Dear members

It’s been a good start to the Autumn this month, as summarised below:

Juniors: The Autumn Club & Coach session kicked off and 17 juniors have committed to the 7-week programme. Thanks to Adrian and Kyle for all of their hard work and also to Sam Waton who has supported the team on some Saturdays.

Membership: We had a slow start in September with no great interest in the Rusties coaching so please let us know if you want to book onto a 4 week programme for £20. We have managed to sign up 1 new adult member and 2 additional juniors so positive progress continues.

Sponsorship & Community: A lot of effort has gone into grant applications this month to raise funds for essential improvements to the clubhouse and making the boules court more accessible for the less able. We will continue to search for opportunities to support these types of projects and will keep you updated.

Social: Finals Day was a fantastic afternoon of tennis, food and drink, with 56 of the 60 who bought tickets showing on the day, and all 5 matches being played. A big thank you to everyone who was involved but particularly to Malcolm and Dylan who umpired, and Kyle and Dave who slogged it out on the BBQ. Check out the results online and well done to everyone who played

Boules: We started our internal league yesterday and everyone is welcome. Please contact sharonchatburn@yahoo.co.uk if you want to take part.

Regulatory & Compliance: As some of you may now, from 1st October as part of our annual registration as a British Tennis Registered Venue we will be required to meet five minimum standards https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/safeguarding-protection/venue-minimum-standards/ I would like to take this opportunity to thank Richard Clifton for stepping up as Welfare Officer and give him a huge, warm welcome to our team of volunteers.

Tennis comps: Both the ladies’ and men’s teams have played 4 of their 5 league matches and have done very well with some wins and draws and only 1 loss between them. We will give you the final update at the close of the season. Please note, we will not be entering the Ladies Winter League but if you have interest in future matches please let us know so we can assess the level of interest. 

Wimbledon Ballot:  Per Steve Hainsworth’s recent email, we need you to “opt in” to gain as many tickets for the ballot. Even if you aren’t interested yourself in the tickets, by following a few simple steps you will help generate more tickets for the club. Please help support the club by opting in (reminder on process attached) and we will give you a nudge each month.

Coming up in October: The Hallowe’en Quiz will be taking place on 27th from 7pm so please send in your quiz teams of 6 ASAP. Half-term junior tennis camps are planned for 22nd – 26th but bookings close soon so please remind family and friends and get your interest registered ASAP. Info re-attached here.

Best regards

Katy Wilson
Chairman – Sutton Highfields Lawn Tennis Club