December 2014 Newsletter

Chairman’s Message from Katie England

 

Firstly, thank you to all those who attended our AGM where committee reports for the year were presented and there was an opportunity to review the club’s annual accounts.

 

On the committee front, I’m very pleased to welcome Rosie O’Connor onto the committee as Membership Secretary. Also, I can report that we have co-opted Gary van der Byl onto the committee, as Vice Chair. We still have a vacancy for Bar Manager but are grateful to Rosie who has offered to organise bar rotas. Several members have offered to help with trips to re-stock the bar when needed, so thank you to all those volunteers.

 

 As mentioned at the AGM and in the last news update, the committee recently asked Fosse Contracts to carry out a professional assessment of all the courts.  Following this (and with the advice that the pile is still at a good depth) and after careful discussion, it was agreed to have courts 1, 2 and 3 rejuvenated professionally and the work was completed this week. A plan for replacement of courts 4, 5 and 6 in 2016 is now in place, followed by courts 1, 2 and 3 thereafter.

 

I also mentioned at the AGM that the current coaching set up was under review. Since then, and with Hassan’s move to Manchester, his company will no longer be involved with organising our junior or adult coaching after Christmas. From January our coaching programme will run by Ben Minski, supported by the club’s Coaching Committee and the assistant coaches. Ben is part way through his Level 3 coaching qualification which will provide him with the skills to develop our coaching programme and build upon its strong foundation. We wish Hassan all the best for his relocation and thank him for running our coaching for the last two and a half years.

 

We are at the time of year when we look at our membership renewal and again we have decided to keep our rates the same as previous years. The club is well set financially to deal with the court rejuvenation and eventual replacement and the committee felt that there was little need to raise our subs at this time.

This year we have already raised £330 for charity ( Macmillan Cancer Suppport and the Elena Baltacha Tennis Academy). Our Christmas charity is  the Glenfield Heart Centre -  we have a fundraising coffee and Christmassy cakes on Saturday (from 10am - 12.30pm) and a raffle with lots of prizes including vouchers, subscriptions and coaching. If you have not yet bought tickets and want to, please see Shelia or Steve Colver, Sue Lester or Rosie O.Connor. The draw will take place on Sunday. 

 

Finally I hope to see you at our Tinsel Tennis event on Sunday and  can I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

British Tennis and Wimbledon Opt-in

If you have recently joined the club and have not yet signed up with British Tennis, could we ask that you do so as soon as possible.  It’s free and can be done at https://www.lta.org.uk/members/join/ The box to click is on the far left.  Please add Oadby Granville as your club.  If you need a code it’s LEI 045. You will get a British Tennis Number (essential for all match players), LTA newsletters, special advanced booking for some tennis events etc.

It is now a requirement that everyone who might want Wimbledon tickets OPTS IN via the LTA site. This needs to be done by the end of January.

 

2014 Committee

Please find a list of contact numbers for the 2015 Committee at the end of this newsletter. A list is also on display in the foyer. If you need to raise a concern, please contact the appropriate committee member or e-mail info@oadbytennis.co.uk and it will be forwarded to them. Thanks.

 

 Membership News from Rosie O’Connor

Smiles all round after a busy 2014 for OGTC. We have our second highest membership in the club’s history, at 389 members!!  This is 45 more than last year and just 10 short of our highest ever total of 401 in 2007.

With 2015 just around the corner, it is now time for membership renewal. Good news: for another year in a row, membership rates will remain the same, as mentioned by Katie. Don’t forget the early bird discount rate for all of us who renew in January.

Detailed information on fees, payment arrangements, discounts etc. can be found online/or on the forms enclosed.  Spare forms are available from the club.

Volunteering time as a helper is essential to keeping a club like ours ticking, it also means you are eligible for a membership discount. Helper roles include – Committee member, Team captain, Social (Louise), Bar (Rosie) and Grounds (Tim). If volunteering your time is something you would like to do next year, then that is wonderful, please let us know by indicating this on your membership form.

As always, any questions, queries or ideas re: membership to me at the club or contact me at ogtcmembership@gmail.com  and I’ll get back to you as swiftly as possible.

Rosie J

 

Tennis Update

Competitive tennis is now largely over for 2014, apart from a couple of rain delayed winter league matches. A  BIG thank you to all our captains for their time and effort in organising us and making sure we all get to where we’re supposed to be on time. The winter league has proved especially difficult this year in terms of availability and weather, so a special thank you to the captains who run our six winter teams.

