25th July - Indoor tennis now permitted at STony
We are delighted to say that the Government will now permit the indoor tennis from 25th July. Booking is now open and members can book up to a fortnight ahead as with all our courts. Specific to the Air Dome please note the following:
Club house remains closed and our original set of reminders about safe play remain in place (see both below)
- Air Dome courts will be free to book through to 31st August on a first come first served basis.
- As with all courts, you must pre-book in the usual manner, and adhere to all the social distancing measures in place for the club.
- A new Keysafe will be installed opposite the Dome entrance on the clubhouse wall with the key to the Dome. Those booked will need to text either 07790 493094 or 07867 523536 to obtain the code, with your name and time of your court booking. On completion of your game you will need to return the key to the Keysafe and lock the box again ready for the next participant. If there is a court still in use, you will need to pass the key across ensuring that the responsibility for locking the Dome and returning the key has also passed across.
- Please text for the key code well in advance of your game. Do not expect to get the code 5 minutes before your start time and rely on either number being available by text.
- The key code will be changed at least once per week.
- As with all courts, if you cannot make your booking, please cancel as soon as possible to leave it free for other members.
- Please assign one player to drag net the court on both sides. Whoever drags the court, please ensure you use the hand sanitiser before after use of the drag brushes.
- From the 1st September the normal autumn/winter charging will begin and you will be prompted for payment on the booking screen. There is no increase in booking charge for this coming winter season.
- By September when the evenings are drawing in, we will have worked out how to dispense tokens again safely. Tokens will not be available prior to 1st September, so I wouldn't recommend booking the last few slots in the evening.
Club house remains closed and our original set of reminders about safe play remain in place (see both below)
26th June - Updates
Currently permitted at the club:
The clubhouse remains closed until further notice. The latest advice is that the changes announced for the 4th July make no material difference to our ability to keep a loo for example, clean and safe. We are certainly not able to afford a cleaner (even if they were available) to clean the toilet and its access routes after each use, and do not have staff permanently on staff through the playing day. An open clubhouse is unlikely to be safe until the Covid threat is reduced or removed. Currently the country is at Covid Threat Level 3 meaning the virus remains in general circulation and transmission levels remain between 0.5 and 1.0. We anticipate opening all or parts of the Clubhouse when the threat is downgraded to Level 2, meaning Covid cases or transmission is low.
Competitive matches:
With the exception of a few LTA box singles leagues, club matches and leagues have all been cancelled for the summer. The club tournaments are also cancelled this year. The good news however is the leagues are planned to resume this autumn for the winter sessions and our 2020 summer subscriptions have been carried forward to 2021.
The original set of asks or reminders still remain in place: (see below 31st May)
The Hand sanitiser dispensers are installed at the entrance and on the clubhouse for your use before and after play.
- You may play both singles play and doubles with people from outside of your household, as long as you remain socially distanced as far as possible – meaning that four people from different households can play doubles. But remember, you must pre-book a court and only members are allowed to play. No member's guests.
- You must maintain social distanced from all players, other than where players are from the same household (including during play, when taking breaks and before and after play)
- Coaching in small groups and individual lessons are permitted. Check the coaching pages on our website for the latest details.
- Wednesday Club Mornings from 09.30 are back on and well supported. Phyllis continues to organise groups and provide the tennis balls for a small fee. You still have to play in groups of four or six (rotating) per court and are not able to mix across courts on a morning's session.
- Wednesday Club evenings from 18.30 are back on. You will need to provide your own balls and remain in groups of four per court for the evening. Just roll up and make up courts of four. There are several regulars down each week that will welcome you and get you started. They are always keen for new tennis talent. Courts are pre-booked for you.
- Sunday Club mornings are back on. From 10:00 to 12:00 this is a roll up with no committee present. Courts are pre-booked on a first come first served basis.
- Junior Club Night on Thursdays remains off due to the practicalities of keeping kids safe and distanced with the number of coaches available. John Cavill and the team are working our how they might resume this evenings safely, but it may need to wait until the Covid threat is further down-graded.
