Norfolk Tennis Strategic Plan 2023-2026 in Conjunction with LTA East/Central Regional Team

I. INTRODUCTION
Norfolk county has a long and proud track record of supporting tennis, ranging from iconic tournaments and venues such as Hunstanton, to players who have graced Wimbledon and the international stage, including arguably Britain’s greatest wheelchair tennis player. Whilst the county has a few historic, large venues it’s ecosystem also supports numerous small venues. 

This three-year strategy, which will be reviewed annually, seeks to build on this legacy of success by ensuring tennis continues to thrive across the County.  

II. ACCOUNTABILITY
Primary accountability for delivering this strategy rests collectively with the Norfolk Tennis Management Group.  Within this framework, individual officers and post holders will be identified as having responsibility for delivering specific elements of this strategy.

The delivery of some aspects on this strategy will be dependent upon programmes and funding managed by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and, particularly, the East/Central regional Team.  The latter will be accountable for this.

III. VISION
The vision for this strategy mirrors that of the LTA, namely 

“Tennis Opened Up”. 

IV. MISSION 
Our mission is to:

“To grow tennis in Norfolk by making it relevant, accessible, welcoming and enjoyable”. 

V. OBJECTIVES

To achieve our mission we will:

1. Work with the LTA, venues, parents, educational establishments, and other organisations to increase opportunities for players of all ages and backgrounds to play and, where so desired, develop their games in a safe environment.
2. Promote and build support for tennis in Norfolk amongst players, parents, and stakeholders through a mix of readily accessible, up to date and user-friendly mediums.
3. Support and develop competitive tennis across the county and ensure county representative teams achieve the best results possible and are competitive in the County Cup Race.
4. Maintain and improve a broad-based performance programme for juniors from all backgrounds with the aim of developing top 50 ranked players in each age group and being competitive in the County Cup Race. 
5. Ensure the governance of Norfolk Tennis remains professional, committed to diversity, and maximises funding opportunities.

VI. DESIRED OUTCOMES 

Increase opportunities: Lead Coordinator - Norfolk Tennis Development Lead 
1. Introduce client managers for key stakeholders.
2. Establish forums for coaches, parents, and venues.
3. Establish a framework to support the development of venues by providing a focal point for enquiries and the dissemination of relevant information and support. 

Promote: Lead Coordinator – Norfolk Tennis Marketing Lead
1. Refresh the Norfolk Tennis website to ensure it is user-friendly and informative.
2. Review and refresh the Norfolk Tennis marketing strategy 
3. Develop a framework to promote the achievements of players and county teams.

Support & Develop: Lead Coordinator - LTA Councilor for Norfolk
1. Establish Norfolk Tennis leagues sub-committee.
2. In conjunction with the Inclusion Lead develop and clear pathway and framework to support the development of ‘inclusive tennis’ that encompasses ‘LTA Open Court’.
3. In conjunction with the Norfolk Tennis Marketing Lead develop a specific framework to encourage players to participate in county-wide competitions, with particular emphasis on promoting the County Championships.  

Maintain & Improve: Lead Coordinator – Norfolk Tennis Performance Officer 
1. Establish and develop the hub-based performance programme for juniors
2. Establish the necessary infrastructure to support Norfolk Tennis’s participation in Junior County Cups whilst ensuring maximum participation in said events.   Specifically, to ensure that that full strength teams participate in all U8 to U11 Cups.
3. Devise and implement a coach pathway support programme that increases the pool of suitably trained coaches available to support Norfolk Tennis.
4.Implement and serve as County lead for the LTA U10 performance pathway.

Governance: Lead Coordinator - Chairperson Norfolk Tennis
1. Complete the transition to CIO status
2. Build on existing structures to ensure safeguarding responsibilities are resilient and responsive
3. Develop and maintain a Risk Register
4. Appoint a lead for identifying and developing sponsorship opportunities and additional funding streams to boost the revenues available to support tennis in Norfolk.

Inclusion cross-cuts all of our objectives and in addition to the above, our Lead Co-ordinator for inclusion will:
1 Develop and maintain a clear pathway and framework for the development of inclusive tennis opportunities within the county.
2 Work in conjunction with LTA Open Court to develop this pathway, increase competitive opportunities and provide CPD opportunities for coaches and volunteers.
3 Develop a performance programme within the county working in conjunction with the relevant LTA Performance Leads and the Norfolk Performance Lead.

VII. SCOPE 
This strategy is time based, covering the period 2023-2026 and is primarily focused on venues, programmes, and individuals.  

Venues: This includes venues where tennis and related activities, such as padel tennis and pickleball is played and includes all tennis clubs affiliated to the Norfolk Tennis, educational establishments that are part of the Norfolk Tennis’s outreach programme.

Programmes: This includes LTA and Norfolk Tennis sponsored programmes: 

Individuals: This primarily includes players identified as being deserving of tailored support, for example coaching or financial backing.

VII.  PLANNING PRINCIPLES 
Planning principles should be immutable and provide the framework with which Norfolk Tennis operates.
In delivering this strategy we will ensure our actions are compliant and consistent with:

·    The aims, objectives and ways of working set out in the LTA’s strategy. We will adhere to the agreed Governance Principles and deliver our Core Activities. 
·    Statutory guidance for safeguarding, financial reporting, and CIO governance.
·    Ensuring all expenditure represents value for money (VFM).
·    Ensuring the welfare and interest of all players is paramount.
·    Equality ensures that every individual has equal opportunities, regardless of their background, identity, or experience. Diversity recognises that, though people have things in common with each other, they are also different many ways. Inclusion is where those differences are seen as a benefit, and where perspectives and differences are shared, leading to better decisions. We will apply these principles to every aspect of our strategy. 

VI.  PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS
Planning assumptions are correct at the time of writing and set our operating parameters but can be subject to change. In delivering this strategy we are making the following assumptions:

•    The Norfolk Tennis’s budget primarily comprises revenue from LTA grants. 
•    That current levels of sponsorship will be maintained.
•    That Norfolk Tennis will not borrow to fund initiatives or staffing.
•    That the delivery of this strategy has the support of venues and coaches.
•    That the majority of Management Group functions will be performed on a voluntary basis.
•    When reviewing aspects of delivery for outside bodies, for example safeguarding, we will endeavour to have an independent reviewer on the team and will make appropriate use of peer reviews.
•    We will look for opportunities to work with other county associations to spread/absorb good practice and, where appropriate, share or brigade resources.

VII.  DELIVERY FRAMEWORK
Performance against the objectives and outcomes set out in this strategy will be monitored at the Norfolk Tennis Management Group Meetings and will be considered alongside the LTA metrics.  A dashboard will be adopted to support this. A copy of the dashboard, together with its LTA equivalent’s, can be found at Appendix A.  Responsibility for maintaining the dashboard will rest with the admin function.  The lead coordinator for each objective will be responsible for submitting quarterly progress updates.

Updates of progress against this strategy will also be provided to the twice-yearly Council meetings, the Annual General Meeting and the LTA.

This strategy will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Read More: Norfolk Tennis Strategic Plan 2023-2026 (PDF)