Westward Ho! Tennis Club have achieved an
LTA Club Mark Accreditation

Westward Ho! Tennis Club become the first traditional tennis club in North Devon to achieve the LTA Club Mark accreditation.

This week Westward Ho Tennis Club became the first traditional tennis club in North Devon, and one of only six clubs and tennis centres throughout the whole of Devon to be awarded the LTA Club Mark accreditation. In fact Westward Ho! Tennis Club was the first club without indoor facilities and run entirely by volunteers to have achieved this accolade.

What is the LTA Club Mark?

As outlined in the LTA Blueprint for British Tennis, they recognise the vital contribution clubs make to the sport across the country. To build on this, the LTA are committed to supporting and to develop club's tennis programmes, coaches and volunteers, and in providing competitive opportunities for their members, particularly juniors. Increasing the amount of junior competition is a key focus of the LTA and is critical if British Tennis players are to succeed at a world class level.

The LTA know that there are hundreds of great tennis clubs across Britain delivering fantastic tennis opportunities to their members and non members alike. They have developed Tennis Club mark to recognise and reward clubs for the important contribution they make in developing tennis players and to British Tennis in general.

Tennis Club mark is the LTA's club accreditation programme. All types of tennis clubs from school clubs, those within the commercial sector and traditional tennis clubs are eligible to apply.  Achieving Tennis Club mark means the LTA endorses and supports the tennis programmes the club delivers on court and the policies and procedures they have in place. These are crucial to ensure that clubs are managed effectively and that they are providing a safe environment for junior tennis players and members to enjoy and play tennis.  

Tennis Club mark provides a framework to help clubs to improve themselves and ensure that their programmes and policies are in line with best practice. This isn't a tick box accreditation exercise. Rather by achieving Tennis Club mark, the LTA believe clubs are demonstrating that they are contributing to the delivery of the Blueprint by improving the quality of the club, the coaches that work within the club environment and the competition that the club delivers.                                     (Roger Draper - LTA Chief Executive)

Back in June 2008 the Westward Ho! Tennis Club set out on the road to achieving Club Mark accreditation. This involved the club's committee and its officers working hard to bring the club up to the required standard. This covered four main areas:

1. Club Action Planning (action plan and business plan)
2. Tennis Programme (coaching, competitive play, links with other clubs & schools
3. Policies & Procedures (child protection, equality & diversity, codes of practice, health & safety)
4. Club Management (communication, promotion, managing volunteers & coaches)

By the end of November they had completed "The Club Mark Folder", which contained all of the evidence, policies and procedures that were required. This folder was sent off to the LTA for assessment.

On Thursday the 12^th March Jo-Anne Downing, the LTA Tennis Development Manager Devon & Cornwall, visited the club to carry out a site assessment. The club passed this assessment so she was able to award it with the "Club Mark Certificate" and plaque, to show it had achieved the required standard.

Chairman's Comments:

This was a magnificent effort by all the club's committee and officers who worked tirelessly to get the club through this process and to achieve the final accreditation. So on behalf of the whole club I would like to thank everyone involved, including Jo-Ann Downing from the LTA for her support and help.

I'm sure that this will now enable the club to go from strength to strength and press on improving it's all round performance.  

David Vinall - Chairman WHTC (14-03-09)