Duffus Tennis Club - News & Info.

Court Booking

July 2022: Club championships are back! Names to be in by 28 July and the lists are up in the clubhouse. Please note that entrants must be available for finals on 4 September. With both handicap and open events, everyone has a chance to have a Finals Day place and possibly some of the club's historical silverware.

Social League is back with the first game taking place in Tayport on 2 July 2022 where the Duffus couple were winners! There is a programme of tournaments on Saturdays throughout the summer. This league is for players who do not normally play in the more competitive leagues, giving everyone a chance to play in this format and meet players from other clubs in North East Fife.

Saturday 30 April: Official Opening of the new courts - a day of tennis, cake, old friends and new. The club was delighted to welcome Councillor Margaret Kennedy to cut the ribbon for the courts. Juniors enjoyed a session of coaching and games with our club coach, David Killean and, despite the rain, we had players on two courts during the afternoon. Funders, supporters, former members and new members joined us for afternoon tea in the clubhouse. Members have been working hard over the past few weeks to make sure everything looked great for the big day. See Gallery for some pictures.

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03.02.22 - Our new courts are now open for booking. Some work still be finished off but online booking system is open.

AGM will be held on 20 February 2022 at 4pm, via Zoom.

Members,

Here is the e mail that we hope you have been waiting for.

After securing the funding required for our court redevelopment, (which includes new court surface on all courts, new fencing, and new lighting on 3 out of the 4 courts), and then battling through the complex paperwork required, we are now in a position to start the work. Sportex will be on site from Monday 8 November to start phase 1 of the project.

For a variety of practical reasons we have decided to carry out the work in two phases. Between November and Christmas the courts will be dug up, the fencing and lighting work completed and the new asphalt base will be laid. Lines will be painted on this surface to allow some tennis to be played over the winter. Then in the new year and before the season starts the new carpet will be laid, meaning the courts will be out of action again for a short while while the project is completed.

The booking system will be closed down for the duration of the works but we will let you know as soon as the courts are playable again after each phase. We hope to run our usual New Year's Day Tournament , subject of course to the weather and court conditions.

Finally a very special Thank you

to those members who kindly responded to the request for donations. Without these, we would not be in a position to move forward so your support is very much appreciated.

Yours

Joy

On behalf of Duffus Tennis Club

29.10.21

Duffus New Courts Project - update 24 June 2021

A summer update regarding our new courts project as we all enjoy our tennis in the – mostly - dry weather.

We are pleased to report that we have now raised over 80% of the funding we need to lay artificial grass new courts, install LED floodlights on three courts, replace the current fencing and gates and install new nets and posts. We now have about £30,000 to raise to get us to the £148,238 target. We are waiting to hear the outcome of three funding applications in the next few weeks which, together with seeking donations and sponsorship, we hope will enable us to undertake the project.

We currently have a Club Quiz circulating (thanks to Joy for compiling it) to help the last push towards achieving the target. Just £2 a sheet from Committee Members or send a message on the What’s App Group to request one. Deadline for completing is 31^st July.

All being well (please keep fingers crossed!) – we hope to undertake the work on the courts in the Autumn at the end of the season so this time next year, we will be playing on great new courts – in all weathers!

Enjoy Summer tennis – perhaps inspired by Wimbledon next week?!

Duffus New Courts Project Blog

In these rather dispiriting times, we wanted to begin 2021 with this first Blog to share some positive news about the New Courts Project.

A quick reminder of what the project involves:

· To replace the current courts with an all-weather Artificial Grass surface

· To upgrade the floodlights to LED and install lights on a third court

· To install new fencing and a double gate to facilitate access

· To install new playing nets and posts

We know that play on the courts has been limited in the last few weeks after so much recent rain. Rest assured that the new generation sand filled artificial grass is well suited to our site, is not affected by puddling, withstands high usage levels, has easy and affordable maintenance requirements, soft cushioning underfoot and a long warranty.

The Club Committee and New Courts Committee have met regularly over the last 18 months to progress the project, and have become Zoom regulars over the last nine months! After seeking advice from other Clubs and industry specialists, meeting with contractors and getting quotes, gathering evidence of community support, successfully applying for the required Planning Permission, and also creating a 5 year Development Strategy for the Club, we were in a position to start submitting funding applications towards the £148,000 needed to undertake the project.

We are delighted to say that we have now raised approximately £101,000*. This includes two large scale grants from Scottish Landfill Communities Funds (of which more detail later since they are conditional on us having all the project funding in place), a Lottery grant, funding which the Club had saved towards the project in recent years, money raised from our recent Potato Selling project (for which many thanks to the Howe of Fife Rotary Club) and also about £450 from our recent Bonus Ball fundraising event. We have other funding applications pending and others will be submitted in the Spring. Club fundraising events planned for 2020 were obviously put on hold but we hope (fingers crossed) to be able to run these in Summer 2021. Funding permitting, we will undertake the work on the Courts in early Autumn 2021 .

During this challenging year, our new online booking facility for members and visitors has been really successful and the courts have been busy. Families, adults and children have welcomed the chance to play tennis - to exercise, and more importantly to socialise, in a safe environment, particularly when so many other sports facilities have been limited and often closed. We need to keep this much loved public amenity at the heart of sporting activity in Cupar. And we now only have £49,000 to raise…….! Update 18.02.21 - a grant from Fife Charities Trust brings the total to over £101,000 - only £47,000 to go!

Keep an eye on the Fundraising Thermometer – both in the window of the Clubhouse and on the website - as it (hopefully) rises to towards the target. And please get in touch if you have any thoughts/ideas about online funding activities, local sponsors, other possible funding sources you know about. All help and advice most welcome!

Here’s to a brighter 2021 and to tennis on new courts with friends and family.

see also Fund Raising page with the Fundraising thermometer!

*See Fund Raising page for thanks and acknowledgements to our fund providers.

Happily, with the lifting of restrictions, most of these do not apply now. However, we do still require members and visitors to use the booking system - Court Booking. And, of course, use the disinfectant on court for and sanitiser in the clubhouse (toilets only open). ✋✋

Our Club 🎾

Since its formation in 1925, Duffus Tennis Club has been at the heart of the Cupar sporting community and are looking forward to Centenary Celebrations in 2025!

Duffus Tennis Club is a constituted Voluntary Sports Organisation and is a registered Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC). The Club is a member of Tennis Scotland and is a Tennis Venue registered with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), meaning it meets the required standards concerning governance, safeguarding and risk assessment.

Well known as a very friendly club, tennis is played throughout the year at Duffus and we encourage everyone, whatever their ability, age or fitness, to participate in our social tennis evenings, weekend tournaments and other events. The club also caters for those keen to play competitive tennis and Duffus fields gents, ladies, and mixed teams in the Tennis Tayside Leagues, as well as in social leagues with other local clubs. The Club has an Assistant coach who offers coaching to individuals and groups and also runs Tennis Camps for young people in school holidays. The club works with key local partners, including local schools and colleges, to develop and expand sporting activity in the community, offering a welcoming and safe environment.

Charges are kept competitive and the Club offers deals for new members and, thanks to our new online booking system, we can welcome visitors at any time - Court Booking.

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