| Southdown Tennis – Mission and Vision Statements |
‘To provide a first class tennis facility for all ages and skill levels, with a focus on offering a friendly environment for competitive and/or social tennis, where enjoyment of the game is enhanced through skilled coaching encouraging junior development as well as an emphasis on player development for all members in a safe, friendly and supportive club environment’
Background
The Southdown Club has been part of the Sussex tennis scene for over 110 years. The Club is situated in the heart of Lewes, East Sussex, surrounded by fabulous views of the South Downs. It is a member’s owned and run club with its primary source of income coming through the size of its membership. Any annual profits are reinvested back into future maintenance and development of the club’s facilities so that the success of the club can be in every sense shared and enjoyed by all, both now and in many years to come.
The club has 16 courts, with several different playing surfaces: 2 acrylic (covered by a ‘bubble’ in the winter), 3 artificial grass (all floodlit), 5 hard macadam (2 floodlit) and 6 grass courts.
There is a clubhouse with a café/bar (Lazzatis), showers and changing facilities.
Vision for the Running of the Club
Playing Priorities
- We want to play tennis of a good standard and attract players from the local and surrounding areas. We currently have 5 men’s and 4 women’s teams in the local leagues; we want them to attain the highest level in the leagues that they can comfortably sustain. We also have junior teams aged from 8u up to 16u playing in the National Team Tennis leagues.
- We want to have an active social section where players can turn up and be assured of a good game of social tennis at all times of the day, every day.
- We will proactively encourage junior members to join in both the adult social tennis and the adult teams as and when they are ready to do so.
- We will deliver a diverse, progressive and inclusive adult coaching programme for members of all standards and ages, providing both daytime and evening group coaching.
- We will be a leading junior coaching programme with a clear pathway from Mini Tennis through to 18u performance squads, thereby providing genuine opportunities for every child to maximise their tennis development to its full potential, supporting all aspirations to represent the club as a club team, county and national level junior player.
- We will encourage our members to undertake individual coaching with our professional coaching team and in conjunction with the Head Tennis Coach, we will facilitate group coaching both for social and competitive players.
- We will encourage new players to join the club and benefit from the outstanding club facilities, coaching programme and coaching team to help strengthen the membership numbers and long-term success of the club.
- We will explore and where feasible run promotional/recruitments events from time to time.
- We will create coaching assistant opportunities for both junior and senior members to develop themselves as a tennis coach.
Health and Wellbeing of Members
- We will do all we can to maintain the health and safety of our members by ensuring our facilities are safe and well maintained.
- We will ensure that the club is committed to prioritising the well-being of all our members (and guests) by promoting safeguarding at all times, including during all programmes, competitions and events we run.
- Our safeguarding policy will strive to minimise risk, deliver a positive tennis experience for everyone and respond appropriately to all safeguarding concerns/disclosures.
- We will ensure the club has an appointed welfare officer and that all members know who that person is and how to contact them.
- We will ensure that those who work with children and adults at risk have Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checks.
- We will encourage our members to wear appropriate tennis shoes and clothing.
- We will maintain a first aid box and keep an up-to-date accident book at the club.
Development of Facilities
- With the membership revenue that the club brings in, we will develop our facilities to the best affordable level we can achieve.
- We will ensure our facilities are accessible to all and safe for families with
young children.
Club Finances
- We will ensure that at all times we have a Treasurer who is jointly charged with the Club Council with ensuring the club is financially viable.
- As a general principle we will seek not to put the club in debt but raise funds and grants and generate profits that would enable us to develop our facilities at a rate we can afford.
Governance
- There will be an elected Club Committee that meets regularly throughout the year.
- The officers of the club will seek to keep the tennis membership informed of key decisions taken on their behalf; these will also be reported more widely via the website as appropriate.
- The club will hold an annual AGM, normally in April
Equality of Opportunity
- Members will be treated equally regardless of age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability, gender or race.
- Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.
- The club will seek to operate on principles of openness in all its activities.
Social Activity
- The club will seek to be a sociable place where members and visitors are always made to feel welcome.
- We explore and where feasible take part in or run social and fundraising events throughout the year. This will give members the chance to get to know each other socially and enjoy a variety of off-court activities.
Regular Review of this Vision
- This document will be reviewed regularly and made available to all members for comment.
- It will be displayed on the Southdown website.
- The vision for the principles underpinning the running of the club will be reviewed annually at the AGM
Jane Doswell
Tennis Chair
September 2020