 

The club can lay claim to winning two titles this year – Men’s Vets Division One (retained from 2013) and Men’s Division 4B (Men’s 3^rdteam). Trophies will be presented at the Tennis Leicestershire Awards Night in February – to which all those from the winning teams are invited. All BT members will have received an invitation to this event, direct from Tennis Leicestershire.

 

Courts in winter

As in past years, can we please remind members that we do not advise playing when the courts are frosty/icy. If there is snow, we request that the courts are left to clear naturally to avoid damage and/or removal of sand. Courts 1-3 will be closed for all play during any snowy weather to preserve the recent rejuvenation work.

 

Social News from Louise

Diary Dates

Date	Time	Event	Notes
Saturday 20th December	10.00am-12.30pm	Coffee and Christmassy cakes	All welcome. In aid of Glenfield Heart Centre
Sunday 21st	10.15am – 2pm	Tinsel Tennis	Tennis from 10.15am, Sign up in advance, please Christmas drinks from 12 noon – 2pm Raffle and 100 Club draw
Wednesday 7th January	6.50pm	USA Tournament	Sign up in foyer please
Saturday 31st January	1.30pm	Aussie Open	Junior Tournament – details to follow – or speak to Ben
Sunday 1st February	1.30pm	Aussie Open	Adult Tournament – details to follow

 

Tinsel Tennis is a fun festive tennis tournament, no partner required. £1 to enter.  Please arrive for a start at 10.am, with play until about 12.15 pm.  Sign up in Club house - partners allocated on the day, festive clothing if possible!! The kitchen will be open from 10.00am serving tea, coffee, mince pies, bacon and sausage rolls. This will replace the usual Sunday morning social mix in with 5 courts in use. For those not playing, please pop along from 12 noon to join us for a festive drink and food. Family and friends very welcome.

Also, a reminder that when renewing your memberships, don’t forget to sign up for social duties - I need your help!! J

Can’t believe we heading into 2015 - another year has flown by.  Please let me know if you have any suggestion for any social events – we are always on the lookout for new ideas

Tuesday and Thursday mornings group

Another successful Christmas buffet lunch enjoyed on Tuesday.  39 existing, old, and new members attended.  Nice to see.  Many thanks as usual to Christine and Angie for arranging the tables, Roz for the greenery and Dorothy for helping me in the kitchen. I would also like to say thank you all again for the gifts I received.  Here's wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and All the Very Best for 2015 with plenty of tennis.

 Shirley.

 

Junior News from George Milne

Coaching sessions are being well attended despite the cold weather. Our younger players now have indoor sessions at Beauchamp College.   We have had several new juniors join us over the last few weeks and we offer them a warm welcome to the Club.

Junior Winter League matches have been completed by our 10 and under “A” team who won all their matches to win Division 2, well done Oli and Jack.  Our 14 and under boys have also completed all their matches and at the moment are top of Division 3 but we are waiting on the result of Charnwood’s match against Market Harborough to find out who will win the Division.  Our 10 and under “B” team have one more match to play.  Our 14 and under girls have four of their five matches still to play.

We will once again be hosting an LTA Grade 4 Junior Tournament during the February half term week.

 

 

  2014/5 Committee Contact Details

Chairman	Katie England	0116 2714655	07986121935
Vice Chair	Gary van der Byl		07803136348
Ex Officio	n/a
Treasurer	Paul Handford	0116  2404377	07710673904
Secretary	Sue Lester	0116  2718891	07708883147
Tennis Secretary	Vacancy	Katie	As above
Membership	Rosie O’Connor		07724586527
Juniors	George  Milne	0116  2883815	07872348421
Bar	Vacancy	Rosie	As above
Social	Louise Mehmet		07711736038
Grounds	Tim Greenwood	0116  2128618	07746655196
Premises	Dave Cooper	0116  2848210	07812186271
Grants/funding	Alex Brown		07920406206
Other contacts
Clubhouse Hire	Angela Bewick	0116 2704606	07969672524
Newsletter	Sue Lester	As above	As above

 

October Newsletter

Oadby (Granville ) Tennis Club – October Newsletter

Chairman's Message from Katie England
Thanks to everyone who has played tennis at Oadby this summer, whether it be socially in the many mix-ins we hold, by being part of a team, by entering the tournament or by giving touchtennis a go! It's been a busy summer!

