be given details of the related WhatsApp group.
Social Events, Competitions and Ladder
The Club holds several social events and tournaments during the year. Our social events include the Annual Club BBQ and Annual Club Dinner. Tennis competitions include tournaments over the summer (men’s and ladies’ singles and doubles and mixed doubles), two Sunday mixed doubles competitions and our annual ladder competition. All members are warmly invited to join any of these events.
Details of events and competitions are sent to members by email and are also posted on our News page.
Matches and teams
For those members who play to a higher standard, we are always keen to enlist new team players to represent the club in Weald League matches. We have a number of doubles teams playing in various divisions of the Weald League: a ladies team and two mixed doubles teams aswell as a very successful ladies over 55s team. So, if you think you have got what it takes and are keen to play for the club, please contact one of our match captains (see Contact page).
Coaching
Coaching is run by George Ross of Ross Tennis, a very professional and motivated coach. Ross Tennis run a wide range of coaching courses for all levels of play including camps for juniors during half terms and holidays.
More details can be obtained from our notice boards or by calling Ross Tennis on 07920 779386, emailing george@rosstenniscoaching.co.uk or from www.rosstenniscoaching.co.uk .
Visitors
Members may bring visitors. Each visitor is allowed to play three times in a tennis year on payment of £5 per session (if introduced by a Senior or Student Member), or £2 (if introduced by a Junior Member). This is deducted from their subscription if the visitor subsequently joins.
Please complete a payment slip mentioning the date of the visit, names of the member and the visitor and amount paid which can be found on top of the wall safe and deposit the fee and slip into the safe.
Dress Code
There are no strict rules about dress other than during club sessions when it is requested that players wear recognisable sports clothing. However, at all times the correct footwear (no ridged trainers) is essential to preserve the surface of the courts.
Safeguarding, Diversity and Inclusion and other policies
Please see the Policies page. The club’s privacy policy, setting out how we treat your personal data, is on the Privacy page.
Club room
Tea, coffee and powdered milk is available in the clubroom if you would like to make yourself a hot drink. Please wash, dry and put away all crockery after use.
Please note that dogs are not permitted in the club room.
Floodlights
Floodlights are available for use between period 1 September to 30 April. They are controlled by meters which are operated by £1 coins and can be found inside the clubroom. Each £1 coin provides 20 minutes duration of lighting. Please note lighting cannot be used outside of these months.
Leaf Blower
We have a rota system for members to take their turn to clear the courts of leaves. A leaf blower and brooms can be found in the cupboard in the tennis club room. Ear defenders and protective glasses are also available for protection whilst using the blower. Leaf Blower Instructions
Ball Machine
The club owns a Tower Ball Machine for use by all members. For security purposes the machine is kept in a locked room opposite the internal door to the main pavilion. The key is kept in a coded security box on the wall. Please telephone David Gray - 07986 710631 for the code in the first instance, or any committee member (see Contacts page). The cost of using the ball machine is £2 per hour. Please complete a payment slip which can be found on the window sill then deposit both slip and money into the wall safe before using the ball machine. Further information on the use of the ball machine can be found on the back of the storeroom door and with the ball machine. Junior members under age 16 are not permitted to use the ball machine unless fully accompanied by an adult.
Forest Row Sports Ground Association
Forest Row Sports Ground Association is a registered charity with trustees from the clubs, the Parish Council, the Royal British Legion, and other interested people from the village.
The Association manages the Memorial Pavilion and sports/recreation grounds, including the tennis courts, under a lease from East Sussex County Council as trustee for the Ashdown Forest Trust, as the ground forms part of the Forest. The 5-acre ground was originally reserved for the playing of cricket and other games under the Ashdown Forest Act of 1885. The tennis club, founded in the early 1950s, manages, maintains and refurbishes the courts from its funds.
The Sports Ground Association receives fees from the clubs to help maintain the pavilion and receives some funding from the Parish Council towards the cost of maintaining the ground.