2023-12-31-accounts

Annual report and Accounts

for the year ended 31 December 2023

Passionate in providing tennis for everyone in the community Totnes Community Tennis Club ~ annual report year ended 31 December 2023

www.totnestennisclub.co.uk Registered Charity Number: 1169109 1

Totnes Community Tennis Club

Chairman’s Report from Francis Porter

It’s with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Totnes Community Tennis Club’s annual report for 2023.

It has been another wonderful vibrant successful year and the following report highlights all that has happened. Our Special Needs tennis and community garden initiatives have continued to flourish and receive amazingly powerful feedback from the teachers, students and volunteers.

This year we have seen more and more members offering their help in the day-to-day running of the club – the club is so busy that we have needed support with maintenance, tennis events and other tasks. Without all of you helpjng, the club would not be able to function so successfully. But my biggest thanks, as always, goes to the committee members. Their dedication, passion, and unwavering support have once again made our community thrive both on and off the courts.

Together, we have all created a vibrant and inclusive environment where players of all levels can come together to enjoy the sport we love.

Everyone’s commitment to our club's values and the volunteers’ willingness to contribute their time and talents enrich the experiences of all members.

As we head into 2024 I trust that our club will continue to offer all its members and visitors a peaceful vibrant environment to exercise, socialise and ‘take a short break’ from the wider world. Thank you for your continued support and participation. Here's to another fantastic year ahead filled with memorable moments and shared victories.

Trustees

Graham Hayman Sara Widdicombe Francis Porter Paul Thomas John Callaway Jackie Clayton ( resigned 13 November 2023 ) Geoff Powell ( appointed 13 November 2023 ) Jacqui Merrington ( appointed 13 November 2023 )

The Trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Membership

Adults

The popularity of the club continued during 2023, with many new enquiries for membership. In previous years the membership was capped at 135 adults with the aim of giving members the best experience of the club. However with a growing waiting list the decision was made to open the membership to everyone. Stopping enthusiastic players from joining the club felt contrary to our community club ethos, so in 2023 we had a record 184 adult members.

The adult club membership fee was held at £130 in 2023.

The membership figures for the 2023/2024 tennis year are as follows:

		2023			2022
	Female	Male	Total	Female	Male	Total
Adults	77	107	184	51	84	135
Students	1	3	4	1	3	4

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Teams, club tennis, tournaments and coaching

Teams

Representative teams traditionally compete in the South Devon Summer Tennis League. There was a healthy interest from our adult members to represent the club in competitive tennis and the club fielded 6 teams across the various divisions. A big ‘thank you’ to all team captains for their selfless management of the squads and to all players who represented the club during the season. Thanks also to Abi Hawman who has not only managed the Mixed A and Ladies B squads but has also coordinated the two teams in the Winter League.

Captain’s Reports

MENS A – Rud Sawers

In our pursuit of retaining the title, the men’s 2023 South Devon Tennis league campaign unearthed a spirit in the camp that I simply had not seen before. With the club fielding 2 teams in this, the most competitive of leagues south of the National Tennis Centre, we sought breadth and depth from many players. Not only did this add a variety and a ‘shake and vac’ freshness, but also helped galvanise the club’s members.

Reminiscent of the unforgettable ‘up and at em!’ togetherness of Escape to Victory …, our team managed to navigate the choppy waters of tricky banana skins such as the wind driven Ipplepen away and Churston’s ‘welcome to Hell’ claustrophobic walled garden in the heat of summer….

Thank you to all players and those behind the scenes, your contribution is never taken for granted. Players included: David Hamilton, Sam Cook, Ben Yeager, Richard Gibbon, Fraser Durham, Nigel Jones, Oliver Del Mar, Rud Sawers

LADIES A – Captain Della Joint

With the increased number of ladies in the tennis club now wanting to play matches, I suggested we could run 2 teams again as in the past, so I continued to manage the A team and Abi the B team.

Recalling the first match, it was Totnes ladies A v B. It had been a wet day but dry weather forecast later in the evening, so I made the call to carry on. So with 8 lively and vocal ladies waiting in the clubhouse it was all eyes on the captain’s decision, which I am pleased to say paid off and we played our match when the rain had passed. Phew!

We had a great season and some lovely matches.

The final match for us was against Kingsbridge and was to decide second place. I thought we had it in the bag, but unfortunately were pipped at the post by only 1 point.