There's still lots happening in the next few months as you will see from our calendar and with winter league matches now underway. I hope see you all at the AGM in October (details below) which is your chance to review the year at Oadby through the club accounts and committee reports.

Nomination sheets for team captains and committee posts will be on display at the club from the weekend. There are a number of committee vacancies (eg. Bar, Tennis Secretary, Vice Chair) and hope that we have club members who would be interested in getting more involved with the running of the club. Rather than give a job description for each in this newsletter, can I ask that anyone interested has a word with (or e mails) myself or Sue and we can outline what is involved for each. If you are interested in getting more involved but have other areas of interest, then please have a word too as we really are keen to use people's expertise!

Those of you who were at the EGM in April will know that, having voted to change the dissolution clause at that meeting, I confirmed that the committee would start work on a rewrite of the full club constitution. This is well underway but having had the refurbishment work to manage over the summer, we are not quite as far ahead as we had hoped. We will be completing the rewrite, together with a review if the club rules over the next few months, prior to presenting it to the membership at an EGM.

Clubhouse Refurbishment
The main refurbishment work is now complete. We are pleased to report that Sport England has approved all invoices/buildings requirements and the full grant has been paid into the club’s account and our contractors have been paid.

Blinds on the three side windows have been installed this week and we are currently looking at floor coverings and stackable furniture for hirings. Bar improvements are not included in the current refurbishment project but we hope to upgrade this area next year.

Costs are  as follows :

Preparation/demolition work                     £00.00
*Central Heating                                       £8,966.71
*Lighting                                                    £6.318.95
*Windows                                                  £5,792.00
*Plastering                                                 £6,006.11
*Solar heating                                            £18,900.00
Painting                                                      £978.90
Roof/joinery/brickwork                                £2,035.97
Loft insulation                                            £1,302.00
Flooring (men’s changing rooms)              £466.20
Blinds                                                         £123.54
Contingencies                                            £00.00

Total to date                                              £50,890.45

*Sport England grant                                £45,698.00
Club contribution so far                           £5,192.45

AGM
The club's 2014 AGM will place on Wednesday 29th October at 7pm.
Committee reports and accounts will be available from 6.30pm. Recent AGMs have lasted no longer than half an hour so there will plenty of time for those who like to play on Wednesday nights to attend the AGM first and then play from 7.30pm
Any apologies to Sue Lester please.


2014 Club Tournament
93 people entered our annual tournament and it was especially good to see a number of our newer members taking part, together with more juniors than usual.   Many thanks to Gary van der Byl and Andy Parker who scheduled the matches throughout the fortnight, to Louise for coordinating all the catering helpers, to Sally for organising bar stock and rotas  and to all those who came down to watch even when they weren't playing. Our tournament continues to be one of the most well supported in the county!


Trophies have now been engraved and shields bought for those who requested them. Available for collection any Sunday morning.

Results are below:-
Winners
Finalists
                                                             
Men's Singles
Ben Minski
Dan Poultney

Men's Doubles
Phil Harris & Hussein Khan
Ben Minski & Dan Poultney

Ladies'  Singles
Kate Wood
Caroline King

Ladies' Doubles
Katie England & Anna Randall
Rosie O’Connor & Kate Wood

Mixed Doubles
Anna Randall & Ben Minski
Katie Wood & Dan Poultney

Men's O35 Singles
Dan Poultney
Andy Noble

Ladies' O35 Singles
Katie England
Jacquie Greenwood

Men's O45 Singles
Tim Watts
John Zarins

Men's Vets Doubles
Steve Ireland & Mike Minski
John Braint & Martin Shenton

Mixed Vets Doubles
Anna Randall & Paul Heighton-Towers
Angela Bewick & Martin Shenton


Reverse Draw
Winner
Finalist(s)

Men's Singles
Phil Marsh
Paul Facer
Men's Doubles
Oliver Priestley & Eddy Smart
Steve Colver & Jon Stone
Ladies' Singles
Rosie O'Connor
Charlotte Hovell
Ladies Doubles
Gail Pick & Lorraine Summers
w/o
Mixed Doubles
Iona Irvine & Jon Stone
Sammy Godsmark & David Straker
Men’s O45 Singles
Mark Fletcher
Tony Pick
Men’s Vets Doubles
Ather Mirza & David Straker
Mark Fletcher & Clive Marsh
Mixed Vets Doubles
Helen Jones & Harish Chauhan
Fiona Burrows & Tony Pick

Touchtennis tournament
The club has recently hosted a touchtennis tournament with 38 players taking part, coming from as far away as London and Newcastle, and including four players from the UK top 10. A number of Oadby players also took part, having had several opportunities to practice in recent weeks with Ben Minski.

