Spencer LTC Covid Response: Court Resurfacing

Aim

We're aiming to raise £15,000 to ensure COVID doesn't further delay much needed resurfacing work that will see more tennis played year-round

Our Club

Spencer Lawn Tennis Club, part of the Spencer Club was founded in 1872 and is a tennis club in the heart of its community in Earlsfield, London. We’re proud to have members as young as 3 and as old as 90 playing at the club each and every week. With COVID obstructing the club's ability to raise funds for vital resurfacing work, we need the help of our members, friends and the local community to get us back on track.

Our club is proud to work with nearby schools and the local foodbank in our role in bringing the community together. We now need the support of the local community in reaching our £15,000 fundraising target Through Sport England’s ‘Return to Play/Active Together’ scheme. This means, if we reach our target, Sport England could top-up our funding efforts by £6,000. Tennis has been a saving grace for many over the last 12 months and demand to play has rocketed. We want to ensure that despite the impact COVID has had on the club, that we are able offer up-to-date playing facilities where people can safely play.

How has Covid impacted Spencer LTC?

Through the 3 national lockdowns when tennis was not allowed the club has lost out on several revenue streams. With the club already 2 years behind on imperative redevelopment, this could not have come at a worse time.

• Significantly reduced course income due to after school squads and camps being cancelled for large parts of the year. £10K + loss
• No off-peak pay and play income for 6 out of the last 12 months
• Unable to run competitions and events
• No corporate grass courts events which have raised up to £5k in previous years

Our project

The resurfacing project will see us;

• Convert our 5 tired hard courts, which are already 2 years beyond their expected lifespan, to a modern, all-weather artificial clay. 
• Convert one of our non-floodlit grass courts to a floodlit, year-round surface creating up to 5000 extra playing hours per year

With our grass courts currently unavailable during the winter months and lots of members not playing on our hard courts in the wet due to them being increasingly slippery, the resurfacing will ensure more tennis is played by more people from our local community throughout the year.

Whilst neighbouring clubs continue to play in damp conditions, the hard courts at Spencer are becoming increasingly difficult to use. The plan to change our hard courts to artificial clay will mean;

• Tennis can be played safely in nearly all weather. 
• The clay is kinder on the joints meaning less injury
• No more slipping over on court on rainy days
• More hours on court during the winter months

By changing one grass court to a year-round surface with floodlights, it will mean that booking congestion will be eased and there will be more courts for people to book at busy times. There will be more social spaces available and it will enable us to accommodate more players in courses.

Reach our target and we may get additional funding from Sport England . . . 

This is a really big project for a club of our size and with COVID impacting our ability to raise funds, we are asking our friends and family, our club members and the local community to support our tennis club. By buying one of our rewards or pledging to donate, you will be helping to make the project a reality. Whether it's purchasing one of our 3-year membership packages or getting a ticket to our raffle, you can play a part in helping Spencer LTC reach their fundraising goal of £15,000. 

This project successfully funded on 9th June 2021