## Herne Bay Tennis Club
## Trustees Annual Report (Charity Trustees)
For the period
1 November 2023 to 30 September 2024
## **Introduction**
This is the first annual report by the Trustees of Herne Bay Tennis Club and covers the period from 1st November 2023 to 30th September 2024.
## **Charity Name and Number**
The Charity is Herne Bay Lawn Tennis Club and is registered with charity number 1205461.
The Charity’s principal address is: Parkland Road, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5DN
## **Trustees**
The Trustees making and approving this Report are:
- Chair: Isobel Warnock
- Treasurer: Ian Cooke
- Secretary: Agnieszka Kutek Appointed 12 November 2024
- Club Captain: Daniel Walker
- Elected Officer: Peter Elsden
- Elected Officer: Martin Feakins
- Secretary: Claire Bryant Resigned 20 August 2024
There must be no less than 3 Trustees and no more than 6. Trustees are appointed by members at the annual general meeting or by members or trustees at any time.
## **Charitable Objects and Performance**
## **Objects**
The objects of the Charity are:
The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities and coaching for playing racket sports in East Kent.
(In this constitution: “Racket Sports” means: Tennis and Pickle Ball only)
The Trustees have taken the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance into account when making any decisions that may be relevant to the guidance.
## **Performance**
Throughout 2024, **Infinity Tennis** , in partnership with **Herne Bay Lawn Tennis Club** , has successfully delivered a range of inclusive and community-focused tennis programmes, expanding opportunities for participation across different age groups and abilities.
**Junior and Adult Coaching** : Expanded junior coaching sessions were run throughout the year, with new beginner and improver-level sessions to accommodate growing demand (as well as tennis camps during school holidays), so that junior membership of the club has exceeded 100 for the first time in its history. Adult coaching has included Rusty Rackets and Improver Sessions, providing opportunities for those returning to or developing their skills in the sport.
**Free School Tennis Sessions** : Thanks to funding from the LTA, the club has been a hub for delivering in-curriculum coaching sessions for local primary and secondary schools, particularly those with high levels of pupil premium students.
**Girls-Only Tennis Sessions** : Launched at Herne Bay as part of the Prime Video LTA Girls Initiative, these sessions have created a welcoming environment for young girls, encouraging long-term engagement in tennis. The club accounted for 20% of the sign-ups across Kent.
**Other initiatives** : The club hosted a Walking Tennis trial course, aimed at older adults and individuals with limited mobility. The club also became a registered “Pride in Tennis’ ally club” and a “Sun Safe Accredited venue”.
**Representation at County level** : The Tennis Club continues to provide representation for county tennis at three different age categories.
**Teams** : Last Summer we ran 14 teams in the Kent and Dover & District Leagues and last Winter we ran 14 teams in the Kent Winter League. We have increased the number of ladies playing in matches.
**Pickleball** : Following the introduction of Pickleball on one of the tennis courts, as part of the club membership in early 2023, active players have increased substantially to about 45 regular players, some of whom enjoyed success at the English Open and English Closed.
**Club Play Sessions:** The club held 6 regular club play sessions per week for Tennis and 5 regular club play sessions per week for Pickleball.
**Impact and Legacy** : The club has played an important role in increasing tennis and pickleball participation and inclusivity within the local community. The club has ensured that people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities have access to highquality coaching and playing opportunities.
## **Structure and Governance**
The Charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and governed in accordance with its Constitution, created when the Charity was formed on 15 May 2023.
The **trustees** are responsible for the strategic management of the club with the views of the wider committee in mind.
Trustees have had 2 meetings in 2024 in May and October.
Ongoing concerns regarding the financial management of the Hub including how the monies we pay to the Hub are managed and whether our contribution to the Hub might increase were noted.
The expenses and income of the tennis club were discussed, with particular regard to member numbers and income from fees and the ongoing expenses such as the cost of maintenance, repairs, and sports equipment. Trustees were introduced to the Strategic Plan which has been developed over the past 14 months with input from a number of members and the expert advice and guidance from James Fowler, member.
Aga Kutek has skilfully distilled the plan into a working document for committee and members to work with. This document is designed to give focus to how we move the club forwards and best manage the funds of the club.
The wider **Committee** meets once every 6 weeks and considers all aspects of the running of the Club:
Coaching (taking advice from the Head of Infinity Tennis (who provide our coaching services)
Financial matters (taking a report from the Treasurer)
Sports Hub issues
Membership issues
Safeguarding
Club play and matches
## Grounds and Maintenance
Social events
As well as the Club Constitution, Herne Bay Tennis Club has a number of **written polices and procedures** which can be found on the club website.
