Nominated by our Club Scretary Rod Aitken, here is Rod's report.

Chairman receives Lifetime Achievement Award.

At the Bucks County LTA AGM on Tuesday 18th Feb Bev was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his outstanding contribution to both the Club and County, by President Jill Newby. 

Bev was a founder member of the Haddenham Tennis Club back in 1985 and has been at its heart ever since. From the start, he was instrumental in raising funds to build the Club’s first two hard courts. In 1986, he joined the committee and in 1990 he became chairman—a role he continues to hold today with unwavering enthusiasm. 

His dedication goes far beyond leadership, frequently he can be seen on court sweeping up worms or collecting leaves.  Over the years, he has personally managed a wide range of maintenance tasks, including repairing fencing, dealing with invasive tree roots, applying weed and moss killer, fixing gate locks, and establishing the Club’s first website. For larger projects, such as court cleaning, resurfacing, and floodlight upgrades, Bev has taken the lead, saving the Club countless funds through his resourcefulness.

As chairman, Bev has ensured the Club remains inclusive, safe, and welcoming by drafting key policies. In 2004, he initiated a coaching program across three local schools, introducing hundreds of children to tennis, an initiative made possible through funding he secured from the council and a local charity.

Always forward-thinking and tenacious Bev secured the provision of two mini-courts at nil cost to the club by securing 106 funding from the council, more recently he has introduced a tennis ball recycling program as part of a pilot scheme and has brought pickleball to the Club, expanding its offerings. 

Bev’s commitment, vision, and hands-on approach have left an indelible mark on the Club. His contributions, spanning nearly four decades, have transformed the facilities, nurtured the local tennis community, increased membership numbers by 50%, provided opportunities for 400 children to attend tennis camps and inspired generations of players. 

On a wider front he has been Bucks Vets Captain since 2003, initially for the mens over 55’s & has remained captain for every subsequent age group (every 5 years) and is now looking forward to running the over 80’s in 2026

He has been on the Aylesbury and District League Committee for the last 17 years, helping to set up their web-site, Constitution & Rules & use of IT .

He is a true stalwart and his passion, enthusiasm and selflessness make him more than deserving of the award. It would be remiss (and he would be the first to acknowledge) that much of this would not have been possible without the longstanding support and 'patience’ of his wife Margaret.