The clubhouse remains closed until further notice. The latest advice is that the changes announced for the 4th July make no material difference to our ability to keep a loo for example, clean and safe. We are certainly not able to afford a cleaner (even if they were available) to clean the toilet and its access routes after each use, and do not have staff permanently on staff through the playing day. An open clubhouse is unlikely to be safe until the Covid threat is reduced or removed. Currently the country is at Covid Threat Level 3 meaning the virus remains in general circulation and transmission levels remain between 0.5 and 1.0. We anticipate opening all or parts of the Clubhouse when the threat is downgraded to Level 2, meaning Covid cases or transmission is low.
Competitive matches:
With the exception of a few LTA box singles leagues, club matches and leagues have all been cancelled for the summer. The club tournaments are also cancelled this year. The good news however is the leagues are planned to resume this autumn for the winter sessions and our 2020 summer subscriptions have been carried forward to 2021.
The original set of asks or reminders still remain in place: (see below 31st May)
The Hand sanitiser dispensers are installed at the entrance and on the clubhouse for your use before and after play.
15th June - Club Night
Senior club night has restarted on Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm. Please provide your own tennis balls. Club house remains locked and inaccessible.
Junior Club night remains suspended until further notice and until it can made safe for the large numbers of juniors that normally attend.
Wednesday morning supervised rollup sessions from 9.30 have re-started. You will be organised by court into groups of four or six, with the usual mixing across courts not possible.
All social distancing measures listed below remain in place.
Junior Club night remains suspended until further notice and until it can made safe for the large numbers of juniors that normally attend.
Wednesday morning supervised rollup sessions from 9.30 have re-started. You will be organised by court into groups of four or six, with the usual mixing across courts not possible.
All social distancing measures listed below remain in place.
31st May - FURTHER EASING OF RESTRICTIONS - DOUBLES PERMITTED FROM 1st JUNE
Following the announcement on Thursday 28th May, there are further easing of lockdown restrictions with newly published guidelines for venues, players and coaches to follow around playing tennis in England published here. This includes the resumption of doubles for players from different households, and small group coaching being permitted, as long as social distancing is adhered to. Please note that indoor spaces at SSLTC will remain closed.
So from Monday 1st June the key changes are:
The original set of asks or reminders still remain in place:
So from Monday 1st June the key changes are:
- You may play both singles play and doubles with people from outside of your household, as long as you remain 2 metres apart as far as possible – meaning that four people from different households can now play doubles
- You must maintain two metres social distancing with all players, other than where players are from the same household (including during play, when taking breaks and before and after play)
- For doubles, consider agreeing in advance which player will take the shot if a ball travels to the centre of the court
- We are still awaiting clarification from LTA as Player Guidelines state groups of 5 can be coached yet Coach Guidelines still state 1:1. More to follow via the coaching team.
- You can now share one set of tennis balls per court and there is no need to bring marked tennis balls per player.
The original set of asks or reminders still remain in place:
- You must pre-book a court online using your membership details prior to play. You cannot just turn up and use an empty court or hang around waiting for one to become free.
- If you haven't renewed your membership, then you are not permitted to play, no matter how many years you have been at the club or whether someone else in your family is a member. Only members can play on the courts, and you may not bring a guest.
- Please be reminded that Adults are permitted to book two hours per day and Juniors/Young Person one hour per day.
- If you make a booking, please turn up and use it. If you can't, then cancel your booking. The courts are getting a lot of use again which is good, but you are probably depriving another member of a game.
- If a ball strays onto your court, do not pick it up. Use your racquet/foot to find the name and then project it back to the correct court using your racquet or foot.
- Stay on your side of court and avoid changing ends, or agree to change ends at opposite sides of the net
- Play is at your own risk
- All indoor spaces remain closed. This means no floodlighting (the token boxes are inside the clubhouse), no play in the Air Dome and no toilet or kitchen facilities are available. (Please bring your own water bottles and then keep your legs crossed until you get home.)
