Crescent Lawn Tennis Club
Trustees Annual Report
For the period
1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
Approval at the Annual General Meeting - 8 April 2025
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Introduction
This is the fourth annual report by the Trustees of Crescent Lawn Tennis Club and covers the period from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.
This version of the Trustees Report is provided to the Annual General Meeting 2025, subject to the Annual Accounts and Statement of Account being both approved and subject to independent examination.
Charity Name and Number
The Charity is Crescent Lawn Tennis Club and is registered with charity number 1192912.
Trustees
The current Trustees making and approving this report are:
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Bernadette Adams
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Nick Baker
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Tony Garrett
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Suzy Lundie
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Katy Taylor
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Elliott Scott
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Graham Watson
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Sophie Wintle
Charitable Objects and Performance
The objects of the Charity are for the local community and the surrounding area
- The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation in particular by the provision of facilities for the playing of tennis in a club environment.
Promoting the Charitable Objects - Achievements
In furtherance of the Charities objects (promoting the amateur sport of Lawn Tennis, and encouraging the well being and health of the community) and other achievements - the Charity undertook the following activities:
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Maintain a membership Club that offers the local community the opportunity to learn - through coaching by LTA qualified coaches and play tennis with others either for fun or competitively.
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School holiday camps - with local juniors attending sessions held during half term and the summer holidays. This is a paid for activity which enables parents to leave their children in the care of experienced and qualified coaches and the children to be entertained and taught tennis.
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Maintained a link with local schools providing coaching sessions for students and opportunities to improve physical and mental health.
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Continued to offer opportunities for ‘free’ hitting sessions for non members of any age or ability in a Club atmosphere.
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Supported LTA initiatives such as Pay and Play which allows the local community to use our facilities when not in use by members.
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Introduction of Padel and Pickleball.
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Maintained membership numbers.
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Increase in girls, women and juniors playing tennis.
Structure and Governance
The Charity is constituted and governed in accordance with its Constitution, created when the Charity was formed on 22 December 2020.
It is managed by a Management Committee composed currently of 8 Trustees. It is supported by a number of other volunteers (non Trustees/committee members). The Trustees are elected annually at an Annual General Meeting with nominations open to, and invited from, all members of the Club. Trustees must be 16+ and casual vacancies can be filled during the year.
The Committee meets once every 4/6 weeks.
The current Trustees have a wide range of skills that benefit the running in the Club, although inevitably there are a few ‘gaps’, which trustees are keen to fill.
The Committee considers all aspects of the running of the Club and routinely reviews aspects of coaching and tennis development (taking reports from the Head Coach), financial matters (taking a report from the Treasurer), governance matters (through reports from the Club Secretary) Membership issues (from the Membership Secretary), club play, fixtures and inter club matches (through reports from the Club Captains and Fixtures Secretary), and health and safety and grounds and maintenance issues. Through the Welfare/Safeguarding Officer, we ensure that we are both compliant and provide a safe environment at our Club. It also considers associated matters such as social events (used as fund-raising), participation in external events for the purposes of promoting the Charity and its objectives.
With regard to welfare and health and safety - Trustees take these issues seriously and have an item on all agenda for Trustee meetings whereby any issues or concerns can be raised.
Committee roles are currently as follows:
| Hon President Suzy Lundie |
|---|
| Chairman Nick Baker |
| Treasurer Bernie Adams |
| Membership Secretary Graham Watson |
| Club Secretary Nick Baker |
| Welfare/Safeguarding Sophie Wintle |
| Mens Captain Tony Garrett |
| Social Secretary Elliott Scott |
| Fixtures Secretary Sophie Wintle |
(A number of volunteers also support the Club - but do not sit on the Committee, including a Ladies Captain)
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As well as Club Constitution - Crescent Tennis Club has a number of written policies and procedures in force all of which can be found either on our club website or on notice boards in the clubhouse:
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Welfare/Safeguarding Policies.
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Terms and Conditions.
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Data Protection Protection Policy.
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Privacy Policy.
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Club Rules, Conduct and Etiquette.
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Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
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Complaints, Suggestion and Feedback Policy.
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Health and Safety Policy.
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Social Media
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Sun Awareness Guidance.
