Membership renewals 2016 – Payment now due
Dear members
At last year’s AGM, members voted that the club should implement a new membership fee structure in time of the 2015-16 membership round. This email explains the reasons for implementing a small 3% rise in membership fees in 2016-17.
Last year’s increase has allowed the club to build up our reserves, allowing us to progress with essential maintenance work, ensuring that we meet our Tennismark (previously Clubmark) requirements whilst keeping the club priced at very good value in comparison with our local competitors. It was the first significant rise in membership fees since 2011 when the full adult membership fee was increased from £240 – £260.
In order for the club to continue to meet its on-going requirements and to ensure that fees increase in line with inflation, the committees have agreed to raise this year’s fees by 3% which amounts to £10 for a full adult member. The club is growing at an exponential rate, our courts are busier than ever and demand is high not only for social play but also for our very popular junior and coaching programmes.
Whilst the club continues to earn its income from a variety of sources such as tournament fees, coaching and camps, the majority comes from the membership that we all pay on an annual basis. As our programmes and ambitions expand, there is a need to continue to find ways to make the club as financially stable as possible so that we continue to provide the services you all expect as comprehensively as possible. This includes affording to pay for an administrator and a book-keeper in the future to help with our ever growing administrative burden!
We believe we are still very good value for money. We all receive a great deal for our membership including access to 12 courts most of the year, free balls and lights during social play, a very well-managed club that organises tennis activities, competitions and coaching and other tennis activity across a 12 month period, access to a great club house, licensed bar and café (which is the envy of many clubs) and unique surrounding grounds. And, we are the only club in the area that provides discounts for under 25s, 30s and the over 65s!
We have also this year kicked-off a significant fundraising campaign and thank everyone who helped the club financially with the resurfacing work we have already undertaken. We are looking for a volunteer fundraiser who might be able to help the club in activating alternative sources of funding – if you are interested or know anyone who can help please let us know!
It is for these reasons that we are asking full adult members to pay a new membership fee of £310 from April 1 2016. Other categories are listed on the website for information and further detail can be provided from Tracey, our administrator at membership@highgate-tennis.co.uk.
Please remember that subs must be paid on time and members who don’t pay their subs will not be allowed to enter the Wimbledon ticket ballot, play for the club’s teams or enter the Brookside Tournament.
We hope all of you will support this decision but if you have any concerns or questions, please email Richard Tusting (richtea99@gmail.com), Miki Lentin (mikilentin@fastmail.co.uk), or Andy Newton (newton_andrew@hotmail.com)
Details of how to pay your subscriptions this year are below.
Best wishes
Miki Lentin (HCLTC Tennis Section Chair)
Richard Tusting (HCLTC Chair)
Andy Newton (Hon. Treasurer)
How to pay for your membership subscription:
- Preferred method of payment – by invoice – you will receive an invoice from membership@highgate-tennis.co.uk and will then be asked to pay your subscriptions online through our payment gateway. Please make payment by debit card which costs the club 22p, rather than the prohibitive charges the club incurs when credit cards are used.
- By cheque – made payable to ‘Highgate C<C’ for the amount payable and leave behind the bar for the attention of Andrew Newton.
- By bank transfer – Barclays Bank plc – Account number: 40472743 / Sort code: 20-58-51
As a minimum please ensure your payment is identified with your initial, surname and reference SUBS. When it’s done, please email me (membership@highgate-tennis.co.uk) to confirm that payment has been made.
