Apologies for the radio silence, it’s been a while since our last newsletter.   We’ve still got some time to go before Spring gets here and play will commence on the outdoor courts again (dare I say it, with the sun shining) but hopefully you've all been making use of court 4 this winter, where would we be without it! 

Club Updates

Spring Cleaning:

We're planning a spring clean to get the courts and clubhouse looking their best for the season. We'd love to have your help! Even an hour or two would make a big difference. We'll provide the tea, coffee, and biscuits! Keep an eye out for dates, please join us if you can.  Many hands make light work!

Club Welfare Officer & Safeguarding:

The safety & wellbeing of all members and visitors to the club is paramount.  We have recently updated our policy documents, all of which are available to read in the main clubhouse in a folder marked “Safeguarding Policy,” you can also view these documents on the club website.

• Fiona Clarke is the club’s new dedicated welfare officer, Fiona is here to support everyone with any concerns or issues they may have regarding the wellbeing of everyone at the club. Feel free to reach out to Fiona anytime if you need assistance.
• E: f_clarke24@hotmail.com T: 07757 495 374

Box League:

The Autumn/Winter box league has had lots of entries this year. Stage 3 of the league goes live from 18th February so only a few days left to play the remainder of your stage 2 matches! If you’d like to enter Stage 3 - contact Eve.

Demo Day/Pop Up Shop:  Sunday 16th March (Time TBC)

We’ve invited Bassline Retail back again this year, in addition to Dunlop they will also be bringing brands such as  K-Swiss, tecnifibre, Volkl, nordicdots & Solonco rackets along with a range of k-Swiss and adidas shoes. 

Tennis League Update:

We will be entering 3 Ladies, 2 Men’s & 2 Mixed Teams into the leagues this year.  Information will follow, including dates for practice nights etc and request for entries.   For anyone new to the club, if you’re interested in playing competitively and would like to represent RATC, don’t be shy, make sure you put your name down.  

New Club Clothing:

We are excited to announce some new team colours and kit, available to purchase online  HERE  At the moment only the Sapphire Blue option is available which is the RATC Team Colour, new colours will be available very soon.  

Coaching Schedule:

Our coaching program is thriving! Stephen offers sessions for all ages and abilities. 

Currently we run 11 mini & juniors classes in the week with a new nursery class on Monday, in addition to the junior classes we are running 6 adult classes that range from improver standard to team standard. 

The next coaching block will run from the end of February to the Easter holidays, once bookings are live you will be able to find details of days and times HERE. 

The Easter holidays are not too far away, the plan will be to run a one week junior tennis camp in the 2nd week, 14th-17th April. 

American Tournament:

Exciting news - once spring is here and the weather improves we will be back to holding our regular American Tournament, not once but TWICE a month.  We will continue to host a BBQ on the last Sunday of the month and every other 2 weeks we will have a tournament.  These are a great way to meet other members and enjoy some social tennis.  

Fundraising:

We're always looking for ways to improve the club, and fundraising plays a vital role. We'll be announcing some upcoming fundraising events soon, so stay tuned! In the meantime, if you have any fundraising ideas, please let us know.

Meet the Committee:

Your committee members are working hard to keep the club running smoothly. Here's a quick introduction:

• Fiona Clarke - Chair & Welfare Officer
• Lyndajean Fishpool - Vice Chair
• Yvonne Birnie - Treasurer
• Jenny Sime - Secretary
• David Hannah
• Eve Wilkinson
• Margaret Thomspon 
• Anne-Marie Phimister
• Jo Evans

Feel free to approach any of us with any questions or suggestions.

Visitors to the Club:

We encourage you to bring visitors to the club, a reminder that a visitor who lives locally can play up to a maximum of 4 times in a year and you MUST enter their details when booking the court  as there is a small visitor fee to be paid.  If your visitor likes to play regularly, perhaps they should consider becoming a member.

Club House & Outdoor Toilet Access:

Keys are available and can be purchased if you would like to have access to the clubhouse.  Please contact Yvonne if you would like a key.  Keys cost £15 each.

Don’t have a key or you’ve forgotten it - the code to access the outdoor toilet is: C1920Z

And finally, a reminder that membership for the new season starts 1st March, notifications for renewal will be sent on that date.

We look forward to seeing you on the courts soon!

Best regards,

The Rothiemurchus Tennis Club Committee