It was a very successful day and Oadby members who watched were impressed! Entry fees covered the cost of four nets and Ben is now keen to organise more opportunities for Oadby members to play.

Courts in Use
Please refer to the calendar on the website for details of courts in use at weekends. There is one match most Saturday afternoons, leaving four courts free for social play and/or juniors/parent players. On Sunday afternoons there are two matches most weeks, leaving two courts free.

Courts for Ladies' Vets League matches
Just a reminder that courts for vets matches should be booked via Katie E please in case of any issues with matches/courts already in use. As noted above, Saturday afternoons (after 12 noon) are good times for matches as four courts are free. If you need a key for the clubhouse, please get in touch with Sue a few days ahead so that can be organised. If you are playing in the daytime, please be aware that the clubhouse isn't available on  Mondays (except between 12 and 1.30pm), Wednesdays before 12 noon or Friday before 1pm. Thanks.

 Floodlights
A reminder that if you are playing at a social session on Monday or Wednesday and the court is not needed again, please make sure that one of your four collects the key and switches the lights off. Please don't rely on someone else to do it. If you are not sure how to do this, please ask. If your four is the last to leave the club, please could you also walk past the front door and ensure it is shut.

Also, just a reminder that if you are paying for floodlights, try to put the money in before the lights go out - otherwise there is a 10 minute 'warm up period' which is unavoidable. Thanks.

Key Audit
We are in the process of checking the allocation of keys to all captains, coaches etc. as we have had a few new captains for the winter. We do occasionally need to lend keys for junior matches, vets matches etc. and as we are short of spare keys we may need to reclaim some keys from summer captains until next season. Thank

100 Club
The following were successful in the recent draw :-

£50 Kath Bishop
£40 Di Monk
£30 Sue Lester
£10 Alan Cobley
£10 Sheila Cobley
£10 Joseph Bloomer

Prizes will be handed out over the next week if not already received. The next draw will be held at the Tinsel Tennis event.


Social News update from Louise
Following the tournament I’d like to pass on my thanks to all the helpers who supported in the kitchen be it serving, cooking or baking. Once again we managed to offer a full catering service with very few complaints (!!) and make some profits for the club.

American tournaments have started again and weather permitting will carry on throughout the winter on the first Wednesday of each month – sign-up sheets will be posted on the club notice board a few weeks ahead of the event.

Looking ahead we are planning to mark the club house refurbishment with a “sparkly luncheon celebration” - full details to be confirmed but it’s likely to be on Sunday lunchtime at the end of November.

We’re also planning to hold Tinsel Tennis again in December which believe or not isn’t that far away!  Again full details to follow.
 
In the meantime has anyone got any ideas for events that we could hold? Please let me know.

Event
Date
Time
Notes
USA Tournament
Wednesday November 5th
6.50pm
Sign-up sheet to follow

Clubhouse Opening event
November
TBC
Details to follow

USA Tournament
Wednesday 3rd December
6.50pm


Tinsel Tennis
Sunday December
10am – 1pm
Date TBC



Fundraising
Many thanks to everyone who baked cakes and/or who came along to support our recent coffee event in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. We raised £175 - an impressive total.

Our next charity event is a raffle in aid of Glenfield Heart Centre which is being organised by Sheila Colver. A number of our members and their families have had experience of the wonderful service provided by the centre.  There are already prizes to the value of over £200 and more are being added. Sheila will be selling tickets over the next two months and winners will be drawn at our Tinsel Tennis event in December. Please contact Sheila if you can help with prizes or ticket sales. A poster is attached and/or on display at the clubhouse.


Kitchen equipment - missing!
A number of items have disappeared from the kitchen over the last few months. These include a large white oblong dish (which we use for lasagne etc.) and, most recently a number of mugs! Very mysterious!

If you have taken items home following a match or borrowed items, please return them asap.

Bar
Thanks to everyone who helped on the bar during the recent tournament, especially those who restocked the fridges and helped to wash up when the bar was quiet.