LADIES B, MIXED A and WINTER LEAGUE – Captain Abi Hawman

Match play at the club is thriving, with a real enthusiasm from members. I captained the Ladies B team in the summer who were thrilled to have the opportunity to play.

We got many new members involved and all the ladies loved playing and team morale was high, with it more about having fun than winning.

I also captained the MIXED A team and this is always a tough league, but we played some brilliant tennis, enjoyed visiting other clubs and playing some great matches. Again, there was a lot of interest, and this was driven by people's competitiveness in the club! We were always up against it with some really high level clubs, but had a brilliant team and were very happy to be placed mid-table. Looking forward to doing better this summer!

A core group of members were very keen to continue playing through the cold winter months - so we have two teams in the winter league. With over 30 people interested - it was the right decision! Despite some miserable wet weather, everyone is so enthusiastic and happy for competitive play. The A team are currently top of the league and the B team's focus is to involve as many people as possible, get match experience and just have fun!

MIXED B – Captain Jacqui Merrington

Totnes Mixed B team had a fantastic season, securing the top spot in a competitive Division 2 and promotion to the top flight in the final game of the summer. Captained by Jacqui Merrington, the team aims to give as many players as possible the chance to compete against other clubs. This year more than 20 different players stepped up - winning 8 out of 10 league matches.

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

MENS B – Captain Paul Clayton

The Men's B team took on their first season after promotion to Division 1. The goal was to stay up, and not only did we achieve this, but challenged for a top 3 spot, falling short by just 3 sets. Across the season we called upon 11 different members to form our team, and everyone had a great attitude and commitment throughout the season.

Tournaments

Annual Club Closed Tournament

Following on the great success of last year’s tournament, our members were keen to once again do battle against one another. We were very pleased that we had enough ladies entering to allow for our first ladies singles event. Played over 6 weeks at the end of September, there were some excellent competitive matches in the early rounds with several being decided by a tense final set tie-break!

Eventually Finals Day arrived and there was high expectations for a great afternoon of matchplay tennis. However, an unfortunate injury meant that the mixed doubles and ladies doubles had to be declared as walkovers; however we were left with three finals to entertain a good sized crowd.

The Mens Final was a fantastic match as Rud battled hard to retain his trophy from the inspired challenge of Greg Robinson. Greg served and vollyed to the first set but Rud adapted his game to take the second and a very tense tie-break was just won by Rud.

The Ladies Final was a shorter affair but there were still plenty of good rallies until eventually Jacqui Merrington triumphed. In the Mens Doubles, Andrew and Paul served up an exhibition of impressive serve and volley doubles, matched with punishing service returns to easily run out victorious against Rud and Sam.

Finals Day Results

MENS SINGLES

Rud Sawers bt Greg Robinson 3-6, 6-2, 10-7

LADIES SINGLES

Jacqui Merrington bt Kate Medhurst 6-1, 6-2

MENS DOUBLES

Andrew Medhurst & Paul Clayton bt Rud Sawers & Sam Cook 6-1, 6-2

LADIES DOUBLES

Abi Hawman & Emma Croft w/o Helen Paley & Sacha Macey (ret. injured)

MIXED DOUBLES

Sacha Macey & Francis Porter w/o Helen Paley & Paul Hailey (ret. injured)

Wood and Whites tournament

The popular wood and whites tournament returned to our courts at the height of summer. Organised to coincide with the middle of Wimbledon fortnight, the unseasonal miserable weather put paid to the original plan and we had to reschedule.

As always, it was fun and fashion combining with old style technology to make for a great, traditional tennis day.

Wooden rackets and perfect “Persil” white clothing allowed the ladies to rediscover their inner- Everts and the gentlemen to become Bjorn again for a few hours of SW19 nostalgia.

16 mixed pairings took to the courts divided into 4 groups.

Group winners competed in the semi-finals. Jerry Hawley-Higgs paired with Penny Lee, won through to the final whilst Geoff Powell and Wendy Franklin defeated Alison Hannah and James Barrett.

Geoff and Wendy proved too strong for Jerry and Penny, playing out an enjoyable final and the day was completed with a fabulous BBQ prepared by Don Chalcraft and Punate.

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Club Sessions

The ever-popular club sessions run throughout the year. They continue to be the beating heart of the club.

The 3 sessions organised weekly during the afternoon and evening and again at the weekend are planned to maximise the opportunity for all adult members to attend.

