As this newsletter reaches you I will be coming to the end of my term as Chairman of the tennis club, a role that I have held for nearly three years. It has been a pleasure putting something back into the Club that I joined back in 1990. How Thongsbridge has changed in that time!

At that time we still used the old pavilion and only the front courts existed, four shale and one tarmac. Now we are one of the larger tennis and fitness clubs in the region and our membership is increasingly large and diverse. If you have joined recently you may not know that Thongsbridge is run by a ‘not for profit company” Thongsbridge Tennis Club
Ltd. This business is owned by the members and managed for us by a team of volunteer directors along with our team of employed staff. Members’ interests are represented by the Club Committee, again volunteers, who are elected each March at the AGM.

Everything that the Directors, Committee and staff do is targeted at improving the Club and any surpluses are reinvested to maintain and improve our excellent facilities.

Our priorities in 2014-15 : Assure the Club’s financial viability; Engage members in the running of the club; Continue to improve our customer service; Raise standards of tennis
and fitness and plan for the long term development of our site.

Yet more volunteers give up their time to support the Club’s juniors.

It is really important that parents of our younger members support the coaches with activities such as fund raising for the junior teams, helping organise tournaments and supervising junior night each Friday. We have a junior committee to coordinate that activity.

Now that we are large Club it becomes easy to forget that everything that we have, has been built through the efforts of members. We are determined not to lose the spirit and benefits of being a members Club – run by the members for the members.

That will only happen as long as people both join in with our social events, competitions, teams and programmes and offer help to run those things. Our staff undertake much of the organisation and delivery of our day to day provision but we know that members who are prepared to help, in whatever way, really bring the Club to life.

In June, the role of Chairperson will pass to Bron Sanders. Bron is also a long standing member of the Club and has been a director since 2010. I wish Bron every success in her new role and ask that you support the Club in moving forward during her tenure. Your contribution, however small, will always be welcomed.

Finally, I would like to invite adult members and their friends to join us at Bretton for the 2014 Party in the Park Friday 11th July. Last year over 100 people enjoyed a fabulous night out with food, a wonderful live band and dancing until late.

Best wishes to all and good luck for the new season.

Blog written by Bernard