Newsletter January 2025

Forthcoming events 

Dates for the diary:

Squash Club Championships - Finals day 29th March

Wine Tasting  30th May. Tickets over the bar.  Further details to follow.

Oystermouth and Mayals schools will be visiting for  taster squash sessions.21st Feb 

Defibrillation awareness. 

Thanks to Craig Jones who organised the recent defibrillation training sessions. Both sessions were full and all members who attended found it an extremely worthwhile event.

Craig has provided a full detailed report and further guidance below.

Court Bookings:

We have been made aware that there are a few members having problems using the "Booker" app to book courts, or are being charged to do so. This can be a simple fix, but you need to let Jenny know, so that she can investigate or make the correction. 

Email: members@swanseatennisandsquashclub.co.uk  Thanks  Jenny Burrows"

Congratulations to Ellinore and Jenny who have been selected to represent Wales in the Tennis Home Nations 

Tennis repair update - all quotes are in and we are currently awaiting an insurance decision.

Tennis 789 update - The grant application has been submitted after a lot of work by Ellinore and Jeff Gleave.

Tennis Ladies 

Ladies 3rd going from strength to strength under the guidance of Lizzie. Vets 2nds & Open 2nds are both in the top halves of their leagues. Wednesday night practice is really popular.

Welsh Squash Masters  2025- 

The club received very positive feedback from Squash Wales for hosting the event,  and we hope to be able to become the venue for more national events  2025 onwards.  Full Report below

Many club players entered the event, and it was great to see a range of members  supporting throughout the weekend helping show the club in its best light. Thanks to everyone who made the event such a success.  

Our best wishes go to Dan Anderson who was within fingertip range of retaining the 035 title in a nail biting final. Unfortunately at 8 all in the 5th game,  he suffered a major achilles injury. Our thoughts are with him for a speedy recovery. 

Dan, Gemma Davies and Wendy were all runners up in their respective age groups. and have automatic selection for the Home Internationals. 

Wackers Annual ChristmasSquash tournament.

The Wackers, still going strong after 20 years, celebrated their anniversary with another well attended annual Christmas squash tournament in December. The format was that every player played each other and with a handicap system, some close ding dong battles ensued. Rob Hopping won the main final just pipping John Lukes with Mark Sandles winning a well fought game in the plate final against Steve Noot. After a few beers at the club, the evening soiree continued at the Dark Horse, Mumbles. As a reminder The Wackers play every Monday and Wednesday at 4pm and 4.45pm and new members are always welcome. Steve Noot

Racketball ladder will start after the squash championships 

Some great tennis was played in our own United Cup. Well played everyone!

Thank you to 

Martin Sheppard for his ongoing support to new members and stewards at Tuesday social tennis. 

Judy Price for offering to oversee lost property returns, removal and recycling.

Jeff Gleave for assisting with the grant application for 789.  

Craig Jones for the training session.

Steff Nemeth & helpers for providing the welcome food all weekend for the Masters tournament.

Defib Awareness Training report

It has been a pleasure putting on two evenings at the club where I have been giving members teaching /awareness sessions on what to do in the event of finding a person in Cardiac Arrest. We applied the scenarios to both the Tennis & Squash Club and elsewhere also. It was great to see the enthusiasm on members' faces when listening to what a Defibrillator tells you when you open it up and how it gives you clear, concise instructions on what to do. It was good to see 30 club members have a practice and realise how tiring it is to do just one to two minutes of chest compressions on my two "Resus Annies" that I brought to the club (along with a training defibrillator).

The number of questions that I was asked was astounding and only highlighted both groups' inquisitiveness and need for more answers. Of the questions asked one was (in both sessions)- What is the difference between a Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack?

• Heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest are two different conditions. 
• A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. 
• Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. 
• A heart attack is a circulation problem, and the person stays conscious. 
• Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem, and the person will be unconscious. 
• A heart attack if not treated can lead to a cardiac arrest. 
• It is only during a cardiac arrest that you would perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and need access to a defibrillator.

The equipment that I use for these sessions are available to me once or twice a year and so long as there is interest, I will continue where possible to put these awareness sessions on at the club..  Craig Jones 

Squash masters Report in Full 

Dear Swansea Tennis and Squash Club,

 I wanted to extend my sincere thanks to Swansea Tennis and Squash Club for allowing us to host the Karakal Welsh Masters Open 2025 at your venue. The event was a great success, and the feedback we’ve received about both the club and the tournament has been excellent.

 There were many positives to highlight— the club remained clean and tidy throughout the event, the bar was well-stocked, and the bar staff were readily available at all times. The food was very well received, with everyone pleased, and I personally enjoyed the meals too—they really kept me going!

 We did encounter one issue with a player who had an allergy to paint, but I believe this was an isolated and rare incident, and certainly not a reflection on the club.

 My only concern running the event was the internet connectivity. Both of our squash systems rely on a stable connection, and I experienced significant difficulties, particularly on Saturday and Sunday. One of our colleagues suggested implementing a password-protected network for busy events, accessible only to admin staff. I thought this was a great cost-effective idea, and other potential solutions could include a signal booster or an upgraded internet plan.

 Overall, I was very pleased with the event and the invaluable support provided by the club, particularly from David, Wendy and Justin. A special thanks to Wendy for presenting the trophies on Sunday—it was greatly appreciated.

 Once again, thank you for your hospitality and support. I look forward to working with you again in the future.