Update and Happy Easter from CLTC Presidnet, Garrett Connolly – 10th April 2020
Posted: April 10, 2020

Fellow Members

I’m sure you have all had myriad messages from clubs, service providers, suppliers etc and here comes another one, but on behalf of your Executive Committee, I did want to wish all members a Happy, if rather subdued, Easter and to provide you with a brief update on how your Club is doing.

Just five weeks ago today we had our first ‘First Friday Club Night’ – it now seems like decades ago. Without Coronavirus, we would be getting back to a normal tennis routine after our Spring Championships – probably my own favourite club event. It wasn’t to be, but in the grand scheme of what is happening, this and others like it, are minor issues.

It’s amazing how so much has changed, changed utterly. At our early March Committee meeting, the Executive  considered self-funding the replacement of some of our Court Lighting with improved LED alternatives after noting that several of our existing lamps are failing as they approach their life limit. Sadly, that project, like several others on our agenda, will now be delayed.

Financially we are in a just about manageable position for the moment. We are fortunate that many members had paid their annual subscription before the Club was forced to close. This has enabled us to keep our staff on with the assistance of the Government subsidy scheme for now. Our coaches, who are not directly employed by the Club, saw their business collapse overnight and this is a particularly difficult time for them but to their credit, they are organizing drills and challenges while fundraising for St. Francis Hospice.

There is no doubt that club income will be down very substantially year on year and the Executive will have to deal with that as the year progresses and circumstances develop. And it will. We are of course aware that members have paid for services that we could not deliver – Easter Camp, Term 2 Coaching, Spring Championships and we are working on solutions from refunds to alternative events.

I want to thank your club staff for their forbearance and support. I particularly want to thank your Executive Committee who, to a person, has been considered, responsible and supportive as this pandemic developed. Also, a shout out to our members who are on the ‘front line’, actually, to all the nations front line workers, all working so hard to try keep this virus at bay. Thank you, one and all.

Your Executive and its various sub-committees will continue to meet via Zoom, which can be interesting. There are Zoom gym sessions, Zoom yoga sessions and even Zoom member quizzes going on which is testament to the positivity of our Club.

 

I sincerely hope you are all safe and well. I hope you remain safe and well and let us look forward to getting back on our courts and in our Club soon.Happy Easter.

Garrett Connolly
President CLTC