Who are we?
Kemsing Lawn Tennis Club is a grass-roots Community Association Sports Club (CASC), in the heart of Kemsing. Run by volunteers, we provide the local community and surrounding area with a friendly place to play tennis. We support all levels of tennis and have members ranging from 6 to 100 years old. More than half our 130 members represent the club in one of 18 teams entered in league competitions in Kent, North Kent and at national level. This year we have added an over 60s team, whilst growing our ladies and mixed teams to six in total.
For a small village club we punch above our weight, winning 23 league titles and 20 shields (league final victories) in the last 18 months. We offer excellent member benefits at an affordable cost, in addition to organising grass roots tennis at local primary schools by way of furthering the game and giving youngsters the opportunity to play tennis. Junior development is supported through the red and orange ball coaching programme, run in partnership with The Tennis Academy. We offer five different social play sessions each week where members can turn up and hit against players of similar standard.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We have a number of costly infrastructure projects coming up which include replacing the courtside fencing and reinstating the courts themselves. However, the most urgent need is upgrading the floodlights on all four courts. The existing floodlights are over ten years old and the visual experience has deteriorated whilst the costs to run and maintain have grown significantly. We are looking to replace the existing metal halide floodlights with high performance LED lights that provide a better player experience, are better for the environment and are cheaper to maintain with a life cycle of 20+ years.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The cost for this project is £26,000 and the club will be investing £13,000 from the money we hold in reserve. We are looking to raise £13,000 through donations and matched funding to ensure the project happens this year.
Community impact
At Kemsing we believe in supporting grassroots tennis and provide an inclusive, welcoming experience. Over the last four years we have invested in making tennis more accessible to children in the local area. Through collaboraiton with The Tennis Academy (our coaching partner) we fund a day of coaching for Key Stage One and two pupils each week for one term at each of theKemsing, Seal and Anthony Roper (Eynsford) Primary Schools. Investing in improved infrastructure with lower maintenence costs, will support greater access to tennis for a wider audience.
Impact
The installation of new floodlights will support
- Greater use of the courts at night and especially during the Autumn and Winter periods.
- Cost savings from lower energy bills and far less maintenance
- An environmentally friendlier footprint
- Improved player experience and performance
- Improved club infrastructure and a certain amount of future proofing
- Financial good health through cost savings and stronger membership numbers
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. 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!