Sign up quick if you want to get on the bridge classes starting at the club on Monday evenings.....

first session is 21 September....

call Bob on 01962 760311 for details

We say farewell to fitness instructors Aviv Mayan and David Thrower who are leaving us this month. Both Aviv and David are taking time out from the fitness industry and will focus on their security work. We wish them well.

In the meantime Rebecca, our fitness manager, is currently interviewing potential replacements and will hope to appoint some new members of the team soon.

Most members will be aware that Bar and Catering Manager Alan Cosh leaves us this month and we wish him well in his new venture. We considered a number of options for replacing Alan, among which included recruiting from within.

Following an excellent presention to myself and some members of the management committee I am pleased to announce that Jacob Ryder has been appointed as Bar and Catering Manager.

 Jake will be pleased to hear from any members on their thoughts for the bar and catering operation.
 
As part of the restructuring, Jemma Green has taken on the role of Conference Coordinator in addition to her Bar and Catering supervisory role.
 
Both Jake and Jemma are very enthusiastic and highly motivated about taking over and I am confident that they will bring further improvements to the bar and catering facility and service.

Billy Kerr

In my last update I was pleased to report that the project was given stage 1 sign off by the LTA.

Stage one sign off outlines the LTA’s intent to support the project financially and, subject to us working through various aspects with the LTA such as legal charge, technical assessments, final confirmation of project costs etc, we anticipate that the project funding will soon be formally approved.

We had hoped to have final sign off by March 2009; however some of the technical information required by the LTA was not fully available due to delays in the production of a soil survey report. The aim is now to have the final sign off by the LTA at their June funding committee meeting but this is very much dependant on all of the technical information and final detailed costings being fully available to them. This detail is currently being worked up and every effort is being made to achieve this target date.

Once we achieve final sign off of funding support by the LTA, we will then once again share the full project information with the club membership and subsequently aim to call an EGM in late June to seek member approval to go ahead with the project. If the June target date is missed, then the next LTA funding committee meeting is September.

Our target construction dates (assuming member approval) are therefore very much dependant on the LTA final sign off.

THE PROJECT

It has now been a year since we held a series of member communication meetings to provide comprehensive information on the indoor court project and to give members the opportunity to ask any questions about the development.

There have been a number of new members join the club in the past 12 months so, for their benefit, it is worthwhile to summarise the project key points once again.

• The intention is to build a framed fabric 4 indoor court structure on the site of existing courts 13/14 and 15-17.

• Planning permission was granted in January 2008 and we have since been working with the LTA to secure funding for the project.

• following detailed inspection of our financial projections, both the bank and the LTA have committed their support to the project.

• Financial projections for the indoor courts are currently based on a project cost of £800,000

• There will be no increase in membership fees specifically required to fund the project

• It is projected that the indoor courts will contribute additional income to the club which will in turn benefit all sections of the club

Since last year, in consultation with the LTA, we have drawn up a revised and more comprehensive club business plan (including a section on the indoor courts development). Detailed financial and operational information relating to the indoor courts was included in this plan, including revised cashflows with even more cautious forecasts than originally submitted.

It was reassuring to the management committee that the LTA financial advisors on their funding committee were fully supportive of our projections and the viability of the project. The bank have subsequently reconfirmed their financial support which, given the current economic climate, also indicates confidence in our plan.

The revised business plan and financial projections will be made available to members in advance of an EGM giving members adequate time to assess and be reassured of the benefits that the project can bring to the club.

For some general Q&As on the indoor courts please click on the link to answers to questions previously posed by members

http://www.thewinchesterclub.net/QAcov.html
 
For an idea of how the building will look please click on the link below
 
http://www.summitstructures.com/industries/sports/west-worthing/

While most of the questions on the indoor courts have been answered at one time or another over the 12-18 months, please do not hesitate to raise any questions that you may have. Billy Kerr, our General Manager, is present at the club most days and is always ready to help.

Please be assured that members will be kept informed as soon as we hear any further news from the LTA.

Chris Davies
Honorary Chairman

In my last update I reported that our funding application would go before the LTA funding panel in December.

Our application was discussed at this panel and I am pleased to report that the project was given stage 1 sign off by the LTA.

Stage one sign off outlines the LTA’s intent to support the project financially and subject to us working through various aspects with the LTA such as legal charge, technical assessments, final confirmation of project costs etc we aim to have final sign off by March 2009.
 
We are therefore still working toward the timescales that I mentioned in my last update.
Assuming that we achieve final sign off of funding support by the LTA, we will then share the full project information with the club membership and subsequently aim to call an EGM in April / May 2009 to seek member approval to go ahead with the project.

Should the membership support the project then the target start time for construction would still be late July 2009 with the indoor courts up and ready for the winter of 2009-10.

Chris Davies
Honorary Chairman
Winchester Tennis and Squash Club