- Once you finish playing, please wipe down any touched surfaces (net winders, gate latches etc) and leave the club as soon as is practical.
29th May - Update from the LTA - Watch this space
UPDATE: Following the announcement from the Prime Minister on Thursday (28 May), we are currently clarifying some aspects with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and will be sharing updated guidelines for playing tennis in England as soon as possible and ahead of Monday.
22nd May - IMPORTANT REMINDER ON ACCEPTABLE USAGE OF OUR COURTS
It has been fantastic to see so many of you returning to the courts after the Government relaxed their movement restrictions last week and even if you were previously singles adverse, having a go, some in a relaxed fashion. The club is also learning how to safely keep the courts open and here are a few updates and reminders.
Reminders
Updates
Reminders
- You must pre-book a court online using your membership details prior to play. You cannot just turn up and use an empty court or hang around waiting for one to become free.
- If you haven't renewed your membership, then you are not permitted to play, no matter how many years you have been at the club or whether someone else in your family is a member. Only members can play on the courts, and you may not bring a guest.
- Please be reminded that Adults are permitted to book two hours per day and Juniors/Young Person one hour per day. There is nothing to stop you booking consecutively with your member opponent to double up those play times. Systems are being put in place to restrict membership types to the correct booking length, but if in the meantime longer bookings are made, the administrator will truncate your booking back to the permitted length.
- If you make a booking, please turn up and use it. If you can't then cancel your booking. The courts are getting a lot of use again which is good, but you are probably depriving another member of a game.
Updates
- We continue to lobby the LTA, and indirectly the government, to permit doubles play. But it will only be considered on the success and adherence to the current singles permissible play.
- Hand sanitiser dispensers have been ordered and will be installed at the entrance and on the clubhouse as soon as they arrive.
- We tried leaving the gates open to avoid you having to touch the latch, but found foxes and local cats enjoyed fouling the court surfaces overnight. That is why they are shut again.
13th May - Club reopens and memberships resume
Outdoor courts are re-open to all current members from today (13th May) with the following requests / guidance / limitations:
Further specific guidance on safe play is available from the LTA here. Please read the guidance for tennis players before visiting the club. Please also be aware the government is constantly reviewing the nationwide strategy. We will follow their guidance at all times even if it means re-closing the club. But fingers crossed all restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible.
The LTA has suggested at 1pm Tuesday 12th that opening the clubhouse is optional for venues. This will require more time to investigate, but if it is safe and feasible, we will do so as soon as we are able.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during these past 51 days. These sorts of things make a major dent on a tennis club such as ours and we hope that you will all be eager to get back to tennis and making Stony great again.
- Please book your court online and arrive no more than 5 minutes before your booking to reduce the amount of hanging around the club.
- Singles play is permitted with a member not from your household. Please keep a minimum of 2m apart at all times from other members outside your household. No tummy bumping! Each player should have their own set of balls marked with their name. Use your own set only during your service game. Receivers send the balls back to the server using a racquet only.
- Doubles play is permitted with members of your household. Please use a new set of balls each time you play. Mark the balls clearly with your name.
- If a ball strays onto your court, do not pick it up. Use your racquet/foot to find the name and then project it back to the correct court using your racquet or foot.
- Stay on your side of court and avoid changing ends, or agree to change ends at opposite sides of the net
- Play is at your own risk
- All indoor spaces remain closed. This means no floodlighting (the token boxes are inside the clubhouse), no play in the Air Dome and no toilet or kitchen facilities are available. (Please bring your own water bottles and then keep your legs crossed until you get home.)
- Once you finish playing, please wipe down any touched surfaces (net winders, gate latches etc) and leave the club as soon as is practical.
- All memberships due prior to lockdown, or those that expired during lockdown, are now due. The number of days you missed during lockdown for which you had a current membership will be added to your 2021 renewal date. You will not have lost out on membership days.
- Without a current membership, you will not be able to book a court or play tennis.
