From: Jim Harle

To: Roger Draper

Cc: Adrian Cable ; Summerway Committee ; Caroline Blincoe ; Joanna Farquharson ; Sue Wolstenholme

Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 1:28 PM

Subject: Re: Request for a Full Enquiry

Dear Mr Draper

Thank you for your response to my request for a full enquiry into matters relating to the Summerway Junior LTC.

The Summerway Club was, up to its virtual demise in the course of recent years, the only permanent and ongoing source of coached junior tennis in Exeter affordable to the wider community. Now Exeter has none. From the complacency of their comfort zones, it appears that certain influential persons in Exeter's Civic Centre and Devon LTA have practically destroyed the Club between them. In so doing, they are denying tennis to all families on a tight budget in Exeter who have little money to support their children's leisure and development. As I understand it, this is in direct contradiction to the aims and policy of the LTA.

Summerway may or may not be unique, but it has proved a brilliant model for tennis provision to the whole community. The only problem we have faced is limited capacity, which we tried to rectify without success. This model is not only of great potential value to tennis, but is of huge value to local government if it wishes to reduce vandalism by getting the less privileged youngsters off the street corners. It can only do this by the provision of a variety of easily affordable, structured and supervised facilities to occupy them. Local Government, in its seeming desire for control and kudos, is rejecting community management, and thereby denying the community the services of volunteers. Local Government hasn't the resources to do it all on its own, and it makes no sense to cause deprivation by failing to capitalise on the willingness of parents to support their children. Neither the Exeter City Council not the local press will pick up on the value of the Club's services to the community relative to the cost to the public purse.

Summerway is not just another tennis club. It is a registered Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), and is as much community as it is tennis. While unable to function at present, there is still a core which is anxious to see Summerway Tennis survive. We are not seeking retribution for what the Club has suffered, but would greatly value any assistance the LTA is able to give Summerway in its wish to rise from the ashes and flourish in the future.

Everyone at Summerway hopes that, ultimately, the Club's former excellent relationships with Exeter City Council and Devon LTA will be fully restored.

Yours sincerely

Jim Harle

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