Chairman’s Message
Dear Member,
I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year in my first message of the year in the hope of a more normal year than last. As you aware, however, we have now entered another forced closure of the Club for up to six weeks and possibly longer. It wasn’t the start to 2021 that we were all hoping for.
The Club has worked hard to keep open as many of its outdoor facilities as possible since the last lockdown ended in November. Over the past ten months we have consistently innovated to keep the Club running safely, while providing new activities and services to keep Members as fit and healthy as possible during this challenging time. Most importantly the Board has ensured the Club’s financial position is sound and the waiting list to join is still two years strong. Its focus now is preparing the Club to open once more from a position of confidence in its resilience and sustainable future.
In such times of uncertainty we rely on the loyalty of Members to maintain that position. I ask Members once more to support the Club with the payment this month of their annual subscriptions. I am pleased to see that many Members have already done so which is testament to how highly you value the Club that you own and how much it contributes to your quality of life. Without any secondary income during the lockdowns and heavily reduced income from events and food and beverage when we are open, our Club relies on its annual subscriptions to survive. Therefore we are not now in a position, as last year, to offer any refunds or to waive subscription payments as some Members have requested. The Board will keep the position under review as the pandemic evolves and the situation improves.
The Chief Executive and his team have locked down the Club to minimise operational expenditure, furloughed the majority of staff and those that remain are busy working on delivering the planned winter projects for golf course safety, new Piazza Coffee Shop, the construction of the padel tennis courts as well as keeping the Club safe and secure.
Making the most of the lockdown period is essential so there is minimal disruption when Members return. Marc’s team are also delivering the array of online activities from the Gym and Studios, Social Events, wine tastings, bridge, backgammon and art group classes. Click the links here to find out about just some of the activities on offer:
Virtual Fitness Classes
Virtual Tennis Lessons
Virtual Social Scene
Click and Collect food and beverage
The Sports Shop has launched an online shop of New Year offers and bargains as well – click here for details.
I must offer congratulations, on behalf of the Club, to Anne Keothavong who was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List. Anne plays for our Ladies’ Tennis first team and as GB’s Fed Cup Captain officially opened our new ITC in February 2019 straight after overseeing the GB win over Serbia.
After enjoying a quiet Christmas with my family I have had to isolate with them since then as some are classed as vulnerable. In addition, I have seen with sadness an increasing number of friends and acquaintances contracting the virus or having to self isolate because of contact with someone who has tested positive. Watching the rates of infections and deaths rise so quickly during that short period has brought home to me again how important it is to keep to the Government’s regulations and to protect each other. It also makes Caroline and I appreciate how much we miss the fabulous facilities the Club offers and the camaraderie of our friends when we are there. It has made us both even more determined to support the Club when it needs its Members most and to count the days to when we can return.
So I do wish you all a Happy New Year as there is light at the end of the tunnel with the roll out of the vaccination programme. Please make the most of the online activities the excellent staff are offering to keep us fit and healthy and above all stay safe.
Best wishes,
Alan