Introduction - updated 22nd January 2024

All of our Park Tennis venues are LTA Registered & we offer both coaching packages and general hire passes opetions. The packages and passes allow us to continue to meet our and the LTA's safeguarding standards, while ensuring there is fair access to the Park Tennis courts.

The opportunity:

Elmbridge Borough Council is inviting applications from Level 3 or above tennis coaches to run their tennis coaching business on any of the following Park Tennis sites:

• Molesey Hurst recreation ground (3 court site with free car parking)

Expectations:

• To apply and deliver tennis coaching across sites that you can manage.
• To develop and deliver an effective, inspiring and sustainable community tennis programme for people of all ages and abilities.
• To provide attractive opportunities for casual and recreational players who perceive joining a club to be too formal for their needs to access tennis.
• To provide termly programme statistics to the Council (Spring, Summer, Autumn)
• To provide provision for players with disabilities and/or impairments
• To support any Council and LTA initiatives where appropriate.

Programme minimum requirements:

• To run a weekend programme during during term for youth and adult players
• To run holiday groups during the Easter holidays and Summer Holidays
• To run a 1 hour free community session during term time

Packages:

Coaching 10+1 Package:

• 1 plus 2-year contract = £875 per year, per site
• 10 court hours maximum per week
• The coach must provide 1 free hour tennis coaching session per week during school term for a supervised community activity (this will give coaches 11 hours per week for the length of the agreement)

• Option to upgrade contract hours at any time but cannot degrade
• 10 hours split: 70% groups & 30% individuals/privates
• Signed agreement/contract

• Includes the programme min requirements 

18+1 Package Upgrade:

• Tennis court hire fee is £1000 per year, per site
• A maximum of 18 court hours per week
• The coach must provide 1 free hour of tennis coaching session per week during school term time for a supervised community activity (this will give coaches 19 hours per week for the length of the agreement)

• Option to upgrade contract hours at any time but cannot degrade
• Coaches pay the difference owed for the year they upgrade, then pay £1000 for the remaining years on their contract

• 18 hours split: 70% groups & 30% individuals/privates
• Signed agreement/contract with the Council

• Includes the programme min requirements

24+1 Package Upgrade (new package for 2024)

• Tennis court hire fee is £1250 per year, per site
• A maximum of 24 court hours per week
• The coach must provide 1 free hour of tennis coaching session per week during school term time for a supervised community activity (this will give coaches 25 hours per week for the length of the agreement)

• Option to upgrade contract hours at any time but cannot degrade
• Coaches pay the difference owed for the year they upgrade, then pay £1250 for the remaining years on their contract

• 24 hours split: 70% groups & 30% individuals/privates
• Signed agreement/contract with the Council

• Includes the programme min requirements

30+1 Package Upgrade:

• Tennis court hire fee is £1500 per year, per site
• Maximum of 30 court hours per week
• The coach must provide 1 free hour coaching session per week during school term time for a supervised community activity (this will give coaches 31 hours per week for the length of the agreement)

• Option to upgrade contract hours at any time but cannot degrade
• Coaches pay the difference owed for the year they upgrade, then pay £1500 for the remaining years on their contract
• 30 hours split: 70% groups & 30% individuals/privates
• Signed agreement/contract with the Council

• Includes the programme min requirements

Case study: Provider started on a two court site in April 2021 with a 10+1 coaching package, they have expanded over two sites and increased to an 18+1 package and now in 2024 a 24+1 package as their prorgamme grew.

The community session:

Succesful coaching providers must provide a 1 hour free community session per week during term time throughout the agreement.

It is an opporuntity for people to get involved who might not be able to afford coaching or might be nervous about spending money to take part. It is also an opporutnity for you to meet new players and sell your programme offering, so they can upskill their tennis. Examples inculde:

• Walking Tennis 
• Disiability Tennis session
• Cardio Tennis (always popular)
• Supervised play session / tennis social
• Any other suitable ideas you can think of, which a coach can supervise/lead

Case study: a free Wednesday lunchtime Cardio Tennis session, lead to the start of a Tennis Xpress and follow course on Friday lunchtimes with all groups full and a waiting list. These groups ran year round during term time, with only very poor weather preventing play., further groups could have been run if scheduling allowed.

