Significant developments and financial performance

Committee personnel developments

At the Annual General Meeting both Sarah Lucas (Club Secretary) and Angela Donovan expressed a wish to step down from their positions on the committee. After discussion it was determined that the committee would need a full complement to navigate the unforeseen circumstances of the pandemic discussed below and thus both continued in a co-opted capacity.

 The Chairman has assumed interim responsibility for secretarial duties in line with the club constitution on vacant positions. Please contact the Chairman should you want further information on the role of the secretary.

 The Chairman, Mark Oldroyd and Shahid Kahut all act as co-treasurers.

This approach promotes good governance by having dual responsibility in the finance function.

 The other committee members continued in post.

 COVID-19 pandemic

The year was dominated by the events associated to the COVID-19 pandemic (hereafter 'the pandemic') which began in March and continued until the end of the calendar year.

Boris Johnson spoke to the country on the evening of Monday 23 March and instigated the first lockdown of the country in an effort to halt the spread of the pandemic. As part of this outdoor recreational activity beyond walking and running was prohibited and the tennis club closed. The committee acted swiftly to communicate to all members the closure of the premises including cessation of all tennis lessons and there were no known breaches of this lockdown. The committee would like to take the opportunity to thank all members for their compliance with club and wider protocols during the pandemic.

 As it became apparent that the lockdown would continue for more than the three-week timeframe originally planned by the government the committee sought methods of changing the membership structure to continue to offer value for money whilst the courts had reduced availability. The committee passed a 36% reduction in fees, 20% for the reduced availability of the courts and 16% to compensate for the lack of competitive tennis as both the Huddersfield and Calderdale leagues cancelled all matches as a response to the pandemic. This reduced the cost of an adult membership from £155 to £100. Memberships are up for renewal from 1 April 2021 and the committee will continue to monitor local and national matters in creating a price point that is attractive to members to join.

The tennis club applied for a £10,000 grant offered to premises under a certain square footage to assist with pandemic costs however was declined under the basis of legal structure. The tennis club for legal purposes operates as an unincorporated association which makes it difficult to obtain government support.

Throughout the pandemic the club fully complied with all government measures and those mandated by the Lawn Tennis Club Association. The club fully observed social distancing rules, stopped handshakes, removed seating from the courts, reduced contact points and purchased hand sanitizer for members and guests.

It was pleasing to see social tennis thrive post lockdown with all four courts regularly used on a Saturday afternoon. The committee are investigating ways to create additional interest in the tennis club, especially as the first quarter of 2021 might see further restrictions on indoor sporting activities.

125th anniversary celebrations

 Liversedge Tennis Club opened on 26 September 1895 and as such this year marked its 125th anniversary. Unfortunately the pandemic prevented a suitable celebration, and this has been temporarily postponed until the Summer of 2021 should government restrictions allow for larger groups of people to congregate outside.

Pay and play income

In an effort to provide a new revenue stream and attract new members the committee passed a motion to open the courts to pay and play members. This is all administered through our website with card payments in advance of individuals arising. There is a full audit trail of players who have played in the event of vandalism or damage. This policy became effective 1 June 2020 and in the final seven months of the year raised £371, equivalent to 93 hours being booked. The price point per hour is increasing from £4 to £5.50 to promote membership over the pay and play option.

In administering this new feature the club was able to recover £248 of historic membership funds which had not made its way into the club bank account.

LTA tournaments

The club has held five adult LTA tournaments this year ranging from grade six to grade four and many tournaments in age categories ranging from under twelve to under eighteen. The club receives 20% of the entry fee for each individual (normally £20 per person) as compensation for hiring the courts. The income from LTA tournaments has increased from £120 to £212 and was scheduled to hit £300 before poor weather occurred after Christmas forcing cancellations.

The LTA are impressed by our facility and how our committee members show an interest when tournaments are ongoing. The committee encourages all members to spectate when competitions are in progress.

 Many larger, indoor facilities are currently apprehensive about hosting tournaments as government restrictions are still in place. The club is thus in a strong position to host an increasing number of tournaments in 2021 and has five planned for quarter one alone. It is noted that the tournaments occur on Sunday when member usage is at its lowest and there is only two hours per tournament permitted where the LTA have access to all four courts.

Junior section

Elena Zagrebina continues to offer an excellent coaching programme and the committee commends her for her continued service. Elena works on a self-employed basis, taking lesson fees whilst the club benefits from additional membership fees of her juniors. This year the club has had fifty-four junior members join and fourteen parent members, an exceptional result given the unique circumstances of the year.

Derek Smeaton

 In March 2020 the club lost long time first team captain and quizmaster Derek Smeaton.

Finances

The committee is pleased to report a second year of operating profit. The club has been successful at converting this operating profit to underlying liquidity which manifests in an increased cash balance. The committee is compassionate to the events of the year and realises that in times of plight creating profits may be questioned. For this reason the committee presents a high-level overview of the profit and loss account.