PEWSEY TENNIS CLUB – CLUB DEVELOPMENT 1993-2011

Although the Club was formed in 1947, significant development of the Club has only happened over the past 20 years due mainly to the enthusiastic and supportive club membership and with strong leadership from various Chairmen during this period. To put a perspective on where the Club was in 1993 and now, a ‘potted history’ of the significant developments is detailed below. Pewsey Tennis Club has some of the best facilities in Wiltshire and it aims to keep them attractive and welcoming.

• 1993 - the club had 3 grass courts and 3 hard courts –Chairman Rob Lindeman

• 1994 –Courts 1&2(grass) made into tarmac

• 1995 – Courts 1&2 Floodlit – ‘matched funding from the LTA –cost £8000

• 1995 – New Co-op supermarket built and required our last grass court (where we now park). Although land only leased from Pewsey PC Rob and Mike Fowler negotiated a lease surrender payment of £8000 and land for a new Court 6. Club now had funds to invest.

• 1996 – Club with encouragement from Kennett DC decided to apply to the National Lottery(newly launched) to build a new Clubhouse, floodlight another court/build a new court(6)

• Mike Fowler(Club Secretary) of Mike Fowler Architects designed the Clubhouse and whilst some members thought it ‘too grand’ an EGM was held and 50 members supported the proposal with Rob to spearhead the bid with great support from Amanda Foxton(now our President/Committee member)

• LTA supported the bid but it had to submitted alongside the Pewsey Vale School bid for 3 new floodlit courts and 3 courts resurfaced

• Bids interdependent but funded separately – School target Lottery £60k and LTA £20k

• Club target – Club funds £15k(inc. £8k re carpark),LTA loan £15K (0% interest) ,KDC grant £10k,Club private loan £10k and Lottery £68k.

• 1998 –Success –“ Pewsey Tennis Club gets Wiltshire’s largest Lottery bid” ran the headline in the Gazette & Herald with Amanda’s thriving junior section a key element for the LTA

• 1998 -in May Pewsey Tennis Club created/launched the Community Tennis Partnership(Pewsey Vale School, Wilts LTA, Kennet DC, Pewsey PC) – a first for Wiltshire and one of the first 4 CTPs formed in England – Amanda Foxton energised the CTP for the benefit of junior tennis and Derrick Day was a very supportive Chairman

• 1998 – in October Rob Lindeman stepped down as Club Chairman, succeeded by Mike Cox, but Rob continued to manage the clubhouse building project

• 1998 Christmas – clubhouse completed, centre court floodlit

• 1999 – Spring – Court 6 built and Pewsey Vale School also completed their project – both projects came in ontime/within budget and Lottery officials confirmed all targets met

• 1999 –11th September – Mark Cox, well-known Davis Cup player and LTA official opened the Clubhouse, new court and floodlights with circa 150 in attendance

• 1999 – 10th December – Club awarded ‘the Club of the Year Award’ by the LTA at a Wimbledon dinner,accepted by Rob Lindeman and Amanda Foxton- a memorable evening

• 2000 -2004 – the Club continued to flourish under the Chairmanship of Mike Cox(1999-2002), Paul Nash(2003) and Rob Lindeman(2004)with greater emphasis starting to be placed on junior tennis via the Community Tennis partnership, Chaired by Derrick Day

• 2004 THE NEXT PHASE!! Club financially sound but only 3 courts floodlit(very dimly)limiting clubnight play during the winter months and a new initiative to raise funding in order to seek matched funding from the LTA was launched – the Winter Ball(organised by Jacqui Antczak ,Sally Brown and Angie Baldock) –with some generous auction prizes donated by Mike Cox, Mari Gratton and Derrick Day, the first ball raised £6000 –we were off!!

• 2005 Colin Gratton became Chairman and Joint Project Manager for the new floodlights for Courts 4/5/6 with Rob Lindeman. Mike Fowler again helped with planning application.

• 2005 –Summer – lengthy negotiations, supported by Wilts LTA start with Sport England/ LTA grant of £20000 towards project costs of £42000 –Club raised £16000 and Kennet DC donated £6000( Section 106 agreement monies re Bloor Homes development in Pewsey).In addition to floodlights the Club wished to enhance electrical supply(for new floodlights for Courts 1/2/3, construct a hitting wall and create a Kidszone on Court 6 plus gated entrance

• 2005 –Winter – another successful ball and new 25 year lease granted by Pewsey PC

• 2005 – following club opposition the football club withdrew their application to site a telecommunications mast opposite Court 1

• 2006 – February – grant of £20000 agreed and work commissioned

• 2006 – June – all work completed and within budget.Final LTA loan instalment re clubhouse repaid.

• 2006 – October – the new floodlights were officially switched on by Matt James, Head of Tennis Development at the LTA and the new lights did not let us down!! Colin Gratton, Chairman in his speech asked Matt whether we could now apply for a further grant as the new lights made the old ones look very dim – Matt encouraged the Club to apply!

• 2006 –November – another successful fund raising Ball

• 2007 – April, grant agreed by Sport England/LTA of £14000 towards cost of new floodlights for Courts 1/2/3 -£28000. Mike Fowler helped once again with planning permission.

• 2007 – June – new floodlights installed

• 2007 – November – the new floodlights were named as ‘Ivor’s lights’ in memory of Ivor Jones, a very popular club member,who at 42 years old lost a 2 year battle with cancer. Ivor’s wife Janice and her two sons James and Jacob , his mother Patricia, partner Geoff and Ivor’s sister Sara all attended the official switching on by Janice and Matt James(LTA).

• 2008 – February AGM – Colin Gratton,Chairman confirmed that all the projects planned over the past 3 years had come in ontime and within budget and a huge thanks was due to the fundraising efforts,notably via the Winter balls

• 2008 –September – Tennis Clubmark accreditation awarded –Pewsey amongst the first 4 clubs in Wiltshire to receive this national kitemark

• 2009-2011 Colin Gratton continues as Chairman of our great club where the emphasis has been more focussed on tennis, just for a change! Fundraising ,as ever, via Winter/Spring Balls has continued

• And finally, this ‘potted history’ has been compiled in by Colin Gratton and Rob Lindeman, our memories may have played tricks re dates but both of us recognise that many more members than those mentioned have helped create our great club – thankyou to one and all