- If you are part of a government notified vulnerable group and therefore unable to resume your membership just yet, please contact us at admin@ssltc.co.uk so we can update our records.
Further specific guidance on safe play is available from the LTA here. Please read the guidance for tennis players before visiting the club. Please also be aware the government is constantly reviewing the nationwide strategy. We will follow their guidance at all times even if it means re-closing the club. But fingers crossed all restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible.
The LTA has suggested at 1pm Tuesday 12th that opening the clubhouse is optional for venues. This will require more time to investigate, but if it is safe and feasible, we will do so as soon as we are able.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during these past 51 days. These sorts of things make a major dent on a tennis club such as ours and we hope that you will all be eager to get back to tennis and making Stony great again.
11th May - Govt Strategy Paper - Limited Tennis can resume from 13th May
Based on the Government strategy paper issued just after 2pm today, Page 27, the guideline is a few sports including tennis can resume from Wednesday 13th May.
"People may exercise outside as many times each day as they wish. For example, this would include angling and tennis. You will still not be able to use areas like playgrounds, outdoor gyms or ticketed outdoor leisure venues, where there is a higher risk of close contact and touching surfaces. You can only exercise with up to one person from outside your household – this means you should not play team sports, except with members of your own household."
Based on this we will reopen the outdoor courts and memberships will resume this Wednesday (during daylight hours, no tokens) with singles play only, other than where players are all from the same household in which case they can play doubles.. The clubhouses and indoor courts will remain closed and off limits. More specific guidelines on safe usage of the courts will be posted here and send to members when we have it from the LTA (hopefully before Wednesday).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/884171/FINAL_6.6637_CO_HMG_C19_Recovery_FINAL_110520_v2_WEB__1_.pdf
"People may exercise outside as many times each day as they wish. For example, this would include angling and tennis. You will still not be able to use areas like playgrounds, outdoor gyms or ticketed outdoor leisure venues, where there is a higher risk of close contact and touching surfaces. You can only exercise with up to one person from outside your household – this means you should not play team sports, except with members of your own household."
Based on this we will reopen the outdoor courts and memberships will resume this Wednesday (during daylight hours, no tokens) with singles play only, other than where players are all from the same household in which case they can play doubles.. The clubhouses and indoor courts will remain closed and off limits. More specific guidelines on safe usage of the courts will be posted here and send to members when we have it from the LTA (hopefully before Wednesday).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/884171/FINAL_6.6637_CO_HMG_C19_Recovery_FINAL_110520_v2_WEB__1_.pdf
10th MAy - LTA message following the PM Statement
"We are continuing to work with Government on the relevant clarifications required to ensure further advice is provided to the tennis community as soon as possible and in advance of Wednesday (13 May), when tennis will be playable in England between members of the same household." LTA website.
Make of that what you will! If may be possible in the next few days to unlock the gates of the Ancell Trust Sports Ground and the gates to the tennis courts so SSLTC members of the same household can play some tennis. The clubhouse and Dome will however remain closed until more of the restrictions can be lifted. Watch this space! Remain a lert.
Make of that what you will! If may be possible in the next few days to unlock the gates of the Ancell Trust Sports Ground and the gates to the tennis courts so SSLTC members of the same household can play some tennis. The clubhouse and Dome will however remain closed until more of the restrictions can be lifted. Watch this space! Remain a lert.
26th March - SSLTC Subs
Dear Club Members
As you will be well aware, Covid-19 temporarily got the better of the UK earlier this week and the current nationwide lock-down obviously shut SSLTC down from Tuesday 24th March until further notice. As luck would have it, this is the busiest time of the year for the club's membership renewals. However I suspect that your renewal is the last thing on your mind as you try to stay healthy and solvent. With the club closed and no immediate prospect of play, we are therefore taking the following action immediately.
1. If your membership renewal is currently due (prior to 1st April), please do not pay it until the club reopens. Only pay your membership once we re-open and your membership will then run for a full twelve months. For subsequent years, your renewal date will be the anniversary of reopening of the club. Effectively you will not have paid for your club membership during the closure.