If you have not yet done your nine hours of bar help, we will be getting in touch to organise.

Membership
We currently have 380 members, the second highest total in the club's history.  We to have enquiries on a weekly basis from both adults wanting to join and parents keen to get their children playing. Membership for the remaining weeks of the year is still possible if you know anyone wanting to try tennis at the club without having to commit to a full year's subscription.


Grounds
There will be a work party on Saturday morning 18th October & Saturday morning 25th October.
Grounds helpers - please attend on either of the days that suit you best. If not available on either (and owing hours), please contact me so I can allocate a job to you to ensure that you have completed your minimum 9 hours by the end of the year. Hedges at the back of courts 1 to 3 and junior courts need trimming and there is more fence painting needed before winter.

Thanks,
Tim Greenwood.





Juniors news from George
Coaching sessions are being well attended, with some new sessions having been introduced throughout the week.

Congratulations to our junior players who performed so well in the senior tournament. Special mention to our youngest pairing of Matt H and Lilia B who won three rounds, before eventually coming up against the No. 2 seeds in the semi-final. Also to Eddy S and Oli P who won the Reverse Draw Men’s Doubles.

County Junior Winter League matches have now started.  We have five teams taking part: 10 & under “A” and “B” teams, boys 12 & under, boys 14 & under and girls 14 & under.

The Fallows Cup (county 18&U) event has also started.  We won our first round match away at LFE. Well done to Aditi, Charlotte C, Eddy and Oli P.  Our next match is the quarter-final against local friends and rivals, Carisbrooke.  It is a home match, on Sunday 26th October at 4pm.  Everyone is welcome to come along and support the team, you will see some great tennis.

The annual County Junior Tennis Awards day is on Sunday 9thNovember at 2pm in Leicester Grammar School.  We will be picking up awards for winning two divisions of last year’s winter league and two runners-up awards for last summer’s AEGON league.

28 Aug News Update

Try Touch Tennis Friday 29th August 6pm.
There will be an opportunity to try Touch Tennis this Friday at 6pm with Ben. This is the session we had to cancel on Bank Holiday Monday due to rain (see info in last news update). Courts are free all evening if you want to stay on and play afterwards. Text Ben on 07723331777 if you want to come along or e mail info@oadbytennis.co.uk.

Club Tournament
All those who are taking part in the tournament should have received an e mail with a link to the online draw and match schedule. Alternatively, the tournament details can be accessed via a link on the club website oadbytennis.co.uk.

There are three matches on Saturday but the main tournament will start on Sunday at 1pm.  This enables us to have a full afternoon of matches. Pork rolls will be on sale in the kitchen on Sunday lunchtime, alongside the usual snacks and cakes.

Bar Helpers
If you are a bar helper, please make sure you have let Sally know when you are available to do duties. She has drawn up a rota but still needs some people to get in touch !

Social Helpers
Louise has been drawing up a rota for all help in the kitchen over the fortnight.  Please contact her if you have not yet agreed a slot/s. As in past years, we are offering a hot meal each evening - chilli and chicken curry are both on the menu during week one.

Courts in Use and Social mix ins
Courts will be free on Saturday afternoon (30th)  but from Sunday 31st 1pm - 5pm all courts will be in use for the club tournament.  All courts will also be in use Monday - Thursday  6 - 9.30pm so no social mix ins or fixed fours. Apologies for any inconvenience - we have 91 members taking part.

Clubhouse refurbishment
The painting of the lounge and men's changing rooms is now complete and we have received lots of positive comments ! We are currently finishing off odd jobs including the staining if foyer woodwork. Flooring will be laid in the men's changing rooms on Tuesday 9th September.

Junior Coaching
All junior coaching sessions start next week - from Monday 1st September.

News Update 17 Aug 2014

Annual Tournament

Just a reminder that forms are due in by Tuesday 20th August 8pm. Please either download it from the club website and then e mail it as an attachment to info@oadbytennis.co.uk or collect a paper copy from the club and put it in the orange folder in the post box by the back door. If the clubhouse isn't open put it through the letter box into the kitchen. (Please don't just leave forms on a table or on the bar as they tend to go  missing !!).

We need forms from everyone  who wants to enter please. If you do have limited availability please restrict the events you go in for or we may have problems scheduling your matches..  If any questions at this point, please e mail them to info@oadbytennis.co.uk.

