Community Project Tennis Court & Floodlight Refurb

• Who are we?

Introduction:

Think of us as more than a tennis club – picture a thriving hub buzzing with over 200 PARTICIPANTS, a place that's open to all. Our fuel? The sheer drive of VOLUNTEERS and under direction of an appointed CLUB MANAGER. Our ranks boast vibrant individuals, from the high-spirited 90+ YEAR OLDS to brave souls battling mental health challenges and those hitting financial roadblocks to participation. Inclusion isn't just a word to us; it's our core. With a heritage spanning 144 YEARS, pride swells in our commitment to community service. Our doors are always open, welcoming every age, background, and ability, to not just play tennis but to bask in its myriad of benefits and the camaraderie it fosters.

Our Mission:

Our club is all about bringing people together. We're working hard to make tennis even opened up, more inclusive and diverse. Upgrading our facilities not only enhances our club but also invites more members and non-members from the local community.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We urgently need to resurface our existing and only floodlit outdoor tennis courts to provide a better, more durable and safer playing surface for our members and local community. Club members and the wider community would also greatly benefit from an upgrade to our existing floodlights, which are currently unsuitable for tennis, to more sustainable and economic LED floodlights.

New floodlights would allow us to play consistently in the evening, particularly throughout the winter months, creating more opportunities for individuals to participate. We have received a quote for between £12,000 -£14,000 to upgrade the current floodlighting system, as long as the masts are still structurally stable, subject to a proper site inspection. 

Why Resurfacing Matters:

Post covid the club through grit, determination and support of it’s members manged to resurface it’s hard courts, completely self-funded.  Two years on we now find that our only floodlit courts have deteriorated dramatically, driven by their ageing and the increasing wet weather, where we now recognise that environmentally, the courts also require permanent improvements to the drainage systems. Your support will play a crucial role in maintaining the affordability of tennis at our club, ensuring that the benefits of this sport are accessible to all. We are excited about the positive impact this project will have on our community and appreciate your consideration.

Set in the heart of Bath, as an outdoor venue we are described as the ‘lungs of the city’. Our club plays a pivotal role in providing tennis opportunities to our local community, with great walking and cycling accessibility to the club. The absence of overlapping catchment areas emphasizes the importance of our continued operation.

To maximize our community impact, we aim to expand our membership base, as well as providing more non-member tennis, fitness and wellness opportunities.

Increasing our membership not only aligns with LTA recommendations but also has a positive ripple effect. The rise in members will lead to a corresponding increase in club revenue. This, in turn, will facilitate easier maintenance and improvement of our club facilities. 

The urgency of our situation lies in the need to sustain our unique position in the community. Your support will directly contribute to our efforts in expanding our membership, ensuring the long-term SUSTAINABILITY and enhancement of our club facilities.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Our Funding Challenge:

The two floodlit outdoor courts urgently require resurfacing and floodlights replacing as they were last addressed 17 & 28 years ago respectively. Without prompt action, we risk being unable to offer any participation on these courts during wet periods, or at any point during the darker evenings

The resurfacing project is critical to maintain the viability of our courts and to ensure continued participation in league matches. The total cost of the project is £68,000 representing the most cost-effective quotes we have received.

Currently, the club holds funds amounting to £30,000. To bridge the funding gap, we are seeking support from you to cover some of the remaining £38,000. We aim to raise £25,000, which will activate a pledge from Sport England of £10,000 any other donations and funding we can secure will make up the difference to complete the project.

Given the urgency of the situation, we aim to commence the resurfacing as soon as we secure the necessary funds and most certainly before the Autumn sets in.

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Community impact

Tennis is for everyone at our club! For 2024 and beyond want to be even more ‘Opened Up’. We set our core values to highlight the vision for greater inclusivity and diversity opportunities, through community passion and teamwork.  Year on year we try to develop and promote new opportunities to broaden the entry points, whether it be led by a need for social inclusion, encouraging a more active lifestyles or simply for the love of being on or around a tennis court; simply enjoying the outdoors and the sounds of tennis and the joy it can bring.

For example this spring, we will be driving our community outreach program aimed at primary and secondary schools, inviting the local schools to a schools’ day event. Through this initiative, we will introduce tennis to students, encouraging them to join coaching sessions at our club. Additionally, we will extend invitations to their parents to participate in fitness sessions at our facilities through cardio tennis. WALKING TENNIS will be added to the coaching timetable in May, enabling those returning from injury or simply unable to move at the pace required to compete with others more agile. We see this as a real opportunity to enable those who may also be experiencing loneliness or isolation since coming out of the covid era. For our 2024-25 membership year we will be offering a family membership to those families who find themselves on a subsidised school meals program. We will assist them in accessing local funding to support their broadened opportunities to engage in active tennis opportunities.  

Supporting Underrepresented Groups:

Additionally, this year we are looking into providing regular, high-quality tennis lessons that cater to individuals with diverse abilities and needs, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their learning disability, physical disability, or mental health condition, can participate and thrive and creating a supportive environment where everyone feels welcome and valued.

In addition to social and competitive tennis, we provide a supportive community where participants can connect with others, BUILD FRIENDSHIPS, and experience a sense of belonging. This effort is spearheaded by our Community Tennis Ambassador, who on a voluntary basis, promotes our inclusive approach which extends beyond the tennis court, fostering a supportive network that promotes social inclusion and well-being.

Committed to breaking down barriers to tennis participation by offering free courses for beginners as well as affordable membership options. For between £1 & £10 per week, our members can gain access to both social and competitive tennis opportunities, fitness and wellbeing activities, making our club a cost-effective alternative to other facilities in Bath

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge to buy a reward. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Some of our rewards…