## Tawe Pickleball Club ## - Trustee Annual Report 2021 22 ## Background Tawe Pickleball Club was constituted in May 2021 with the charitable object of promoting “ _community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of the inhabitants of Ystradgynlais and the surrounding areas through the provision of facilities for the playing of pickleball_ ”. Prior to constituting individual members of the public had taken it on themselves to adapt the dilapidated and neglected tennis courts on the Ystradgynlais Recreation Ground to play Pickleball. The courts had been managed by Powys County Council under a lease that was due to expire in 2021. Just before relinquishing its lease on the Recreation Ground the Club persuaded the Council to sweep the rough tarmacadam surface and paint Pickleball court lines such that there were now three bespoke Pickleball Courts, one permanent tennis court and one court that could be used for both sports. Starting to play outside initially after the first lockdown, the players migrated inside, marking lines with tape in the Nant-y-Cafn Social Club at the Ynysdawley Playing Fields in Seven Sisters. After that closed the players moved onto the badminton courts at the Ystradgynlais Sports Centre. Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 Initially play was restricted to non-office times in the evenings and weekends. Since one of our players was working at night the Club managed to secure a slot in the Sports Centre on a Tuesday at 4.30pm. In August 2021 the Club applied through PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisation) for a health and wellbeing grant from Powys Health Board Charitable Trust. A concurrent application to the Asda Foundation floundered without explanation. Eventually just after Christmas the Club received monies to purchase four starter Pickleball sets from the Trust fund. The equipment has since been kept at Ystradgynlais Sports Centre for Club sessions and for the general public to use. Until 4:30pm on school days, Maesydderwen School has the sole use of the Ystradgynlais Sports Hall. The Club noticed that the Sports Hall was not necessarily being used after school and before 4.30 so had the concept to use the Sports Hall space efficiently by providing an extracurricular opportunity for school children to play Pickleball. The Club also realised that there is no opportunity for those with mixed abilities or otherwise to play indoor sport during working hours in the locality. Such persons often need transport and support that is not so available in the evenings and weekends. The intention of the Club was and is to eventually provide opportunities to play pickleball during normal working hours. Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 In early January 2022, the Club became aware of the “DoorStep Sport” grant programme managed through the “StreetGames” charity and financed by the Welsh Governments’ “winterofwellbeing” initiative. This fitted in well with the Clubs objectives. The Club proposed two weekly “DoorStep” programmes in its application to StreetGames. - 1) Running a session with Maesydderwen School from the end of lessons until 4.30pm. This was aimed at secondary school aged children who do not normally engage in mainstream or extracurricular sport. - 2) Running a session outside on the Recreation Ground courts from 17.00-18.00 on a Thursday afternoon. It was thought that those children who had previously engaged in Tennis lessons held previously at the same time on a Wednesday might be attracted to play Pickleball. The Club proposed fixing permanent Pickleball posts to the courts for Club and public access 24/7 and purchasing a mobile net to alternate with tennis. The Club proposed giving a Tawe Pickleball paddle to each young person playing ten sessions at either venue. The Club liaised with the Powys Sports Development Officer at Maesydderwen school and agreed a session on a Monday from 3.15 to 4.30. Bilingual flyers using the Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 #winterofwellbeing colours, fonts and logos were sent to the Officer and subsequently displayed on the school Facebook page. The Club registered with the Powys County Council DBS umbrella facility and carried out enhanced DBS checks on its own volunteers who were not already subscribers to the DBS update service. The Club liaised with Powys Disability Sport. The Club updated its protocols and was awarded Blue Ribbon accreditation by Disability Sports Wales and took part in the “Insport” multisport series held in Brecon in midMarch. The Clubs’ Safeguarding Officer updated his knowledge base with certification for adults and young persons. In early February the programme Lead suffered Covid as did the Lead Coach later in the month. The Club submitted a formal application to the Ystradgynlais Community Welfare Grounds Association to erect three Pickleball nets that would be available for use by the public 365 days a year. In mid-February Maesydderwen School was insisting that a teacher was present at the session and there was uncertainty as to how this would be effected. Despite support from the Sports Development Officer, the School did not share the same enthusiasm. Consequently, the Club looked to organise alternative sessions. Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 The Club provided a free daily session between 15.30 and 16.30 inside at Ystradgynlais Sports Centre (SA9 1AP) during half term week. The Club liaised with the AYP (Active Young Persons) Officer at Neath Port Talbot Council PASS team and agreed to conduct a session at the Sports Hall in Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera (SA9 2JJ) during its multisport session over half term. The Club booked the same Sports Hall in Ystalyfera (SA9 2JJ) for a session once a week on a Monday during March at 4.45pm for an hour. The Club negotiated with Ystradgynlais Sports Centre to extend its normal two court Tuesday booking at 4.30pm to accommodate young persons on all four courts. All these sessions were heavily advertised bilingually on social media with the flyers bearing the #winterofwellbeing colours, fonts and logos. Immediately after half term the plan to run the session with Maesydderwen School collapsed. The School was now insisting that a qualified Coach be present as well. Although our Lead Coach was Level 4 LTA accredited, he could not be present at that time. The School would not accept clean DBS update certification as valid for the purposes of running a sports session even with a teacher present. Consequently, the Club loaned paddles, balls and nets to the Sports Department at Gwernyfed School, Three Cocks, LD3 0SG and arranged local sessions with the local Scouts and Beavers of the “Farteg” Group. Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 The outside sessions went ahead as planned on the Tennis Courts at the Ystradgynlais Community Welfare Grounds Association Courts (SA9 1BH). The shipment of wholesale paddles with the Tawe Pickleball logo arrived on April 1[st ] and the paddles distributed accordingly. The Club was still waiting for consent from the Community Welfare Grounds Association to fix the posts. The Numerical Results of the StreetGames #winterof wellbeing initiative. “Pickleball” was played 244 times by 117 different young persons in 25 separate sessions in 5 locations. - 5 sessions were held outside and 20 inside. 61 players were aged 5-10 50 aged 11-16 Two attended in wheelchairs. 2 aged 19-24 with mixed ability 4 aged over 24 with mixed ability 64 were male, 53 were female Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 ## Record of sessions **----- Start of picture text -----**
Date Location Post Code Time Indoor Outdoor Attendees Comment
Feb
21/02/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre SA9 1AP 15.30 1 17 Half term
22/02/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 15.30 1 10 Half term
23/02/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 15.30 1 14 Half term
24/02/2022 Ysgol Brotawe Ystalyfera SA9 2JJ 13.30 1 7 Half term NPT PASS Event
24/02/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 15.30 1 14 Half term
25/02/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 15.30 1 18 Half term
March
03/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Tennis Courts SA9 1BH 17.00 1 2 Rain
07/03/2022 Ysgol Brotawe Ystalyfera 16.45 1 3
08/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 16.30 1 13
10/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Tennis Courts 17.00 1 15 Dry, calm
14/03/2022 Ysgol Brotawe Ystalyfera 16.45 1 6 None new, none from NPT
14/03/2022 Ysgol Gwernyfed 1 11 Year 7
15/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 16.30 1 5
15/03/2022 Ysgol Gwernyfed LD3 0SG 1 10 Year 8
17/03/3022 Ystradgynlais Tennis Courts 17.00 1 5 Rain in afternoon prior, dank
18/03/2022 Brecon Lesiure Centre LD3 9SR PM 1 11 mixed abilities
21/03.2022 Ysgol Brotawe Ystalyfera 16.45 1 0
21/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 17.30 1 14 Scouts
21/03/2022 Ysgol Gwernyfed 9 Year 7
22/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 16.30 1 10
22/03/2022 Ysgol Gwernyfed 1 12 Year 8
24/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Tennis Courts 17.00 1 3 Fair on next fielsd. Lovely weather
28/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 17.30 1 17 Beavers
29/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Leisure Centre 16.30 1 17
31/03/2022 Ystradgynlais Tennis Courts 17.00 1 1 cold wind and snow flurries
**----- End of picture text -----**
A large amount of background work went into running the sessions; protocols, policies, DBS checks and liaising with third parties. Lots of things went well. The initial half term sessions were well attended and included several teenagers as well as young children with their guardians. Each child had their own paddle and was engaged the whole time. It was gratifying how Club Members stepped up and helped run the sessions. Without their support the programme would have been a failure. It was lovely to Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 see our volunteer with mixed abilities use his sporting and social skills with the children. A big thank you went to the crew at Freedom Leisure, Ystradgynlais Sports Centre for their support. Following the youngsters programme, there was a large demand to keep the Tuesday session going from parents/carers and children. One parent wrote “ _my lot have really enjoyed pickleball for the short time they've been participating, so I'd be willing to help out. I know they'd be sad to see it end_ ”. The young children attending developed their ball skills and played games that look like Pickleball. Such supervision does not need professional expertise but is labour intense. Parents/guardians agreed to help supervise in the future which would help grow the base and support sustainability. The “community” aspect of working with parents and getting to know their children has been a positive outcome. The Scouts and Beavers were a pleasure to engage with. Pickleball was introduced onto the curriculum as timetable lesson at Gwernyfed School where Tawe Pickleball Club is donated branded paddles and two pickleball nets. The StreetGames/Welsh Government #winterofwellbeing programme allowed well over 100 young persons to experience Pickleball. Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 The Club continued its cooperation with Disability Sport Powys in Brecon to provide a session monthly for those with mixed abilities. The programme overall allowed Tawe Pickleball Club to network and develop useful relationships with third parties and to tighten its own governance processes. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the Western World and particularly suitable for youngsters and mature people. It gives non-contact aerobic exercise that is fun and social. There are no “racquet” clubs other than Tawe Pickleball Club in the locality. There has been no opportunity to play aerobic racquet sport during normal working hours. Tawe Pickleball Club uses the badminton courts to play inside but must compete with other demands on the Ystradgynlais Sports Hall. The Club regularly has had 12-16 players vying for court time on a Wednesday evening and similar number on a Sunday morning. The only regular session crossing over office hours was on a Tuesday from 4.30-5.30 and was currently reserved for youngsters. Adults have played for an hour after this session, but the allocation was not permanent. The Club will continue to seek opportunities to provide facilities and opportunities for all persons no matter what their background to play Pickleball. Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 The Club recognises that the playing surface at Ystradgynlais Community Welfare Ground Tennis Courts is not particularly suitable for players trying to master basic ball skills. It’s rough, slippery in the wet and weeds grow through in the summer. The vision of the Club has been to work in collaboration with the Community Welfare Grounds Association to resurface its tennis courts, provide lighting and a Clubhouse for players to use. As of the end of the financial year permanent pickleball posts were purchased for installation but permission to form the Ystradgynlais Community Welfare Grounds Association was still awaited to erect the posts and nets. In the first year of incorporation ending 30[th] April 2022, TPC had a gross income of £8550 and spent £5677. £1196 was from another charity, £7000 from government grants and £354 from donations. ## 30[th] October 2022 Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 PIEKLEBFILL ELLJ Plant!11 Eisiau ehwarae Piekleball? •llb•i ••ii g amgen t•n ant •u arao•Th, Can•llan Hamdd• 91AP **•p insp rt Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 PIEKLEBFILL ELU Learn to pla4 Pie leball starting March 3 Fr•• 8•ukn• for &16 y•ar• Tlwrgday I7.0￿1*.00 Th• furl alt•matlv• to T•MI8 T•nnl• C•urt•.Y•trad Gf•und C•urt insp rt REE Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 PIEKLEBFILL ELLJ Ystradgynlais Sports Centre Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 ## Ystradgynlais Community Welfare Grounds Tennis Courts Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 PIEKLEBFILL ELLJ Brecon Leisure Centre Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 PIEKLEBFILL ELLJ Ystradgynlais Sports Centre Beavers BRITISH TENYIS IJ Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 PIEKLEBFILL ELLJ Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Sports Hall vr Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 ## Tawe Pickleball Club ## Financial Statement Year ending 1[st] May 2022 |||Income|Expenditure|Balance|Donations|Private|Government| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||||||Grants|Grants| |05/05/2021|Opening balance|||£0.00|||| |05/05/2021|Cash|£20.00||£20.00|£20.00||| |31/05/2021|Cash||||||| |06/06/2021|Cash|£34.16|||£34.16||| |14/07/2021|Cash|£10.00||£51.00|£10.00||| |17/08/2021|Cash|£50.00||£91.00|£50.00||| |25/08/2021|Liability Insurance||£67.20|£23.80|||| |06/09/2021|Cash|£35.00||£58.80|£35.00||| |01/10/2021|Cash|£15.00||£83.80|£15.00||| |15/10/2021|Cash|£40.00|||£40.00||| |15/10/2021|Balance|||£123.80|||| |01/12/2021|Screwfix||£13.16||||| |01/12/2021|Cash|£124.76|||£124.76||| |01/12/2021|Balance|||£248.56|||| |18/01/2022|Powys Health Board Trust|£1,196.00||||£1,196.00|| |27/01/2022|Pickleball UK Nets||£1,190.00||||| |27/02/2022|Pickleball Balls||£58.00|£196.56|||| Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803 ||Income|Expenditure|Balance|Donations|Private|Government| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||||Grants|Grants| |04/02/2022 StreetGames|£5,600.00|||||£5,600.00| |16/02/2002 Networld Sports||£2,601.24||||| |16/02/2022 Safeguarding Course||£69.00||||| |25/02/2022 Pickleball Paddles||£1,351.72|£1,774.60|||| |21/03/2022 Powys CC DBS Fees||£60.00||||| |21/03/2022 Imports duties Paddles||£109.80|£1,604.80|||| |07/04/2022 Hire Ystalyfera Sports Hall||£119.91||||| |13/04/2022 Cash|£25.00|||£25.00||| |14/04/2022 Bowls Clubhouse hire||£25.00||||| |19/04/2022 StreetGames|£1,400.00|||||£1,400.00| |25/04/2022 Powys CC DBS Fees||£12.00|£2,872.89|||| |Year Income|£8,549.92|||£353.92|£1,196.00|£7,000.00| |Year Expenditure||£5,677.03||||| |Assets as of 1st May 2022|||£2,872.89|||| Tawe Pickleball Club is a CIO registered with the Charities Commission 1194803