Wednesday evenings adopt the stoic “whatever the weather” mentality with the die-hard regulars turning out in all weathers, under the lights through deepest, darkest winter. The feedback is always “we had some great games in spite of the weather”

Timings have been extended on Thurday afternoon with a 2.30pm start. This attempts to offset the frustration of our limited court capacity. Likewise, the popular Sunday morning sessions are extended. Running from 9- 11 and 11-1pm to try and reduce the mid-morning logjam and reduce waiting time. Sadly we cannot accommodate friends from other clubs.

The inclusive atmosphere warmly welcomes all adult members regardless of ability or experience. The convivial, but competitive tennis combines with a lovely social atmosphere off-court.

Jackie Clayton has stepped down from managing Thursday afternoon sessions. Consequently, the quality of biscuits is no longer a talking point.

An enormous amount of goodwill from many club members allows these three, weekly sessions to function so efficiently.

Barry Barber braves the elements on a Wednesday evening. He also manages the Sunday mornings, now that Peter Daly has relinquished the role.

Martin Loader steps in to oversee the sessions when Barry cannot attend.

Always first to arrive on a Thursday afternoon, even when his car fails him!, Jeremy Yonge now organises this regular session.

A massive thank you to all the club session managers.Your support is much appreciated.

Finally, thanks also to Abi Hawman who continues to support the club in so many ways. Abi is always on hand to manage the tennis balls, regularly stand-in to organise pairings and closedown club sessions. Abi’s support is invaluable.

Happy Hitters

Following a club forum, where the members have the opportunity to discuss all matters relating to TCTC, it was highlighted that the standard of tennis at our regular club sessions is somewhat challenging to the rustyreturners or members who are relative beginners.

A weekly happy hitters session is now arranged on a Friday afternoon. A self-managed session designed to bring together members of a similar level and experience in order to grow in confidence, develop skills learned in coaching sessions and enjoy some fun match play without the fear-factor of letting a partner down.

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Coaching report from Tonia Gooderham - LTA Level 4 Accredited Tennis Coach

Junior Coaching Programme

Our junior programme has continued to be very popular and well attended. Students continue to improve their tennis skills along with their ability to work together and to compete.

This year it has been wonderful to witness the children become extremely supportive to each other in match play sessions. It has been great to see them congratulate each other and to say bad luck in such a wonderful spirit. The match play programme emphasises healthy competition - the focus is on fun, personal best and identifying areas of the game to develop further. The match play sessions are a social event where children from all of the different coached groups come together and have fun. We are very keen to increase the number of match play opportunities for the players in 2024 and we feel it's a very valuable part of the programme.

I am very pleased that the Tennis Club will be offering a new category of junior membership this year. This will enable players aged 12-18 increased access to courts.

Again many of our students are selecting tennis as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. We are very happy to have these players working with the younger juniors and we have seen many examples of the benefits for everyone concerned.

During the summer term Rob and myself visited local primary schools. It was great to continue the link between the club and local schools. A number of the children subsequently joined the programme.

Category	Age (years)	Number of Juniors 2023	Number of Juniors 2022
Blue / Red	3-8	47	52
Orange	8-10	31	44
Green / Yellow	9-11+	61	54
Total		139	150

Adult Coaching Programme

I've continued to offer adult coaching to many groups throughout the week and the groups are working very well. I have created groups with players of similar ability and aspirations and it has been great to see their development. Many of them have gone on to join the club and access the resultant benefits for example; club sessions (including the new happy hitters session), matches in box leagues and representing club teams. I also continue to offer 121 sessions.

Finally, I'd like as always to say a big thank you to the Totnes Community Tennis Club committee for their management of the club - making it a safe and fun place to play. A huge thank you to Rob Mitchell for his continued support and enthusiasm for coaching on the programme. I'd also like to say a big thank you to Amy Carson who spends many hours a week volunteering and helping with the junior programme. Thank you to Paul Hailey for continuing to offer his expertise on equipment and stringing. My final thank you is of course to all of the players and parents who support the coaching programme. It's been an incredibly rewarding year and I look forward to the year ahead!

Tonia Gooderham Tennis Coaching

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Courts and Maintenance

Public Use Of Courts

As a condition of our lease and in keeping with the spirit of the club we remain committed to keeping the courts open for public hire on a Pay & Play basis and feel it is important to encourage as many people as possible to play tennis. The health benefits of tennis are well known and it is gratifying to see the courts are being used by a wide range of people.

