NEWSLETTER

 Spring  2024

 What’s happening for STC in 2024? 


 

A big big thank you to members and AGM:

Whether you’re a club night regular, a beginner at Coach Angelica’s training sessions, or you like a relaxed knock-about with friends and family, Stapleford Tennis Club (STC) is made by you and for you.  Your passion for tennis is what it’s all about!  We look forward to welcoming all of our members to this year’s annual general meeting (AGM), which will be at 19.00, on Tuesday 26 March at The Three Horseshoes pub, 2 Church Street, Stapleford, CB22 5DS.  There is parking behind the pub building.

Read on to find out what’s going to be happening across the club this year, and, importantly, how you can get involved to help  ‘get more people playing tennis more often’.

Safeguarding update from our STC Welfare  Officer

“My name is Carrie Shenton and I am the Welfare Officer for the club. I come to Angelica’s coaching sessions on a Thursday evening which I love, and occasionally join the Friday Ladies, and hope that as time allows I get the opportunity to play more and meet more of you. I love the friendliness of the club and how everyone is so encouraging of each other”. 


 

The role of Welfare Officer is in promoting Safeguarding within the venue and working with others to ensure a safe and inclusive environment. I am the point of contact for children or adults if there is a concern about welfare, discrimination, poor practice or abuse. If concerns arise I will involve the LTA Safeguarding team.

The LTA requires that Safeguarding standards are met and support us in doing this. This year the LTA  requires us to circulate a Safeguarding survey to all members, and this will be sent out to you. I would be very grateful if you could fill it in. 

You can contact me on 07890 264773 or email me on welfare-officer@staplefordtennisclub.org.uk; my contact details and our Safeguarding standards are also on our STC website and on the Stapleford Parish Council noticeboard that’s just outside the tennis court/MUGA fence.

Please do contact Carrie if you have any welfare or safeguarding concerns at all, if you want to talk something through, or if you have advice as to how STC may better communicate with you regarding safeguarding issues.


 

Your club & your AGM!

STC has a management committee that is elected each year at our AGM. The management committee is responsible for running the club. The committee meets approximately every 4 to 6 weeks. However, for a few years now we have not had a full quota of committee members and at this year’s AGM, which will be at 19.00 on Tuesday 26 March at The Three Horseshoes pub, Stapleford, we need volunteers to fill the following positions:

Treasurer: this year, our wonderful Treasurer, Miranda Fyfe, is stepping down after many years at the Club.  The role of a Treasurer is to be ​​responsible for the management of finances for the club and we cannot function without one! The key things our Treasurer does are to: 

  • Draft an annual budget and monitor spend/income against this;
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records;
  • Provide a financial update at each committee meeting;
  • Act as named signatory alongside others on the club’s bank account;
  • Collecting membership fees and money due to the club; 
  • Pay bills and issue receipts; and
  • Prepare end-of-year accounts to present at the AGM.

Membership secretary: the role of the membership secretary is to co-ordinate the membership renewal process and deal with all incoming membership enquiries.  Miranda has kindly fulfilled this role too for the past few years, and so, you’ve guessed it, we need a new membership secretary to take us into 2024 and beyond!

Other roles: For the past few years we have functioned without a Chairperson, but if you would be interested in taking on that role please let us know! The Chairperson typically has overall management and direction of the venue, but in the past we have had co-chairs who have, between them, successfully taken overall responsibility for the day-to-day management and success of the club, and been its ambassador and spokesperson.

If you would be able to take on one of these, or any other committee role, please do volunteer at the upcoming AGM.  Our club cannot function without a Treasurer! So, if you enjoy playing tennis at STC, please consider stepping into the role.  You will find yourself supported by a welcoming and warm committee, and Miranda will be happy to share her handover notes with you.  Further information about club roles can be found in the LTA resources library, (/www.lta.org.uk/roles-and-venues/venues/resource-library).

 

Coaching update from Angelica Fachechi

Wow …. 2023 was an impressive year of tennis! Many techniques were mastered, lots of skills were improved & more adults & Juniors started playing the game we all love. 

LTA Youth Girls Programme:

At the beginning of the year I was selected to be one of the coaches for the Prime Video, LTA Youth Girls initiative. The initiative was to get more girls into tennis and make the game fun, social and engaging.  The programme at STC was a great success, and inspired the next generation of girls to start their journey playing and loving the sport.  We now have more than 12 new girls at our club playing tennis in our weekly programme!


Events at STC in 2023:

Multiple events took place during 2023  for all ages and abilities.  These included: a Yellow and Green Ball Team Challenge event; Play Your Way to Wimbledon (Men’s, Ladies’ and Girl’s Doubles), a Parent and Child Doubles competition; a Mixed Timed Tennis Doubles event,  and some friendly matches where Stapleford Adults were victorious against both Cambridge Tennis Academy & Hauxton Tennis Club!  

Read on below to find out what events we have in store for 2024! 





2024 Upcoming Events:

Upcoming Events

Juniors 

Adults

Info

Easter Juniors 

(Matchplay/team Challenge) 

24th Feb (Orange ball, age 8-9) 2pm-4pm             

25th Feb (Yellow ball, age 10+) 10am-12pm

NA

Fun matches/games against other players of the same age & ability

Adults Mixed Doubles 

(Timed Tennis Event)

NA

25th Feb 2pm-4pm

Mixed doubles matches with a time limit!

Play Your Way To Wimbledon (Venue stage) 

Boys Singles (Age 11-14) 

14th April - 10am start

Girls Singles (Age 11-14)

13th April - 2pm start

Mens and Women’s Doubles (19+) 

14th April 

2pm start

www.lta.org.uk/compete/play-your-way-to-wimbledon/

 

* County finals around 13th and 14th July 2024

Parent & Child Tournament 

Date & time TBC 

Date & time TBC 

Fun, round robin doubles matches with your child 

French Open Events

Date & time TBC 

Date & time TBC 

  

STC Club Championships 

Club Juniors 12+

June & July - Finals Day TBC

Players will arrange own matches in their own time 

Monster Smash Team Challenge 

Date & time TBC 

Date & time TBC 

  

Stapleford Village Weekend

STC open day

Saturday 29 June, time TBC

Saturday 29 June, time TBC

An ‘open courts’ session of fun games to introduce newcomers to the club

 

** Please keep your eyes peeled on our social media for event times / updates and news!  

 

INSTAGRAM -  af_tenniscoaching_                                            FACEBOOK - AF Tennis Coaching 

  

 

Term Time Programme:

 

Our next block of lessons will begin the week commencing 26th February 2024. 

 

Monday

3:45pm - 4:30pm - LTA Youth Girls Only (Age 5-7) STC

4:30pm - 5:30pm -  LTA Youth Girls Only (Age 8-11) STC

5:30pm - 6:30pm - Green & Yellow development (Age 10+) STC

6:30pm - 7:30pm - Adult Beginners - STC 

7:30pm - 9:30pm - Stapleford Tennis Club Night (coach present)

Thursday

7:00pm - 8:00pm - Adult Improvers - STC

8:00pm - 9:00pm - Adult Intermediate / Team tennis - STC

Friday

11:00am - 12:00pm - Stapleford Ladies Social Tennis

6:00pm - 7:00pm - Adult Beginner / Improvers - STC

Saturday

10:00am - 10:00am -  Mini Orange & Green (Age 8-10) STC 

12:00pm - 1:00pm - Yellow Development (Age 12+) STC

Book here: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/AngelicaFachechiCoaching

Free Trial session available!