Health and Safety policy
Safeguarding policy
Diversity and inclusion policy
Club rules and code of conduct 2022
Privacy policy 2021
## **Financial review**
When discussing any aspects of our Club, including finance, it is important to remember that Herne Bay Lawn Tennis Club is based within the Herne Bay Sports Hub and does not own the land that the courts are on.
The club is subject to an annual levy from the Hub that includes a fixed rent, a social club membership based on membership numbers and monthly electricity payments. This constitutes nearly half the annual expenditure.
The club derives its income from membership fees, match fees, tournament fees plus social events and miscellaneous income including a club lottery.
Expenditure consists of the Hub levy, court maintenance, balls and equipment, affiliation & league fees, trophies and other expenses plus an annual sinking fund contribution of £10,000 payable to the Hub to provide for replacement tennis courts.
The tennis club made a small surplus of £2,297 this year (on a receipts and payments basis). This equates to the small surplus of £2,609 as reported to the AGM taking account of creditors and receipts in advance.
The financial position remains strong. Cash reserves at the period end totalled £49,987.
Funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level not less than three months’ expenditure to cover short-term costs especially around the annual subscription renewal period.
Declaratlon
The Tnjstees declare that they have approved the trustees, rewrt above.
Signed on behalf of the charttys truste8S.
Name.. lan Cooke
Treasurer, on beha of the Trustees.
Date: 6 July 2025
**Herne Bay Lawn Tennis Club** 1205461 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period 11/1/2023 9/30/2024 To from
## Section A Receipts and payments
|Section A Receipts and payments|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Membership
34,382
Match Fees
551
Closed Tournament Fees
444
Fund Raisingand other Tournaments
462
Ball Sales & Recycling& other income
929
-
-
-
36,768
None
-
-
Sub total-
Total receipts 36,768
A3 Payments
15,653
Grass cutting& other direct costs
927
Annual Court Maintenance
1,800
Annual SinkingFund Contribution
10,000
Balls & Equipment
1,580
Affiliation & league fees
1,564
Admin costs
2,097
Scala league & coaching
450
Charity
400
Sub total 34,471
None
-
-
Sub total -
Total payments 34,471
Net of receipts/(payments) 2,297
A5 Transfers between funds
-
A6 Cash funds last year end
47,690
Cash funds this year end 49,987
Unrestricted
funds
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
Payment to Herne Bay Sports Hub for
share of Clubhouse, Electricity & Grounds
costs
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)|Restricted funds
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|to the nearest £
Endowment
funds|Total funds
to the nearest £
34,382
551
444
462
929
-
-
-
36,768
-
-
-
36,768
15,653
927
1,800
10,000
1,580
1,564
2,097
450
400
34,471
-
-
-
34,471
2,297
-
47,690
49,987|Last year
to the nearest £|
|||-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|34,382|37,067|
||||551|604|
||||444|372|
||||462|33|
||||929|1,076|
||||-|-|
||||-|-|
||||-|-|
||||36,768|39,152|
|||-
-
-|||
||||-||
||||-|-|
||||-|-|
||||||
|||-|36,768|39,152|
||||||
|||-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|15,653|15,318|
||||927|1,079|
||||1,800|1,800|
||||10,000|10,000|
||||1,580|2,029|
||||1,564|771|
||||2,097|986|
||||450|250|
||||400|-|
||||34,471|32,233|
||||||
|||-
-
-|-||
||||-||
||||-|-|
||||||
|||-|34,471|32,233|
||||||
||-|-
-
-
-|2,297|6,919|
||-||-|-|
||-||47,690|40,771|
||-||49,987|47,690|
## Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
|Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B5 Liabilities
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|Details
Sinking Fund
Building Society
Current Account
Details
None
Details
None
Details
None
Details
None
Signature
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|Restricted funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
40,000
-
723
-
9,264
-
49,987
-
OK
OK
Restricted funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name
I.T.Cooke
Unrestricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Fund to which asset
belongs
Fund to which asset
belongs
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)|to nearest £
Endowment
funds|
|---|---|---|---|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||OK|
||||to nearest £
Endowment
funds|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||Current value
(optional)|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||Current value
(optional)|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||-|
||||When due
(optional)|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||I.T.Cooke|11/12/2024|
|||||
Independent examinevs report to the trustees of Herne Bay Lawn Tennis
Club Trust
I report to the trUStS on my examination of the accounts of Herne Bay Lawn
Tennis Club (the Trust) for the year ended 30 September 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the
preparation of the accounts in accordan with the requirements of
the Charities Act 2011 {'the Act,).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust'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 Charrty
Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examinerfs statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters
have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me
cause to believe that in any material respect..
1. accounting records were not kept in respecl of the Trust as required
by section 130 of the Act" or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concems 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.
Signed:
Name: James Fowler
Address..
16 Genesta Avenue
Whitstable
Kent
CT5 4EG
Date:
2025