2. If your membership is current or you have recently renewed, you will be offered a pro-rata credit off your next renewal for the length of time the club was closed. So for example if we are closed for two months, you will be offered a pro-rata discount of 1/6th off your subs when they renew.
3, If your membership expires during the closure, then the offered pro-rata credit will be from the 24th March to the expiry. Please do not pay your next subscriptions until the club re-opens and you have been informed of the discounted sub.
4. If you are part of a government notified vulnerable group and your isolation extends beyond the reopening of the club, then your pro-rata will be calculated through to when you are able to come out of self-isolation. Please keep a copy of your government letter for us to know to include you.
Whilst this is clearly a big hit to our club coffers, I hope you agree this is the right thing to do. Please also understand that this is a pro-rata against your renewal and cannot be a refund against previously paid subs. Once we are back up and running, I would ask that you pay any outstanding subs as soon as you are able, for the sake of keeping us afloat.
Once we get through this, we'll christen the new club BBQ and have a tennis party!
As before, the latest news relevant to the club is on our website with a link from the front page www.ssltc.co.uk.
Stay well and distanced.
The SSLTC Committee
As you will be well aware, Covid-19 temporarily got the better of the UK earlier this week and the current nationwide lock-down obviously shut SSLTC down from Tuesday 24th March until further notice. As luck would have it, this is the busiest time of the year for the club's membership renewals. However I suspect that your renewal is the last thing on your mind as you try to stay healthy and solvent. With the club closed and no immediate prospect of play, we are therefore taking the following action immediately.
1. If your membership renewal is currently due (prior to 1st April), please do not pay it until the club reopens. Only pay your membership once we re-open and your membership will then run for a full twelve months. For subsequent years, your renewal date will be the anniversary of reopening of the club. Effectively you will not have paid for your club membership during the closure.
2. If your membership is current or you have recently renewed, you will be offered a pro-rata credit off your next renewal for the length of time the club was closed. So for example if we are closed for two months, you will be offered a pro-rata discount of 1/6th off your subs when they renew.
3, If your membership expires during the closure, then the offered pro-rata credit will be from the 24th March to the expiry. Please do not pay your next subscriptions until the club re-opens and you have been informed of the discounted sub.
4. If you are part of a government notified vulnerable group and your isolation extends beyond the reopening of the club, then your pro-rata will be calculated through to when you are able to come out of self-isolation. Please keep a copy of your government letter for us to know to include you.
Whilst this is clearly a big hit to our club coffers, I hope you agree this is the right thing to do. Please also understand that this is a pro-rata against your renewal and cannot be a refund against previously paid subs. Once we are back up and running, I would ask that you pay any outstanding subs as soon as you are able, for the sake of keeping us afloat.
Once we get through this, we'll christen the new club BBQ and have a tennis party!
As before, the latest news relevant to the club is on our website with a link from the front page www.ssltc.co.uk.
Stay well and distanced.
The SSLTC Committee
23rd March: SSLTC Closed
Following the announcement made by Boris Johnson this evening at 20.30, the club is doing the social responsible thing and will be closed until further notice. Clubhouse and all courts included in this closure.
21st March : Permitted Use of SSLTC during COVID-19
Dear Club Members
Things have been unfolding rapidly with advice on how to conduct ourselves during this Coronavirus pandemic. I'm sure you have through necessity being keeping as up to date as possible. This email is to draw your attention to some immediate changes with respect to SSLTC. Further updates, and I'm sure there will be many as the advice changes daily, will be posted to the club website.
1. Clubhouse and Old Pavilion: will be closed from Sunday 22nd March until further notice following the latest government instructions. This means there are no toilet facilities and you will have to fill your own water bottles at home. https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/tennis-news/news-and-opinion/general-news/2020/march/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-venues/#.