Financial Review
When discussing any aspects of our Club, including finance, it is important to remember that Crescent Lawn Tennis Club, is based within Sidcup Sports Club (SSC) and does not own its courts (or more specifically the land that the courts are on). The Club is subject to an annual levy that includes rent and some utilities etc. Details of our levy can be found in our accounts.
The Club derives its income from membership fees, coach court usage fees, sponsorship, floodlight fees, social events, and initiatives such as a ‘club draw’ and potentially from grants and/or loans.
At the AGM in April 2024, Trustees reported that the Club was financially stable and the general and financial aim going forward is to continue to improve the Club’s financial position with an emphasis on upgrading courts and other facilities. During 2025, this came to fruition with the installation of a Padel court and refurbishment of court 2.
Financially, this project, which was fully funded by the Club, means income from Padel can now be added to those listed above and at the 2025 AGM Trustees were able report that the Club remains in a good financial position.
Expenditure has been focused on the installation of a Padel Court and upgrading of court 2 - as well as on the SSC levy, tennis association and competition fees, development of a padel App booking system, purchasing equipment, and maintaining existing facilities that the Club owns (court surfaces, fencing, website etc) and necessary outgoings to support social events.
During 2024/25 - SSC negotiated (ongoing at the time to reporting) with its ‘constituent’ clubs an arrangement whereby the levy would remain at 2024/25 rates for the next six years (subjected to some inflationary increases or any emergency that would be required an above average increase). This could give the Tennis Club some further financial stability.
In addition, Trustees continued to achieve reductions in outgoings where possible and successfully achieved sponsorships, continued to benefit from Easyfunding, LTA Pay and Play scheme and run a number of highly successful social fund raising events.
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The Club continues to move forward with the aim of greater financial stability and to reinvest in its club’s facilities. In the coming months/years the Club has aspirations to further develop and improve specifically around court playing surfaces and upgrading and improving floodlighting.
A copy of the Club Accounts/Statement of Accounts, together with confirmation that they have been independently examined is attached at Appendix 1 to this report and submitted to the Charity Commission.
A look back and a forward look
2024/25 has been a momentous year for the Club and that momentum continues.
As mentioned, the emphasis is very much on maintaining financial stability, but also at reinvesting funds back into specifically the Club’s facilities, so as to sustain our charity aim of the promotion of community participation in healthy recreation in particular by the provision of facilities for the playing of tennis in a club environment.
Padel Tennis and Pickleball are envisaged to provide further and much needed alternative income streams into the Club and allow it to both continue to offer tennis on site to the community as well as improving facilities and opportunities.
An area Trustees are keen to develop is the retention and increase in club membership and people participating in tennis and other racket sports. Certainly, having better facilities will help in this aim.
Our membership over the past few years has been good (but needs to improve) and in particular, we are seeing more women and juniors taking up the sport. We believe that this upwards trend will continue, due in part, to an enthusiastic coaching team.
As well as involving more women into tennis there is also a focus on gaining enthusiasm from some local schools for the coaches’ services and at our facilities to get more young people into tennis. It remains an aim of Trustees to develop a programme to encourage people with disabilities and other hard to reach groups to play tennis.
The Club has also embraced the LTA’s initiative of opening up the tennis courts to non members and running a ‘play to play’ scheme to afford non members the opportunity to play at the Club.
Social Tennis play is an important aspect of the Club and Trustees are committed to ensuring that this remains. Equally, for those that wish to play more competitively, the Club will maintain teams in leagues as they acknowledge that competitive competition and any successes can be beneficial to the Club in attracting higher standard players and promoting the Club. It should also be noted that there has been a considerable uptake in taking part in the Club Championships, especially from new members and juniors.
The past year has been hard work for our club volunteers and the support from members has allowed it to make some very big steps towards not only the survival of the club, but to take the Club forward.
It would be poignant to state as part of this report that the Club is run by a small group of volunteers and the Trustee’s would like to extend their thanks to the continuing, often unsighted, contribution that they make.
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As the Club moves forward there will inevitably be areas of expertise that do not currently exist - The Club is very open to hearing from anyone who may feel they have the skills and/or experience to help the Club progress.
Finally, Trustees would like to continue to acknowledge and thank all our members, parents and supporters for your continued support and membership.
