Newsletter
SEPTEMBER 2025
60th Anniversary Celebrations
Our Fantastic Open Day - What a Day!
Southbourne Tennis Club marked its 60th anniversary in style with a hugely successful Open Day on Saturday 30th August. Despite less-than-perfect weather, the day was filled with tennis, fun, and community spirit.
Over 200 members, guests, and local residents joined the celebrations. The courts were buzzing with activity from the very start, with on-court sessions run by Head Coach David Sanger, assistant Coach Matt, and club volunteers. Activities included free coaching for juniors and adults, fun tennis challenges, and plenty of opportunities for visitors to pick up a racket for the first time. Families enjoyed mini-tennis games, while others tried something new with free pickleball sessions or even had a go at aerial fitness.
A highlight of the day was the recognition of David and Matt for their outstanding contribution to the club over more than twenty years. Their dedication and energy have been central to the club’s success and welcoming atmosphere.
Off the courts, visitors enjoyed a lively tombola, a delicious BBQ (with meat generously donated by Lewis & Faulkner Butchers), and Cakes kindly provided by club members. A stall also showcased the new Sobo Tennis Club tennis kit, including hats, shirts and hoodies. We hope lots of our members will be proud to wear the badge.
The event was organised entirely by volunteers, with particular thanks to Lloyd, Becky Redman, and Karrie Wallis. Generous sponsorship from local businesses, alongside the proceeds from the refreshments, tombola and stalls helped raise over £1,900 towards the club’s court resurfacing project.
Here’s to the next 60 years of tennis, friendship, and community at Southbourne!
Diamond Anniversary Party and Silent Auction
Following our much-loved Fun Day, we launched a two-week silent auction, with fabulous prizes generously donated by members and local businesses. Every bid helped raise vital funds for our Court Development Project—and the excitement only grew as the auction drew to a close.
The celebrations culminated on 27th September with our Members’ Evening at the Boathouse, where 60 members, family and friends gathered to mark 60 wonderful years of STC. The night was filled with laughter, camaraderie, a lively tombola, surprise auction prizes, plenty of delicious food, and more than a few glasses raised in cheer.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community—those who donated prizes, took part in the auction, and joined us on the night—we are thrilled to share that we raised over £1,000 towards resurfacing our courts.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who made these events possible, with special recognition to Becky Redman and Karrie Wallis for their tireless energy, enthusiasm, and organisation. Their efforts truly made this milestone celebration one to remember!
Here’s to the next 60 years of tennis, friendship, and community at STC!
Hot Off the Court!
Court Development Update
Further to prior updates, the Committee have provisionally booked in the work to take place in April 2026 subject to funding being secured.
Thanks to everyone’s support so far, any additional grants, sponsorship, or funding will make a real difference and help us cross the finish line.
If you have experience in fundraising, grant applications or know potential funding sources, or if you have project management expertise or useful information to share and are willing to help, please contact a committee member or email club@southbournetennisclub.co.uk.
Clubhouse Makeover
The clubhouse is getting ready for a makeover! We’d love our members to help us serve up some winning colours, so a suggestions book will be available inside for you to jot down your ideas. From baseline blues to championship whites, let’s ace this redecoration together and give the clubhouse a fresh new look everyone will love!
Just to reassure everyone, the cost of the paint will come out of our annual maintenance budget and is a low-cost project, so it won’t affect the club’s savings for future court resurfacing.
Once we have all your ideas, the Committee will decide on the next steps.
Upcoming Events
We’re delighted to announce that this year’s Christmas Party will be held at:
Marsham Court Hotel
Sat 13th December 2025
6pm to Midnight
The evening will include a delicious three-course meal and a disco to dance the night away.
Tickets remain at the same price as last year, £45 per person.
The menu includes a fantastic choice of 4 starters, 5 main courses and 4 desserts. Once you’ve purchased your ticket, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing a link to an online survey to complete your food and seating preferences.
Please note that menu choices must be submitted by 18th November.
We’ll be seated on tables of 8, so why not get a group together and book early to make sure you’re sat with your friends?