If you are a bar or catering helper, Sally and Louise will be contacting you regarding duties during the tournament.

If you are new to the club we would encourage you to take part. During the tournament fortnight, it is likely that all courts will be in use at weekends and evenings (with the exception of one court on Sunday mornings) so there will not be the usual mix ins on Mondays or Wednesdays. Taking part will not only enable you to have some competitive play, but will also enable you to meet some other club members and enjoy the atmosphere of our annual tournament.

For information, we run a full catering service each weekend and during the evenings with hot/cold drinks, snacks and hot meals each evening. So if you come straight from work there is no need to go hungry ! It is also a club tradition that winners offer to buy their opposition a drink after their match.


If you are new to the club and want to ask more committee members  will be at the club tomorrow evening from 5.45pm and on Tuesday evening. Alternatively just e mail me.

Clubhouse refurbishment

As mentioned in the last update, painting will take place this coming week. Those who have  been into the clubouse this week will have seen some sample shades on the end wall  and have expressed a range of views which we have listened to. The majority were in favour of a neutral shade - so this is what has been chosen.

Decisions re blinds, flooring, furniture and bar improvements will be made once painting is complete and costings so far have been finalised.

Men's Night and Ladies' Afternoon

We have recently held two successful tournaments followed by food. Thanks to organisers and caterers (Tim/Jacquie, Jenny/Louise/Katie/Sue) and congratulations to winners Alex Brown/George, Runners up Niall/Mark F at Men's Night and Gail/Sue I and Helen/Julie H at Laides' Afternoon.

August News Update

Clubhouse Refurbishment

Since the last update, plumbing work has been completed and the electricians finish next week, together with loft insulation and carpentry work. We will then have a big clean up prior to painting, scheduled for week beginning 18th August. Decisions soon regarding blinds/curtains and other furnishings.


Annual Club Tournament

Our annual club tournament takes place during the first two weeks of September. Forms will soon be available to download from the club website or can picked up from the club from today.We require a paper copy with details of partners, availability etc from everyone taking part. Please help save us time by making sure we have your form by the deadline. An information sheet is attached. (An entry form is also atttached but Ive had problems with the format and it may not open correctly - hence directing people to the website ! My technical advisor is away !). Any enquiries to info@oadbytennis.co.uk.

Men's Night - next Tuesday 6.30pm £6

18 currently signed up, so space for another 6. Doubles tennis, followed by food. Sign up at the club or by text to Tim Greenwood. Please note that if you have to pull out it is vital that you cross your name off the list (by Monday evening) or text Tim on 07746655196 after that as the tennis groups are being organised in advance. Thanks.

Ladies' Afternoon 2pm Saturday 16th August £5

Please sign up at the club, by e mailing info@oadbytennis.co.uk or by texting Louise on 07740072719. Doubles tennis followed by afternoon tea. Cakes by Jenny H if you need that extra incentive !! Non playing ladies welcome to join us for tea.

Leicestershire County Closed Championship

As in past years, a number of Oadby members have competed in the level and handicap events this week, supported by other club members. Lots of payers reached quarter and semi finals.
> > > Congratulations to the seven Oadby finalists :-
> > > Dan Poultney Men's - Over 35 singles
> > > Anna Randall Ladies' - Over 36 singles
> > > Hussein Khan (and Georgie Ashmore) - Mixed Doubles
> > > Di Zarins & Tim Watts - Mixed Doubles Handicap event
> > > Di Zarins and Jenni Lucas Ladies'- Vets Handicap Doubles finalists
> > > Ian McDade - Men's Singles Handicap event
> > > Louise Mehmet and partner - Ladies' Doubles Plate

Christmas Charity Raffle

We are all acutely aware of the tremendous service that organisations such as Glenfield Heart Centre provide and we feel that it is an excellent charity for our tennis club to support. We hope that members embrace a planned Christmas charity raffle by donating prizes and buying tickets.

Several very good prizes have been donated already - many thanks to members and their families.Any businesses/members who would like to give a prize please phone/see Sheila Colver 07752005105 / 01162713037 who is organising this charity fundraiser.
> > >
> > >

Postcard from Portugal - Mark Fletcher

Olá

My club in Portugal hold a serve and volley tournament every year in memory of our coach Graham Hulme who was a great advocate of serve and volley during his many years of coaching at Carveiro Clube. He passed away 3 years ago and this tournament rewards points won from volleys on the third and fourth stroke of each point.

