PLAYSMART at Rhosneigr Sports Club (RSC)

Aim: We're fundraising to make community sport at RSC (especially padel tennis) more accessible, more affordable and more secure - for everyone

Introduction to Rhosneigr Sports Club (RSC)

RSC is a not-for-profit, Social Enterprise Company. It was established in 2021 when a small team of volunteer directors saved the site from certain closure. It is run "by the community, for the community".

RSC is registered with the LTA and has a thriving membership base. Sports include Tennis, Walking Tennis, Football, Walking football and Basketball on a newly built Multi-Use-Games-Area (MUGA). 

Bowls and Croquet are also played on an adjacent bowling green, and all areas are enjoyed by local children in the summer months when we organise a series of low-cost, multi-sports activity camps. 

Everyone is welcome to play at RSC. Non-members can book on a 'Pay & Play' basis and also join social sessions. Coaching is in the pipeline. 

An exciting and major new development at RSC is the construction of a Padel Tennis court - the first one on Angesey! Work has just begun (June 16th) and it should be finished by late summer/early autumn. Padel tennis is a relatively new sport. It's easy to learn, fun for all ages and abilities, and it's really taking off. According to the LTA, it's "the fastest growing sport in the world". Click here to read more about the sport from the LTA, and learn why it's so popular.

Our location: Rhosneigr is a thriving, seaside village on the beautiful west coast of Anglesey in N. Wales. It is a popular holiday destination with a reputation for sporting activities. It attracts thousands of fun-seeking visitors each year. RSC's padel tennis court will be a significant new attraction for local residents and visitors alike.

Rhosneigr Sports Club is crowdfunding to ...

• Enable more people to play more sport
• Help new padel players have-a-go by providing equipment options 
• Improve court access and overall player experience
• Operate court bookings more efficiently
• Eliminate court abuse and increase site security 
• Generate additional income 
• Save volunteer time 

Please note: This crowdfunder is not about building the new padel court. The directors have already secured the money for that, thanks to £65k match funding from the Welsh Government and a £35k contribution from within. The build costs are high because of our harsh coastal environment. It's taken the volunteer team three years of hard work to get this far, but the build costs (groundworks, drainage and construction of the new court, including the 'first-fix' type electrical work) are all in-hand.

This crowdfunder is about making both the new padel court and the existing MUGA into 'smart courts'. That's why it's called the PLAYSMART project.

As a community club, we want to make sport accessible, affordable and fun for everyone. To do that, we need to make it easy to book and get on court. We also need to keep our unmanned facilities secure, deter freeloaders, conserve resources and avoid wasted volunteer time. Technology can help us achieve these goals.

In the summer months our MUGA is often booked out for 10+ hours a day. Up until now, the directors have managed all the access to it using traditional, coded, brass padlocks. However, these have proven to be labour intensive and open to abuse.

So, with padel tennis already being so popular and dozens of new players keen to learn and play for fitness, friendship and fun, the directors anticipate that the new padel court will be even busier than the MUGA. And this is not just wishful thinking - they've been inundated with enquiries about it. Furthermore, the next nearest padel court is in Caernarfon, and it's usually booked solid, so it is imperative that any access and security issues at RSC are tackled head-on. Now!

So ... what's on our 'Smart Shopping List'?  

Specifically, the directors are raising money to purchase three clever (but pricey) bits of kit. These are ... 

• Integrated Electronic Gate Access and Automatic Closure Systems
  We need two of these - one for the new padel court and one for the MUGA. They are recommended by the LTA and used successfully at similar UK tennis clubs / park-sites.
  
  There are several options available, but it's the premium, mains-wired system which is best suited to the club's needs. It will integrate seamlessly with our Clubspark management software (provided free of charge by the LTA) and it has tamper-proof, self-locking gates. It also comes complete with a clever 'box of tricks' which regulates entry by generating booking slot specific access codes. Furthermore, if floodlights are ever installed in the future, it will operate them in sync with bookings and charge appropriately.
  Cost: £6,600 each (includes fitting, set-up and VAT)
  
  
• An Outdoor (Marine Grade) Sports Equipment Outdoor Vending Machine
  We want just one of these. For rackets and balls. Why? Well, we’re an unmanned venue and we’re open all year from 8am to dusk. Padel is still a new sport and the rackets can be expensive, so most beginners want to 'try before they buy'. Also, casual 'have-a-go' players and holiday-makers are unlikely to have rackets, and all padel players need padel tennis balls. At our club in a holiday village, an on-site, hire and buy vending machine makes a whole lot of sense.
  
  Our outdoor machine will be 'marine grade' quality in order to withstand our harsh coastal environment. It will be mains-wired, operate 24/7, have both 'hire' and 'buy' options (at a range of prices) and take card deposits and payments. Having a machine like this will enable us to increase participation, drive membership and generate additional revenue.
  Cost £12,000 (includes fitting, set-up, starter stock and VAT)
  
  
• Additional security - the gate access systems and vending machine are the main priorities. Any surplus cash from the crowdfunder would be used to enhance security. Some additional and new/improved CCTV cameras would certainly be helpful.

How you can help

There are two simple ways to help us reach our PLAYSMART project target of £25,000 

1. Make a pledge. Every donation, large or small, from individuals or companies will make a BIG difference, and a gift from you today would be much appreciated. 

RSC is registered as a CASC (Community Amateur Sports Club) so if you are a UK taxpayer and you donate through Gift Aid, the club will be able to claim back an extra 25p for every £1 gifted. This extra 25% could make a big difference to the outcome of the PLAYSMART project. 

All crowdfunding campaigns benefit from momentum, so if you would like to support us, please don't delay. Your donation will be publicly acknowledged by RSC at a later date unless anonymity is requested. Thank you.

2. Spread the word. Please share our project on your social media pages and tell your friends about it. Ask them to get behind us. The more people hear about what we're doing, the more support we'll get. Again, thank you.

And finally ... for more information, please visit the RSC website and/or get in touch. Alternatively, follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram for updates and news. 

Thank-you for reading about our PLAYSMART project and (should you choose to do so) for making a donation.  

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st July 2025 at 6:27pm