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Letter to Sport England

 

This letter is worth posting on the website as it indicates the huge need to expand felt by the Club, and the helplessness it was experiencing over DCC’s unwillingness or reluctance to satisfy the necessity for more places to accommodate the enthusiastic children who were being turned away.

The letter, dated 17th July 2001, was sent in response to an enquiry from Tamar Collis (Lottery Co-ordinator for the Sport England Lottery Fund).  The Club had not returned the Intent to Apply Form or the Application Form, as it needed DCC to grant an extended lease, both in terms of time and land.  An assurance of an appropriate lease, conditional upon the Club obtaining funding and planning permission, would have been sufficient for the Club to apply for both.  Sadly, neither DCC nor ECC ever came up to scratch, valuing the land above the needs of the community’s children and their families.

 

Dear Tamar

THE SUMMERWAY CLUB'S APPLICATION FOR LOTTERY FUNDING

(Community Projects Capital Fund   -   Application Pack Research   -   URN: 99002640)

Thank you for your recent letter enquiring about the Club's situation regarding lottery funding for the expansion of our facilities.

Realising that essential matters were taking rather a long time, I did write to Jonathan Calderbank on 26 May 2000, and received his reply dated 31 May 2000.

Progress is still hopefully being made, as Devon County Council's application to build housing on the whole of the old school playing field adjacent to the Club has not been granted in the local plan review.  Our entire hopes at present rest on the Devon County Council extending our lease (which is due to expire in 2006) and expanding it to include sufficient of the playing field to accommodate the extra courts and facilities which the Club needs so desperately.  Without this provision, the Summerway Club has little opportunity of surviving in its current brilliantly successful format.

We have all been awaiting the report of the Commission for Education in Exeter, chaired by Professor Ted Wragg, without which the Devon County Council could not make decisions regarding the future use or disposal of its land.  The report has now been published, but we are facing the Summer break which is not the best time to lobby our Councillors.  Nevertheless, we will be embarking on this process in the very near future.

Demand for Club membership this year is greater than ever, and it is painful turning away enthusiastic children.  With our limited facilities overburdened, we cannot stretch any further to satisfy the need.  By Opening Day at the start of the season (end of March this year), all 85 coaching places were taken, and we had already admitted three over our considered maximum.  Summerway is the perfect example which demonstrates the need for Tennis to be available to ordinary members of the Community.  It is not everyone who can afford the huge expense of playing the sport at the commercial rates at which it is offered.  If there were more clubs like ours, Tennis would have less of an elitist image.

Thank you for the questionnaire, which I am returning herewith.  The tick in Q.4 refers to the same application as that in the first question.  If you need any further details at present, please let me know.

Yours sincerely

Jim Harle

Vice-Chairman and Membership Secretary