Income from public and non-member court hire was £3,989 in 2023. The charge for the courts remains at £4 per hour per person.

Court bookings are made via the club’s website using the ClubSpark booking system and access to the courts is controlled with combination locks. Thanks to Graham Hayman for changing the lock codes and communicating with the membership.

Court Surface

The artificial turf court surface on court numbers 1-3 remains popular and is in general wearing and playing very well. Court 4 remains the principal coaching court and is wearing well. The court was moss treated in December 2023.

Floodlights

The lights on court numbers 1-3 are excellent. The Tweener lights on court 4 work well and the strategically placed banner on the fence between court 4 and the three artificial grass courts has broadly solved the problem of dazzle on the clubhouse side of courts 1-3.

Maintenance

The maintenance team were kept busy during the year, carrying out both routine and improvement tasks:

• The artificial turf court surface requires regular maintenance. The courts are dressed with sand and need to be swept twice a week. We have a small tractor for this purpose.

• The problem of leaf litter still remains, so we again asked for volunteers to join the maintenance team and sweep the courts in the late autumn. Thank you to all the members who helped and we hope to call on your services again in the future. Club member Colin Gill has stepped up to allow the use of his adapted lawn tractor to brush, sweep and collect leaf litter on courts 1-3.

The committee is in negotiation with First Serve Ltd, the company who installed the courts, to cover ongoing maintenance support issues beyond the scope of the maintenance team such as, power-washing, moss treatment and technical advice on matters such as surface repairs and optimum surface performance.

Storage remains a problem and we have acquired a lockable trunk that sits in the clubhouse to house coaching equipment.

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped with the numerous maintenance tasks during the year. Your help is massively appreciated and is reflected in the superb playing characteristics and appearance of the courts.

If any members have the time and inclination to help with the weekly tractor drag and any maintenance tasks please contact paul on [e-mail]

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Fundraising

Jackpot Club

Now in its 9th year, the Jackpot Club continues to be an integral part of the club’s fund raising efforts

50% of revenue generated is returned to Jackpot members in monthly cash prizes. 50% contributes to the club sinking fund for facilities upkeep and development. The Jackpot Club with over 50 members from TCTC, together with support from families and friends raises over £1,500 annually and awards over £1,000 in prizes. All members will be invited to join as the spring approaches.

Entry remains at £1 per week.

Sponsorship

We are delighted to continue our relationship with Miles Kevin & Chartsedge, the independent estate agent based in Totnes, marketing homes in Devon and Cornwall.

Likewise, we are grateful for the continuing support provided by Mark Annear at The Cott Inn, Dartington.

2023 saw The Clay Yard (Alison Hannah) take up one of our banner sponsorships and we would like to thank the following local businesses for their continuing support of our club:

Arbow Garage Paul Hailey Rud Sawers Architects The East Gate Bookshop

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Financial review

The year ended 31 December 2023 resulted in a surplus of £26,896, (2022: £23,367) with total income of £43,115 (2022: £43,951) and total expenditure £16,219 (2022: £20,584).

The main sources of income for the club were:

• Membership subscriptions £24,115, (2022: £21,910), accounting for 56% of total income (2022: 50%). The adult membership fee was held at £130 for the year (2022: £130)

• Court hire and lights £11,717 (2022: £11,118) 27% of total income (2022: 25%)

• Fundraising income, together with grants and sponsorship amounted to £6,731 (2022: £8,186) 16% of total income (2022: 19%)

• The Jackpot club, the club’s main fundraising activity raised £1,554 net (2022: £1,137) after prize money and costs.

Sponsorship income of £1,500 was gratefully received from local businesses.

Details of the restricted funds income received during the year is shown in the table below:

	Grant funder/Event	Purpose	Amount (£)
	South Hams District Council	Garden project	500
	Local Giving–Little Magic	Garden project	500
	China Blue	Garden project	200
	Club fundraising events	Garden project	353
	Member donations	Garden project	150
	LTA Open court initiative	iPlay30	300
	Donation	iPlay30	60
	Member donations	Clubhouse	50
	Total		2,113

Expenditure

• The garden project was the main expenditure item for the club during the year, costing £5,945. This covered the management costs of Parklife SW, groundworks, materials and plants. £3,703 of this was funded by grants and donations, with the balance funded by the club.

• Routine costs of maintaining the courts and clubhouse were £3,766 (2022: £1,985). All of the courts were professionally cleaned/treated during the year.