2. The Air Dome, being deemed an indoor venue, is closed from Sunday 22nd March until further notice.
3. All remaining 7 outdoor courts are open to club members as normal. Please follow the advice on the link above on how to maintain social distancing during play. Be aware that this advice is constantly changing so revisit the website before each visit to the club. Use of the courts is at your own risk and without access to the clubhouse your will need to provide your own first aid. With the clubhouse closed, access to the floodlight token machine and the light boxes is not possible. Unfortunately therefore you will only be able to play tennis in the daylight.
4. Coaching: at time of writing individual coaching is still permitted but all group sessions are cancelled. For the latest visit: http://www.ssltc.co.uk/coaching-programmes.html
5. Competition play: All LTA leagues and tournaments are suspended until at least the end of April. Effectively the winter leagues have now finished (albeit incomplete) and the start of the summer competitions are delayed. Specifically, this includes the cancellation of SSLTC's Grade 4 tournament in April and the delay of the Club's 2020 Club Closed Championships. Hopefully the latter can be resurrected in time for a Finals Day in September.
6. Club Events: all club social events are cancelled including but not limited to the Club AGM (22nd April), Quiz Night (24th April) and the French Exchange Weekend. The committee will endeavour to get a Club Spring Newsletter completed within the next month and this will be posted online to the club website (not printed and posted).
7. Wimbledon Ballot: at the time of writing Wimbledon is still on and therefore we assume the ballot should take place week commencing 20th April. The sign up sheet will be removed from the closed clubhouse and any remaining date preferences for the ballot should be emailed to our Ballot Administrator by 17th April.
Please refer to the LTA link above for broader announcements, and our own club website for SSLTC specifics.
Sorry to be the bringer of bad tidings but we will get through this.. Stay well and distanced.
The SSLTC Committee
21st March 2020
Things have been unfolding rapidly with advice on how to conduct ourselves during this Coronavirus pandemic. I'm sure you have through necessity being keeping as up to date as possible. This email is to draw your attention to some immediate changes with respect to SSLTC. Further updates, and I'm sure there will be many as the advice changes daily, will be posted to the club website.
1. Clubhouse and Old Pavilion: will be closed from Sunday 22nd March until further notice following the latest government instructions. This means there are no toilet facilities and you will have to fill your own water bottles at home. https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/tennis-news/news-and-opinion/general-news/2020/march/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-venues/#.
2. The Air Dome, being deemed an indoor venue, is closed from Sunday 22nd March until further notice.
3. All remaining 7 outdoor courts are open to club members as normal. Please follow the advice on the link above on how to maintain social distancing during play. Be aware that this advice is constantly changing so revisit the website before each visit to the club. Use of the courts is at your own risk and without access to the clubhouse your will need to provide your own first aid. With the clubhouse closed, access to the floodlight token machine and the light boxes is not possible. Unfortunately therefore you will only be able to play tennis in the daylight.
4. Coaching: at time of writing individual coaching is still permitted but all group sessions are cancelled. For the latest visit: http://www.ssltc.co.uk/coaching-programmes.html
5. Competition play: All LTA leagues and tournaments are suspended until at least the end of April. Effectively the winter leagues have now finished (albeit incomplete) and the start of the summer competitions are delayed. Specifically, this includes the cancellation of SSLTC's Grade 4 tournament in April and the delay of the Club's 2020 Club Closed Championships. Hopefully the latter can be resurrected in time for a Finals Day in September.
6. Club Events: all club social events are cancelled including but not limited to the Club AGM (22nd April), Quiz Night (24th April) and the French Exchange Weekend. The committee will endeavour to get a Club Spring Newsletter completed within the next month and this will be posted online to the club website (not printed and posted).
7. Wimbledon Ballot: at the time of writing Wimbledon is still on and therefore we assume the ballot should take place week commencing 20th April. The sign up sheet will be removed from the closed clubhouse and any remaining date preferences for the ballot should be emailed to our Ballot Administrator by 17th April.
Please refer to the LTA link above for broader announcements, and our own club website for SSLTC specifics.
Sorry to be the bringer of bad tidings but we will get through this.. Stay well and distanced.
The SSLTC Committee
21st March 2020