On Saturday I won through to the final after four arduous pro sets.  My partner, Muriel, and I (combined age 107) eventually lost to two very talented juniors, Nico and Ronan, (combined age 29) but it was a great match with a chair umpire, coach Christian Becker from Switzerland, and a large crowd. Time to get the tiered seating at OGTC!

Attached photos of Muriel and me with Christian and Ruanne one of our coaches from  Brazil. Also the pre match pose with the umpire.

Believe me, 5 sets to nine in this heat is no mean feat.

Até a vista

Mark

3 July News Update

BBQ and Wimbledon final - Sunday July 6th

We are organising a BBQ on Sunday after social mix in and before the Wimbledon final. So why not come along, play some tennis, have a BBQ lunch and then watch the final ?  We do need numbers, so please either e mail info@oadbytennis.co.uk, sign up at the club or contact Mike Minksi our chef -in- chief. Food will be served in the lead up to the final which starts at 2pm. About 12 already signed up. Cost will be no more than £4.

Open Day

It was great to see so many members helping out at our annual Open Day on Sunday. Thanks to everyone, especially our Meeter and Greeter, Rosie O'C, who did most of the organising. It generated a lot of interest on the day, a number of new members and lots of enquiries since then to Hassan. We have signed up a total of 28 new members in June - thanks to the summer and Wimbledon factor !! Welcome to everyone !!

As part of the lead-up to the Open Day Rosie asked for any unwanted racquets for use on the day. Several were kindly donated but then 3 disappeared before they could be put away for safe keeping. If you took one, assuming they were free giveaways can you please return them as they weren't !

Clubhouse Refurbishment w/b Monday July 14th

Further to the last newsletter, more news regarding the refurbishment.
The current total cost (£47,000) for the four main aspects of the refurbishment/companies involved was given in the last newsletter. Details are currently with Sport England for approval before the work begins. The specific costs of these four aspects are in the attached document.  Additional costs will include loft insulation, some joinery and painting but all within the total budget of £45,698 + £10,000.

As mentioned previously, money can be saved by carrying out some of the preparatory work ourselves. A schedule for Saturday 12th July Work Party is attached. We need at least 10 volunteers to spread the workload, so if you can give up some time then please sign up at the club and/or e mail. Some jobs can be done ahead of the 12th if you have more time in the week before. Paul Handford is co-ordinating the Work Party, so please contact him if you have any questions.

During the week beginning 14th July, access to the lounge/kitchen/bar will probably not be possible, so please be prepared for this. We will set up kettle/mugs/coffee in the ladies' changing rooms and hopefully fine weather will mean people can take drinks outside. Showers will be affected while the boiler is replaced. We will keep everyone updated via the website twitter feed and notices at the club.  For information - the 2 bridge groups have been cancelled during the refurbishment month and the Ratings Tournament is being relocated. We have no other hirings during this period.

Lost Property

We are clearing out all lost property ahead of the refurbishment. All will be on display Friday - Sunday so please check to see if anything belongs to you. We published a full list a month ago but most items remain unclaimed.


Courts in Use and fixed fours etc

Most men's and ladies teams are reaching the end of their matches, which frees up courts in the week. A fixed four booking sheet will be up for courts next week. We do have mixed matches some Tuesdays and Thursdays so please check the website for full details.


John Tunnicliffe

We have received a card from Pat and family to members of the club: My family and I would like to thanks all members of the club who send kind messages of condolence and attended John's funeral.
I would especially like to thank the people who were with him when he collapsed and offered their help. If it is any consolation to us, it was his wish to die on a tennis court. 

News Update 20 June 2014

June 2014 Newsletter

Firstly, thanks to everyone who supported our RallyforBally fund raiser last  weekend. Our sales of Big Breakfasts, cakes and tea/coffee, together with donations raised £140 to be divided equally between the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Elena Baltacha Tennis Academy.  Thanks to Sheila C for her help in the kitchen!
Sheila has also offered to organise a raffle later in the year. She has already secured a number of very good prizes from members and would be pleased to hear from anyone else who can provide a prize.