• The club received a refund of £140 for rent paid for a period prior to the lease agreement being signed.

• Restricted fund expenditure was for the Garden project £3,703, iPlay30 £1,503 and the new clubhouse £50.

The surplus of £26,896 for the year, results in total club funds of £139,933 at 31 December 2023 (2022: £113,067).

Reserves policy

The committee have decided to hold a general fund at a level of 9-12 months operating expenditure, with the remaining funds held as designated funds. The designated funds will be used for future refurbishment and improvements at the club, specifically the new clubhouse in the near future. A sinking fund for the refurbishment of the courts and perimeter fencing currently stands at £40,000 (£10,000 is set aside each year) and the development fund at £90,000.

Restricted funds

The restricted funds held at 31 December 2023 are for iPlay30 and will be used to fund this programme in 2024. iPlay30 are tennis activity sessions for children with learning, sensory and physical disabilities and for those experiencing ill-mental health.

The accounts are shown on the last page of the report.

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Disability Programme

We are well into our third year of the disability programme and it continues to be a huge success for Bidwell Brook, Lifeworks and all the volunteer helpers. There are very few other clubs in the South West that have a provision for Disability Tennis. These students need to learn the benefits of exercise, and we need to see them celebrating their successes, however small. You can see from the feedback below from staff and volunteers how beneficial this programme is. A huge shout out must go to our coach Tonia and the team of amazing volunteers. We are always looking to recruit more helpers so if you can spare an hour to volunteer from time to time please get in touch with John Callaway. This year John and the volunteers who have managed the special needs tennis programme, won the Devon Tennis For All Award for embracing diversity and inclusivity in tennis and were also shortlisted for the Special Active Devon award. A fantastic achievement and testament to the hard work of everyone involved.

Bidwell Brook feedback

“We have accessed the tennis sessions for a while now and the students and adults have got so much out of it. They have formed lovely relationships with each other and the students look forward to attending every week. The sessions are always planned fantastically and the volunteers interact with the students wonderfully. It has become one of the highlights of the week.”

Richard Monaghan, class teacher, Bidwell Brook School

Lifeworks College Feedback

“We have, once again, had the opportunity to access tennis sessions at Totnes Community Tennis club. This is a fantastic opportunity for all students. Through the programme, expertly provided and delivered by wonderfully friendly and empathetic tennis coaches led by the brilliant Tonia, students from Lifeworks have learned new skills, embedded those skills, surpassed their expectations of themselves and surprised themselves in their own capabilities. Added to this is the sense of fun engendered by the staff that has enabled and encouraged greater levels of access for all students. For some students, tennis is not a natural bedfellow, but after some encouragement, all students now access the sessions in a variety of ways. Several reluctant students now engage for the whole hour and enjoy it. Lifeworks College regularly take 11/12 students to these sessions and all 11/12 are now fully engaged. The majority of students are developing great relationships and friendships with all coaches and know them on first name terms. This is testament to the approaches the coaches have adopted with the students and is a hugely beneficial offshoot from initial expectations of the project. Clearly all students are developing much improved body awareness, hand eye co-ordination and stamina. For many this is the only physical activity/skill development programme they receive. An additional aspect of the project has been students involvement and continued access to the development of the Sensory Garden. Both parts of our involvement with the tennis club have allowed a feeling of belonging and attachment for young people who struggle to develop these in their wider communities. From a staff perspective, it is the highlight of the week and very much appreciated. From a student perspective, it is very much something to look forward to and be engaged in. “

Steve Crowe, Learning Support Assistant / Tutor at Lifeworks College

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Volunteers’ Feedback

“The iPlay30 sessions have gone from strength to strength (in my humble opinion). Personally it’s one of the best parts of my week and always leaves me feeling happy & uplifted.