This year we’ll be in the ballroom with its own private bar, so hopefully no queuing for drinks!
We’d love to see as many of you as possible there to celebrate together and round off the year in style!
Vote for Southbourne Tennis Club in the LTA Awards!
It will soon be that time again when the LTA celebrates clubs and volunteers who make a real difference in British tennis and we’d love your support!
Southbourne Tennis Club has had another fantastic year, from our growing community sessions and events to the amazing work of our volunteers and coaching team. If you’ve enjoyed being part of the club this year, please watch this space as voting will open shortly.
Committee Pillars & Leads
New Committee Helper
We’re pleased to share that a new committee helper, David Winson, has joined us to support the committee across a range of activities, including the all important Court Development Project. With valuable prior experience serving on committees and a background that brings extremely useful skills and insight, David’s support will be a real asset as we plan and deliver improvements for the club. We’re excited to have David’s expertise on board and grateful for the time and energy he is contributing to STC.
The Chatter-box
Meet Noemi From Vitalcare
Class Schedule October (Classes are £5)
Mondays and Wednesdays 9-9.45am – Stretching, Balance, Core and Mobility
Fridays – 2-2.45pm – Tennis Physical Condition & Strength
To book please drop Noemi a WhatsApp message on 07712 238797.
You may have seen Noemi at the club or been treated by her already. Here is a little bit about Noemi:
My name is Noemi Marrero, and I am dedicated to being your trusted partner in sport therapy and rehabilitation. I am passionate about helping others, I’m here to guide you on your journey to recovery and improved well-being.
Whether you’re dealing with sports injuries, post-operative care, posture correction, or age-related mobility issues, I’m committed to providing warm, personalized care tailored to your unique needs.
My friendly approach combined with professional expertise ensures that you’ll feel comfortable and supported every step of the way. At VitalCare, it’s not just about treatment – it’s about working together to help you regain your vitality and mobility in a caring and supportive environment.
Services Offered: Injury Recovery, Sports Massage, Full Body Rejuvenation Massage, Bespoke Personal Training Session, PNF Therapist-Assisted Stretching, Radiofrequency Rehabilitation Treatment, Radiofrequency Aesthetic Treatment.
Summer League Completion
This is how our teams finished the summer season. Thank you to all the players that took part and to the team captains for their tireless organisation. A special thanks to Celia too, for her match scheduling and ability to troubleshoot the new LTA competitions website! Seeing our third teams moving up through the leagues is a testament to our growing participation and strengthening player base. Bring on the winter season!
Ladies Teams
| Ladies 1 – Div 1 | 4th |
| Ladies 2 – Div 1 | 7th |
| Ladies 3 – Div 3 | 1st - Promoted as Champions! |
| Ladies 60s+ | 3rd |
Mens Teams
| Mens 1 – Div 1 | 7th |
| Mens 2 – Div 3 | 5th |
| Mens 3 – Div 5 | 1st - Promoted as Champions! |
| Mens 45s+ – Div 1 | 4th |
| Mens 60s+ | 1st - Champions! |
Mixed Teams
| Mixed 1 – Div 1 | 5th |
| Mixed 2 – Div 2 | 7th |
| Mixed 3 – Div 4 | 5th |
Match Ready New Nets
Our courts are looking match-ready again! The nets on Courts 1–3 have been replaced, so they’re all set to catch even more of your volleys and smashes.
Huge thanks to Dave for installing them, ironic as he hits the ball in the net the least of all of us!
Look Out For Our New Signage
Keep an eye out for a fresh new look at the club entrance! In the coming weeks, the entrance sign by the Clubhouse & Court 3 (currently the green one) will be updated, giving a brighter and more welcoming presence for members and visitors alike …as well as correcting the website address!
Thank You To Our Sponsors
You will see a number of banners for our sponsors erected around the club:
Lewis & Faulkner Butchers is located in Tuckton. Simply, they aim to bring the finest, locally produced meat, eggs & more to our local community. They only supply British & Irish meat.