Further to the sad news about John Tunnicliffe in the last update, a few words below:  
             
John Tunnicliffe   (1936 – 2014)

John played tennis throughout his life. He was a member of Syston Northfields among other clubs before joining Oadby over 20 years ago. He was a regular figure on our courts every Sunday morning as well as playing in daytime fixed fours. He was a very keen competitor who loved playing matches against other clubs and county sides and was captain of Leicestershire’s 75+ team.
Two members have written the following: “A man devoted to his tennis. He never gave up.”  “I was always impressed by his effort and commitment which I found an inspiration. I shall miss him”.
Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.

Clubhouse Development & Sport England

Following on from the EGM where we made a commitment to keep members informed about our progress with our Sport England Award,  I am pleased to tell you that we have started to award the tenders to contractors.

As per our original intention and Sport England's criteria, we have obtained three quotes for each job (over 18 quotes in total). There have been lots of decisions to make that have involved a great deal of discussion. There are also a couple of things that have moved forward which weren't in our original bid.

Firstly, the committee has taken the decision to plaster the majority of the lounge/bar area. Some brickwork will remain across the front and to the left of the bar in order to preserve some of the original features. Brickwork in the entrance hall/corridor will remain.

We have also made the decision to have all of the windows replaced - they will be rosewood on the outside/white on the inside and will be triple glazed. This will mean that we can do away with the secondary glazing that was put in some years ago.

Another decision is to install solar panels on the roof. Whilst this wasn't in the original bid, Sport England have agreed to, and are enthusiastic about, our intentions in this area. The club has discussed at committee meetings the possibility of going down this route a number of times before, but the costs to the club at the time meant that any project just wasn't viable. However, we are now in a different situation. Whilst generating electricity for ourselves, we would also be exporting back to the national grid and, over the next 6 or 7 years, will have paid back the initial costs (if we were paying for it ourselves). If numbers are your thing, Paul is your man to speak to! As I have mentioned, Sport England have agreed to this as it falls within the Environmental Sustainability remit of the project. It also fits within our budget, there will no extra financial cost to the club.

There will be a gas boiler which will be sited in the loft, which will free up space within the men’s changing rooms. It will also be more efficient than the boiler we are running at the moment.

The contractors working with us will be:
Central Heating - East Goscote Plumbers
Lighting - Glenfield Electrical
Windows - Welland Valley
Plastering - Robert Smith
Solar Heating - Solar Heat UK

The total costs for the above is approximately £47,000 (our grant was £45,698).

You will also see that the results from the recent online survey are up at the club, notice has been taken of comments made and revamping the patio and bar areas are on the agenda, however with a busy couple of months ahead these may be projects that run into my year as ex-officio!

Please appreciate that to make decisions like these on behalf of club members is never easy for the committee and we know that, alongside the strong supporters, there will be others who are not fully in favour. Through careful budgeting of these improvements, however,  we will be able to have more than in the original plan (given the overestimates explained at the EGM). The end result will be a much more energy efficient clubhouse with a lighter, brighter, more modern feel to the lounge/hall which takes the club into the next phase of its successful 68 year existence.

Work Party 12th/13th July 

During the period of clubhouse development, some money can be saved by some work being done by members ourselves. The first help we need is to help clear the lounge area and dust proof the bar/kitchen on the weekend of 12th/13th July. We are asking for 1/2 a day from 10 or so people. We'll put a sign up sheet in the foyer. Thanks in advance to all volunteers.

Diary Dates

Word Cup/Wimbledon – watch matches from the clubhouse !
Sunday 29th June – Open Day, 1.30-4pm, all courts in use. This is part of the Great British Tennis Weekend, offering free coaching to adults and juniors. A poster is attached if you have a place where one can be displayed.

 If you know of anyone who is interested please get them to come along to the event – membership rates reduced on the day and for the week following.

We are also in need of some spare racquets for adults so if you have any old unwanted ones, please bring them to the club

Wednesday 2nd July – Adult Open Day follow-up, alongside usual Wednesday evening mix-in

Saturday 5th July – Closing date for Leics. Closed County Tournament

Sunday 6th July – Wimbledon Men’s Final, on TV in the clubhouse. Bar, strawberries and cream and other delights available!

Saturday mid July – Parent & Child Tournament, date to be confirmed.

Saturday 26th July- Start of Leics. Closed County Tournament for a week

Tuesday 5th August – Men’s Night

Saturday 16th August – Ladies’ Afternoon

Best wishes
Katie

Ps  Please note that Sue will be away from her laptop (and Oadby!)  for 7 out of the next 10 days so if you need to get in touch please mail me on katieengland74@aol.co.uk