There is an amazing team of volunteers & helpers, who play such an important role in working together, along with the students, creating an environment for them to hone the different skills taught by the fabulous Tonia. The young people who attend are great, some of whom have a natural flare for tennis! They are engaging, and I have seen them flourish as the months have literally flown by. “

“I have been involved in education throughout my working career. I’ve worked with students at a selective boys grammar and enjoyed the challenge. However, working as a volunteer at Totnes Community Tennis Club within the Disability Tennis Coaching Programme has the been the most uplifting and rewarding connection with students I have ever experienced. All the students flourish within a fun but focused learning environment. They are determined and driven to succeed. Many achieve goals and success barely imaginable, the day they first set foot on our courts. While they work hard on the demanding techniques of modified tennis, they continue to acquire essential life skills. Developing both social competence and selfconfidence. I meet many of them in the High Street, Totnes. Some at their work placement. I regard them all as my friends, always prepared to meet and greet you with a smile and start a conversation. It was so heartening to see one of the students booking a tennis court to play at a local indoor tennis centre with his family. Thanks must be given to the staff at Bidwell Brook and Lifeworks also to the coach and fellow volunteers at the club. Particularly thanks to club Chairman, Francis Porter and most of all to John Callaway who had the vision and determination to run with this project. To me the most ambitious and successful project the club has ever attempted.”

LTA Level 4 accredited tennis coach Tonia Gooderham’s feedback on the programme

“We have had another incredible year of tennis with the Lifeworks and Bidwell Brook students. They continue to bring such vibrancy to the club arriving each week full of smiles and energy. As the coach leading the sessions I have witnessed tremendous progress in the students on many levels. Their physical skills are improving, particularly the ability to control power and improve control. They are also able to work cooperatively with each other in a very supportive manner. The success they are achieving is really enhancing their enjoyment of the game. I personally continue to love working with the students and look forward to more fun on court in 2024. A big thank you to all the volunteers, teachers and particularly John Callaway for organising and making this programme possible.”

Community Garden Project

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

This year saw the vision of our collaborative community garden come to fruition. A wonderful project that has empowered special educational needs students from Lifeworks College in Dartington. Managed by the club in collaboration with Parklife SW and supported by funds from Totnes Town Council, the Little Magic Grant local businesses and club members, the project has provided a platform for growth, education, and collaboration. This initiative aims to cultivate a sense of belonging and empowerment for students with diverse abilities at the same time as beginning a regeneration of this valuable green space at the heart of Totnes by creating a sensory garden with wheelchair access.

This garden has transformed an under utilised space within the park into a green haven, bursting with colourful flowers, aromatic herbs, and nourishing vegetables. The garden features wheelchair-accessible raised beds, sensory plants, seating and a place of calm and colour for local people to rest a moment. Our chair Francis said: “At a time when there is so much doom and gloom, it is inspiring and uplifting that a special education college, volunteers, environmental groups and local businesses can come together in a shared mission to enhance this important green space at the heart of our community.” Lifeworks College students were involved in planning and designing the space. Work began in the summer and the students were encouraged to contribute as much or as little as they wanted and to work at their own pace. There were numerous tasks such as painting planters, digging/moving materials, helping to build large planters, selecting plants and planting.

By the end of July the wonderful new garden was ready for the public and wildlife to enjoy. This is an ongoing project with more planting planned as the seasons come and go, with the students from Lifeworks involved with the weekly maintenance of the garden which has become part of their college curriculum and community work.

Testimonial from Lifeworks Learning Support Tutor

“ Lifeworks College became involved in the development of a sensory garden at Totnes Community Tennis Club from the outset of the project. To this end students have assisted in the design, the planning, and the physical development of the plot of land in question.

Students were given a blank canvas onto which their individual ideas could be included. Those ideas that proved most prevalent in these plans were then incorporated into the completed plan. These included raised beds, paths accessible for all, scented areas, garden seating and areas for vegetable growing. This has proved to be an ideal and very purposeful project for our students. Having gained a clear plan of what was required and working alongside expert landscape gardeners and willing volunteers, the students really began to feel they belonged to a team, a group of people with a single goal and as the project progressed, they could see the plans become concrete and real. As visual learners, many of them gained motivation and confidence through practical tasks and visible developments. Students also came to feel that through their efforts and hard work, they were contributing to a community facility that all members of that community could benefit from. They became proud of the garden they were helping to create. The culmination of the students efforts looks very impressive. This has been witnessed by passerby’s comments, newspaper clippings of the opening ceremony and continued involvement in the maintenance and upkeep of the garden, something the students are very keen to be involved in. Students have, as a direct result of the project, not only learned valuable skills such as working as part of a team, communicating with unknown people and using their initiative whilst working independently on tasks, they have also had fun, pushed their comfort zones back a few notches and created and maintained strong relationships with people associated with the project.

All students feel a great of pride in what they have achieved, and rightly so. They also see the need to continue to maintain and develop the garden in the long term, as so many people continue to benefit from this calming, tranquil and beautiful facility.”

