Dear Valued Members,

We would like to provide you with some updates on what is being done by the Directors during these unprecedented times. First of all, we can confirm that the Club is closed and will be for the foreseeable future until the Government restrictions are lifted. We are encouraging all our members to stay home and keep safe and follow all UK Government advice and Instruction.

The challenge the Directors face is ensuring that the club remains financially viable and being in a healthy position to reopen again once this virus as passed and we get back to some sort of normality.

The Facilities and Staff

The facilities are being checked regularly by the Directors, who are taking it in turns to go and check security and cleanliness. The staff are now Furloughed under the UK Governments Job Retention Scheme and therefore not allowed to do any type of work for the club during this period so please do not contact them directly. This was discussed with the staff and thank you to them for their understanding.

Therefore we would ask if you need to contact the club with any questions, then contact the Directors Joe or Chris on the details below and they will ensure any questions will be discussed with the other Directors.

Joseph Grimes

gillandjoe@hotmail.co.uk

07785 238096

Chris Roberts

Chris.roberts1604@gmail.com

07547 505652

The Coaches, Bez and Tony, have very kindly declined to receive any retainer payments during this crisis which helps the club tremendously. They remain fully committed to the Academy and Club and like us all are looking forward to getting everyone moving again on the tennis courts once this is passed. I am sure we will all need it after 3 months in lockdown.

Financial Decisions

The LTA have very kindly provided a 12 month grace period for loan repayments in response to our request and we are negotiating reductions in other monthly payments and other utility savings. In addition, very little electricity is being used at this time, so we expect those bill to be significantly less. The LTA have also informed us that they are working on a support package to help tennis clubs during this time which we will keep you updated about.

An agreement has also been reached with the owners of the gym to allow them to keep ticking over and retain their rental contract with the club.

We will continue to review all aspects of the clubs finances to ensure savings are being made and expenses kept to a minimum. There is also a chance we are eligible for a Government Grant which Jo Mclean (Director) is currently looking into for the club.

Memberships

As expected we have seen some cancellations of membership. This is totally understandable in the current circumstances.  We would encourage those who can retain their membership to do so, because the club needs you in order for the club to get through this predicament. The Directors respect your choices, with many thanks to everyone for their continued and much valued support.

Just one point to note, anyone cancelling their membership will not be eligible for the Wimbledon Ticket Ballot. No decision as yet has been made in regards to Wimbledon going ahead,  but we need to point out for clarity, that you need to be a member of a LTA registered club and opted in to the LTA ballot to enter the clubs ticket distribution event. When clarification from Wimbledon is given we will announce how the club will proceed.

Indoor Lighting and Outside Court Painting

Both of these initiatives have been suspended until further notice.  This is because of the restriction on movements and neither are likely to be completed until June at the earliest. There is a considerable cost to complete these works also with money already allocated, but delaying making these payments will help the club in the short term.

Membership Survey

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Membership Survey and all your comments have been listened to and catalogued. In fact some of the suggestions you have made are already being worked on during this down time and a summary of the survey will be made available soon. We are sure the club will come back stronger from this, once it is over. We are very much looking forward to implementing these new ideas, which will no doubt help make the club be even more successful and enjoyable to be part of in the future.

Defibrillator Raffle Tickets

 We have collected a grand total of  £530  and we have applied for a Rotary Grant of £300 so we can purchase one outright (£870). We wholeheartedly thank everyone who supported this raffle and congratulations to all the winners. Thank you to Joan Barber, Trevor Peyton and Allison Truscott for arranging the donations for the prizes and conducting the draw.

The Future

The Directors are taking full advantage of this isolation period with regular Skype Conference calls to discuss and finalise plans for the future of Widnes Tennis Academy and Lane Tennis Club. The heart of the club will remain our focus and as such, there will be changes going forward. We have carefully and respectfully listened to your comments about getting the club busier and creating an enjoyable and positive vibe.

This was starting to happen with the Tennis Social Nights being very well attended and successful. We had just started with the Team Challenge Events which again were very well attended and the children really loved them, so we are really looking forward to continue with these.

A new social committee has just been established, to create and develop new social events at the club and we are encouraging them to prepare a plan for when we reopen. They will do this observing the Government Guidance on social distancing through Skype, WhatsApp and whatever other social media they can use.

We are confident that with your terrific support, we will come back stronger as a club and we can assure you that the Directors are doing everything they can to ensure the club survives and grows. We need your help and understanding so if there is anything you would like to suggest or can help out with future planning the do not hesitate to call Joe or Chris or indeed any of the other Directors Alison, Jo and Adam.

Best regards and keep safe.