Nick Baker Chairman
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Appendix 1
Crescent Lawn Tennis Club - Accounts/Statement of Accounts
The Accounts presented cover the period 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025
Income & Expenditure Current Business Account 31826784 1st April 2024-31st March 2025
| Opening Balance 1st April 2024 | 36,408.19 |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Tennis | |
| Membership | |
| Adult Membership | 24,782.89 |
| 5 Year Adult Membership | 3,000.00 |
| Junior Membership | 1,801.76 |
| Couples | 540.00 |
| Parent Play with Paid Junior | 300.00 |
| YP/Student | 220.00 |
| Coach Income | - |
| Coach Court Usage | 4,940.50 |
| Coach Non Member Fee | 1,992.00 |
| Coach Floodlight Fees | 14.25 |
| Other PlayRelated Income | - |
| Floodlight Use (Stripe) | 191.75 |
| FloodlightUse (Bank Transfer) | 6.00 |
| Tennis Ball Sales | - |
| Visitors Fees | 145.00 |
| Stripe Pay & Play | 854.43 |
| Match Fees | 1,330.00 |
| Padel | - |
| Private Loan | 50,000.00 |
| CourtBooking/Hire ofEquip | 4,971.13 |
| Membership (All ages) | 33.12 |
| Pickleball | - |
| Social Sessions | 10.00 |
| Coaching | - |
| Non Play Related Income | - |
| Presentation Evening | 631.00 |
| Quiz | 10.00 |
| Refund SSC | 335.66 |
| Golf Day | 750.00 |
| Xmas Fast Fours | 171.00 |
| Sponsorship | 1,180.00 |
| Miss | 4,233.80 |
| Finals Day | 66.27 |
| Sinking Fund | 32,520.65 |
| Pre Interest Stripe/GoCardless | 441.24 |
| Total Income | 134,589.97 |
| Expenditure |
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| Utilities/Maintenance | |
|---|---|
| SSCLevy | 10,037.20 |
| Court Repair/Purchase of Equipment | 10,029.91 |
| Courts 1&2 Padel/Pickle | - |
| Matchpoint App | 339.64 |
| LBBPlanning Permission | 679.20 |
| Building Works ETC Sports | 100,981.70 |
| Private Loan Repayment | - |
| Purchase of Padel Rackets/Balls | 169.95 |
| Purchase of Pickle Rackets/Balls | 303.00 |
| Purchase of Pickle Nets | 395.20 |
| Storage of Equipment | 65.00 |
| OngoingMaintenance | - |
| Security | - |
| Padel Insurance | 120.05 |
| Sinking Fund Transfer (Account 31826792) | - |
| Other Play Related Costs | - |
| Tennis Ball Purchase | 1,230.00 |
| KentLTA Registration | 250.00 |
| North Kent Registration | 1,120.00 |
| Kent League Entries | 330.00 |
| North Kent League/CupEntries | 405.00 |
| Kent NationalLeague | 160.00 |
| Non Play Related Expenditure | - |
| Awards & Trophies | 800.12 |
| Presentation Evening | 178.36 |
| FinalsDay | 36.73 |
| Xmas F4s | - |
| Quiz | - |
| Golf | 68.00 |
| Pimms Refund | 30.00 |
| Coach New Members Incentive | - |
| Adults | 150.00 |
| Juniors/YP/Student | - |
| Administration Costs | - |
| Stationery & Printing | 32.00 |
| Internet/Advertising& Marketing | 1,999.79 |
| MembershipRefund | 74.00 |
| Ct1/2 Lottery Payout | - |
| Sundry Expenditure (Donation/Flowers etc) | 113.00 |
| Accountant | 270.00 |
| Other Costs | 4,012.00 |
| Total Expenditure | 134,379.85 |
| Balance carried forward 31st March 2025 | 36,618.31 |
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Income & Expenditure Sinking Fund 1st April 2024-31st March 2025
| Opening Balance 1st April 2024 | 32,484.47 |
| Income | |
| NatWest Interest | 862.00 |
| Coffee | 167.00 |
| EasyFundraising | 471.35 |
| Balls | 14.00 |
| SumUp (FD) | 44.25 |
| Presentation Evening | 152.56 |
| F/Lights | 331.04 |
| Total Income | 2,042.20 |
| Expenditure | |
| Transfer from SF | 32,520.65 |
| to Business Acc 31826784 | |
| Balance | 2,006.02 |
| Balance C/F 31st March 2025 | 2,006.02 |
| Bernie Adams | |
|---|---|
| Mark D Harrington |
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