Apologies for the tardiness of this edition...I'm not quite sure where time is going!! Winter tennis rotas and winter league have started with plenty of energy, and the new coaching term has begun with a full programme for adults and juniors. With the damp weather and the leaves falling, this is a really busy time for our amazing 'maintenance team' volunteers...we're incredibly grateful for the free time they give up brushing, weedkilling and clearing debris from the courts. It's easy to forget the work needed every week to give all of us a great surface to play on...all completed through volunteered time. A big THANK YOU from all of us!
Emma Pattison
Club Chair
Our Club Development planning
Since we conducted our Members’ Survey, the committee have been in discussion building a Development Plan that takes your feedback and uses it to identify the priority areas where the club can be enhanced to the benefit of all our members.
Why do we need a plan?
Essentially, it's a list of activities we'll undertake each year to help sustain and improve the club. A plan makes our priorities (your priorities!) visible and helps us to enlist your help to build the club you want. It enables us to prioritise our resources in each year - whether that's time or money. And demonstrating we have a plan to ensure the club is sustainable is an increasingly important factor in securing external funding should we need this in the future.
The plan will build on the strong foundations that already exist in the club (evolution not revolution!) and we’ll only be able to deliver change where we have volunteers to make it happen. Come along to the AGM in November to hear more - it's an opportunity for all members to get involved!!
our clubhouse
First priority for our development plan this year is a refurb of our clubhouse, particularly focuing on the lounge and kitchen areas and with redecoration throughout. Based on your feedback in the Members' Survey, you'd like a space that is more welcoming and comfortable and so that's what we're aiming for (as well as a general de-clutter!). You may have noticed some furniture has already been moved out, and we've started planning what work is needed and what budget is required.
This is a great project for you to help with so, if you have skills or contacts that you think could be useful to us, then please talk to someone on the committee. Once we have an outline plan of work, watch our for further communications to enlist your help in specific jobs. We're aiming to get a fresh and updated clubhouse by 31 March 2025 in time for the new spring / summer season
drop shots
Our Club AGM will be on Wednesday 20 November at 730pm - please watch out for the invitation by email in the next few days - your attendence is important!
Our Backwell Tennis Club Clothing is available to buy on-line in the BTC Shop and a new range of styles and colours will be made available soon...why not order early for Christmas?
The Avon Tennis LTA Awards have opened and anyone can make a nomination in a range of categories celebrating our club, our coaches or our volunteers...find out more at Avon Tennis Awards