CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT  11.1.07  Back to Tennis Club

Sixteen months ago a number of us came together and formed the Eversdens’ Tennis Club Committee. That was September 2005. We didn’t know what we could achieve or how long it would take us to achieve it but we were determined to do what we could to ensure that a tennis club would be created in the village. We had to learn quickly because the enthusiastic response of so many people meant we all wanted to see progress in our first year of existence.

We have had a very busy year and I am delighted to say that we have also had a very fruitful year. Of course much remains to be done before the dream of two tennis courts and a thriving tennis club materialises in the Eversdens but we have taken our first steps and I feel we are well on the way. Before we could move forward at all, we had to draw up a Constitution, a Business Plan, set up our own Bank Account, and affiliate to the Lawn Tennis Association. All of these things were done and we plan to  register as a Charity early in 2007.

FUNDRAISING

Before you begin building tennis courts, you need money in that newly created Bank Account and we have been very active through the last 16 months in this respect. With the generous help of many committee members and others who are not on the committee, we have had a successful year’s fundraising. We organised Children’s discos, quiz sheets, a jumble sale, a wine and cheese evening, an open garden day, a World Cup sweepstake and all were well supported.

The jumble sale, the wine and cheese evening, the open garden day and the World Cup sweepstake were unbelievably successful. Not only did they generate a lot of income but they were great events, enjoyed by all of the people who supported us. How pleasing it was to see the Village Hall packed for our wine and cheese evening, so ably managed by Alan Armstrong and Jenny Walker, who were well assisted by Compton and Biddy Boyd. That evening, over many, many glasses of wine, new friendships were made and old ones renewed.

Our venture into the World Cup proved highly successful as well. This was Catherine Huntington’s idea and it is rare that someone comes up with an idea and then sees it through to the end. That’s what Catherine did. She was brilliant from the start; produced brightly-coloured and easy-to-understand Entry Forms, went out and sold them, and when it seemed like we weren’t selling enough, she sold some more. Other people sold them too, and it was a team effort, but Catherine was definitely the Captain of our World Cup team.

On the night of the final, we all gathered in the Village Hall to watch the match on a big screen and have lovely food at half-time. Coronation Chicken, Chili Con Carne, Vegetarian dishes, a multitude of delicious desserts; it was all there and, to cap it all, all of our prizes were won by village people. The only thing that went wrong was the French team couldn’t give our French Catherine the result she deserved.

LOCATION OF COURTS

If one issue has caused us to think long and hard, it is the location of the tennis courts. In consultation with the Recreation Ground Committee, we accepted the most suitable location for the courts was at the far end of the recreation ground, where they would have to be laid end-on-end so as not to encroach upon the cricket and football pitches. Because the courts would be end-on-end, as opposed to side-by-side in block form, the cost of development is greater and there would also be added expense involved in disposing of top soil and removing existing trees. Our committee also received an objection to the proposed development of tennis courts in that part of the Recreation Ground.

When all things were considered - the extra costs, the objection, the fact that end-on-end courts is not the ideal design for a tennis facility, the limitations on any further development if that was necessary – the committee decided to explore the possibility of finding an alternative site. We have had discussions with Mr. David Ellis and a representative of the Fossey Trust and these exploratory talks have been very helpful. I believe we need to have a sub-committee dealing with this issue because it is very important and needs careful consideration. It is too early now to know if the Recreation Ground remains our best option or if a green-field site is the way forward but the sooner we can commit to one or the other, the better. Whichever decision we take, we now know that after just one year in operation we have the resources, both human and financial, to start developing the new facility.

COMPTON BOYD

Before concluding, I would like to say something about one of our founder members, Compton Boyd, who sadly passed away in November. Compton was a dedicated member of our committee; he and Biddy opened up their home so that we could have a magnificent Open Garden day last July and, of course, they were the key organisers behind the Wine and Cheese Party. Compton had a way of making things work and he was devoted to ensuring the Eversdens’ would have tennis courts. As well as being a dear friend to many of us, he was also an inspiration as we tried to take this project forward. The road ahead will not be straightforward, we know that, but Compton would not have allowed us to fail.

Mary Walsh