On Sunday evening the Government announced a reduction on the lockdown measures for exercise from Wednesday 13th May, subsequently the LTA published the following:

England - Return to Restricted Play

Following further clarifications we have received from Government, tennis activity in England will be able to take place outdoors from Wednesday with singles play only, other than where players are all from the same household in which case they can play doubles.

This is great news for all our members and we are all very keen to get back on the courts from tomorrow Wednesday 13th May.

To ensure that we comply with government guidelines on ‘Keeping Safe’, members will be able to play from tomorrow  as long as all government rules and guidance as may from time to time be in force are rigorously observed by all members when accessing the courts. 

Until further notice the following rules will apply:

1. Singles play only unless you are four from the same household
2. All 3 courts can be used at the same time, keep your distance from players on other courts, including not sitting on the benches at the court side
3. Use your own tennis balls at all times and take them with you when you leave the courts. Mark your balls and do not pick up balls in use on another court
4. Leave the nets up so as not to have to touch the net handle or measure stick
5. The club does not have cleaning personnel and nor can it provide members with cleaning products and equipment. Therefore, it is the responsibility of members when using the courts to use sanitiser and/or wipes to clean all common touch point surfaces including but not limited to the padlocks on the court gates
6. No high fives or handshakes on court with individuals outside your household, keep your social distance
7. The club house will not be open and you must leave directly after your game
8. For the time being there will be no booking process for the courts to avoid members having to handle the notice boards and booking sheets. We would ask members to be considerate to others and to limit play to 30 minutes if others are waiting

We will be directed by the LTA on all of the above over the coming weeks and will let you know of any changes to the rules as soon as we know.

Membership Fees

The discounted membership fee will hold until 31st May, which is an extension of 2 months on this year’s fees; therefore there will be no reduction in the overall membership fees for this year. If the situation changes in the coming weeks where restrictions on playing are reinstated or another total lockdown occurs, the committee will review the fees for this year.  The code to the padlocks at the gates to the courts remains the same, however on the 1st June 2020, the code will be changed and only paid members will have access to the code from thereon.

We are excited to be able to say that it is safe to play tennis again at Medbourne. We have all been waiting for this moment, yet our attention to secure detail is paramount or we shall lose the privilege again. We are asking you, as a community, to abide by our safety measures, which reflect the LTA and government standards,

Mandy Gillam

Chair