Steve Crowe, Learning Support Assistant / Tutor at Lifeworks College

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Social Events

Cricket Match with Harberton Cricket Club

The tennis club cricket team captained by Geoff Cornish were denied a famous victory once again. It was close and at one stage Harberton were looking worried as Jack and Greg hit a purple patch which saw them pile on the runs, hitting boundary after boundary. In the end the tail didn’t wag, but it was a great sporting game enjoyed by a bumper crowd and boosted by the tennis club barmy army. What a wonderful spot to enjoy a picnic with friends and watch an exciting game of cricket.

Bowls Social Match

Over 16 Tennis Club Members joined our neighbours at the Bowls Club for a sedate afternoon of bowls on a sunny Sunday in September. A very enjoyable afternoon was had by all with some of the tennis members showing off some silky skills with their woods. A big thanks to Mike Hannaford and the team at the Bowls Club for making us feel so welcome and opening the bar afterwards.

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

The Great TCTC Pottery Throw Down

Another great TCTC social event and probably one that is unique to all LTA accredited clubs across the nation! A brilliantly entertaining night was enjoyed by all which involved a very competitive knock out doubles, pottery throw down. With little prior experience, those taking part had 5 minutes to produce a masterpiece. The results were mixed with some showing potential and others who got messy! As it was a knockout tournament the judges had to make some difficult decisions picking those who would go through to the next round or to see their work thrown in the bin, destined to be recycled in the pug mill- so harsh! Those making it through to the final had no idea what was coming next. Alison had added a little twist- the four finalists were to throw blindfolded! With the winner and runner-up taking the prize of having their artwork inscribed, fired and glazed to make the trophy for the Wood and Whites tournament in July, the pressure was really on. However congratulations went to Kate Medhurst who came out top in a fiercely competitive throw off with Marshall taking the runner up spot. A massive thanks to Alison at The Clay Yard for hosting this event. We are planning to run the event again this year with a tentative date being set for Friday 7th June 2024.

Christmas Party

Thanks to everyone in the club who supported a fantastic night at Things Happen Here. A big shout out to the Little Big Band, James G our club DJ and the staff at Pizzalogica and THH. We were also treated to what could be the launch of Paul Thomas’s new career as a singer song writer.

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Independent Examiner’s Report to the members of Totnes Community Tennis Club

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts, set out on page 16, of the above charity (“the club”) for the year ended 31[st] December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the club’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent Examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

• the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

• the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

• the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Karen Williams ACA, ICEAW Dorsley Barton Harberton Totnes

26th February 2024

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Totnes Community Tennis Club

Receipts and Payment Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

No. Receipts Membership subscriptions Adults – full year 185 Students / Juniors 29 Total Member subscriptions Match fees Court hire and lights T-shirt sales Event / tournament proceeds Fundraising income Grants & Sponsorship Total receipts Payments Tennis balls T-shirts Event costs Coaching iPlay 30 South Devon League fees Fundraising expenses Garden project Clubhouse repairs Courts & grounds maintenance Courts lights / resurfacing New clubhouse Office costs Insurance Rent refund (SHDC) Bank/stripe charges Subscription – LTA Cleaning Total payments Surplus Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward Total funds held: General fund Restricted fund – I Play 30 Restricted fund – Garden project Designated – Sinking fund Designated – Development fund Total funds	2023 2023 2023 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds £ £ £ No. 23,600 - 23,600 163 515 - 515 47 24,115 - 24,115 - - - 11,717 - 11,717 - - - 552 - 552 3,118 813 3,931 1,500 1,300 2,800 41,002 2,113 43,115 664 31 695 - - - 701 - 701 - 1,365 1,365 56 - 56 1,410 - 1,410 2,242 3,703 5,945 509 - 509 3,150 107 3,257 - - - - 50 50 68 - 68 809 - 809 (140) - (140) 377 - 377 540 - 540 577 - 577 10,963 5,256 16,219 30,039 (3,143) 26,896 107,967 5,070 113,037 138,006 1,927 139,933 8,006 1,927 - 40,000 90,000 139,933	2022 Total Funds £ 21,200 710
		21,910 28 11,118 287 2,422 2,821 5,365
		43,951 616 212 905 1,260 5 1,385 - 139 1,846 3,960 8,100 490 673 - 383 480 120
		20,584 23,367
		89,670 113,037
		7,967 3,070 2,000 30,000 70,000
		113,037

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