Tennis court usage:

The successful coaching provider will be entitled to the maximum number of court hours per week as outlined in their agreement with the Council. Coaches must leave one court free for public use at all times, unless prior written permission has been obtained from the Council. Subletting of court time will not be permitted.

Additional benefits:

• Advanced court bookings with repeat bookings made by the Council Sports and Health team.
• Endorsement from the Council’s Sports and Health team that the supplier is the Council’s preferred and only tennis coaching provider at that specific site.
• Promotional support as necessary and agreed from the Council to support the providers own marketing and promotion.
• Meetings with the Council’s Sports and Health team and the LTA

Supplementary Information:

The Council is flexible with regards to whether the successful coaching provider is a sole person or group of coaches. In all cases the Head Coach will be expected to hold a minimum LTA Level 3 qualification and all members of the coaching team to be LTA Accredited.

The initial contract is for one year and is subject to  review after the first year to extend by a further one-two years as agreed between the Parties.

The coaching provider will not be expected to deliver any court maintenance as this is delivered by the Council’s grounds maintenance contractors. However, we do expect providers assistance in keeping the courts clean and tidy (leaving no rubbish, reporting any damage, etc).

It is important to note that our Park Tennis courts are in recreation ground and playabilitiy is subject to the weather condiitons and their surroundings (for example nearby trees). All of the Park Tennis courts in Elmbridge are non-floodlit.

PlayBall are a third-party provider at Oatlands (Wednesdays am & pm) and Coronation recreation ground (Thursday mornings). Coaching providers are required to avoid lessons at the same time as PlayBall to leave a court free for the public. Timings can be provided on request.

Claygate Netball are a thrid-party provider at the Esher Civic Centre (Sunday afternoons). Coaching providers are required to avoid lessons at the same time as Netball to leave a court free for the public. Timings can be provided on request.

The successful provider/s:

• Will be led by an LTA Level 3 or above accredited tennis coach
• Will have all members of the coaching team LTA Accredited
• Will keep an open line of communication with the Council
• Will be enthusiastic, inclusive, dedicated, positive, open minded, flexible and organised.
• Will have experience in providing community-focused tennis activities and understand how to address barriers to participation.

Applications:

Applicants are advised to read our full terms and conditions on our website before applying: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/TennisInElmbridge/Coaching/HireTCs

Applications must include:

• An indication of  which venue you are applying for.
• An indication of the pass you are applying for and the pass dates.

• Full details outlining the coaching programme, including court hours.
• Proposed coaching timetable, showing 70% of groups & the free weekly community activity
• Full details of the proposed free weekly 1 hr activity, which will then be agreed with the Council
• Coaches names to be included on the timetable for each session

• Details on how players find and book onto groups/sessions.
• Sample or screenshot of the booking form, depending on how players book.

• Venue risk assessment plan
• In-date insurance documents & completed Insurance Schedule, click here to download
• In-date coaching accreditation/license certificates for all members of the coaching team

• Community engagement/marketing proposal
• Ongoing communication with the Council outline

• Curriculum Vitae
• 2 References (one personal and one official)
• Completed Legal Declaration, click here to download

• A statement on why the Council should work with you?
• What future coaching opportunities have you identified to explore? (coaching package).

Important to note: The Council may ask for additional documents or statements to support or clarify your application.

Applications are to be submitted by email to parkstennis@elmbridge.gov.uk (any queries may also be sent to this email address).

18th March 2022 Update - applications for sites will be reviewed on a first come first served basis.

• It is at the Council’s discretion to grant the coaching packages based on quality of the application, meeting the requirements listed on this page and any pervious history with coaching passes.