To take advantage of Lewis & Faulkner’s offer of 10% discount for current members of Southbourne Tennis Club, please email Lewis & Faulkner providing your full name and address and you can pick up your card from the shop.
FCD offer fully insured mobile and unit based professional detailing and are the South Coast’s No.1 detailer.
Offering detailing and paint protection, trained, approved and certified in Swissvax, Gtechniq and XPEL Paint Protection Film who all produce some the finest detailing products in the industry today.
Family Run & Award Winning New & Pre-Owned Vehicle Retailer – Delivering Excellence for 70 Years!
Keith Motors Group has three dealerships located in Verwood, Christchurch and Ringwood offering brand-new and pre-owned cars from our Ford dealerships in Christchurch and Verwood, and hand-picked pre-owned cars from our Select dealerships and exquisite commercial vehicles from our dealership in Ringwood.
BH Garden Solutions is a Bournemouth based landscape design, build and maintenance company. Priding themselves on their friendliness, professionalism, communication and quality of work.
With over 20 years’ experience in the construction and garden landscaping industries, Matt and Chris have acquired and built-up a wealth of knowledge and expertise and with a reputation for perfection, outstanding service and delivering the highest quality product, Matt, Chris and the team take great pride in the garden landscaping services they provide and are more than happy to advise on all aspects of landscape design, build and maintenance.
MSafe Health & Safety Consultancy
Based in Bournemouth on the south coast of England, MSAFE is a professional health and safety consultancy offering tailored services nationwide in:
Health and Safety Management I CDM Compliance I Fire Safety Advice I Acoustic Consultancy I Sound Insulation and Air Tightness Testing
Dink, Smash and Stay Out of the Kitchen — Sunday Pickleball is Back!
Open Pickleball — suitable for all standards. Just turn up! Free to members, non-members pay a fee.
Every Sunday: 2pm to 4pm
Pickleball is a fun game combining elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Great for all ages and abilities, all equipment provided.
Your Club, Your Courts — Join The Maintenance Crew!
COURT SIDE NEWS & REMINDERS
Clubhouse Use
If you’re using the clubhouse, please help keep it looking its best by tidying up after yourself. Wipe down any surfaces, pop things back where they belong, and take any rubbish with you.
Remember, if you’re the last to leave, don’t forget to lock up to make sure everything is secure. You can lock the patio doors with the key on the string from inside the clubhouse and then ensure the indoor control panel shows the moon symbol to lock the front door as you leave.
In light of recent incidents of individuals (non-members) loitering on club grounds. Please ensure that when you are leaving the clubhouse you ensure all the doors are locked (using the key on the court 1-3 side door and selecting the half-moon symbol button on the courts 4-6 side door and checking the door to ensure it has locked correctly once closed).
Thanks for helping keep our club clean, safe, and welcoming for everyone!
Court Brushing
Courts 1-3 were recently re-sanded, therefore please ensure you use the brushes by Court 1 to brush the courts before and/or after you play, this will ensure the sand remains evenly distributed across the courts and helps protect the surface from uneven wear.
Use of Club Balls
When using the Courts outside of designated club session play, please ensure you are using your own tennis balls. Club balls should only be utilised for designated club sessions and club matches.
'OUT!'
SAFEGUARDING
At STC we strive to ensure that all children, and any young people and adults at risk, are not subjected to any form of abuse, and have a really enjoyable experience at the Club.
If anyone ever has any concerns regarding the welfare of any member would you please inform the Safeguarding Officer, Celia Barron (celiabarron@yahoo.com) or the Head Coach, David Sanger (davesanger@gmail.com)
HAVE YOUR SAY
Have you got any thoughts or new ideas, club activities, or want to lend a hand? Drop us a comment below, we’d love to hear from you!
SOUTHBOURNE TENNIS CLUB
Iford Lane, Bournemouth, Dorset BH6 5NF
club@southbournetennisclub.co.uk
Telephone: 01202 434044
Please note, phone isn’t always manned so please leave a message and someone will get back to you.
Charity Number: 1185919
Company no: 00841056