Brighton & Hove

Tennis Engagement and Consultation

Report on consultation with local tennis players about tennis and park tennis courts

in Brighton and Hove

November 2015

Brighton & Hove Community Works

Consultant: Yvonne Rivers

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Tennis Engagement and Consultation Report November 2015

Notes

Many thanks to all those who contributed this consultation:  through tennis court side discussions, on line surveys, focus groups, telephone calls and emails  Brighton and Hove Park Attendants for putting up posters around the tennis courts  Toby Kingsbury, Ryan Edwards and Rob Walker from Brighton and Hove City Council  Kate Wilson from The Lawn Tennis Association

This report reflects the information, views and recommendations shared throughout this consultation. Timescales have not permitted an opportunity to share a draft with those who contributed. If there are any inaccuracies please contact [email protected]

Note on terminology and acronyms:  Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association (BHPLTA) is a membership organisation of 11 Brighton and Hove Tennis Clubs who play in Brighton and Hove Parks on hard surface tennis courts.  The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is the national governing body of tennis in the UK

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Contents

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

2. BACKGROUND & CONTEXT 9

3. METHODOLOGY 13

4. FINDINGS 15

5. REFLECTIONS 25

6. RECOMMENDATIONS 26

7. APPENDICES 28

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

Brighton & Hove Community Works was commissioned by Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) and The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to undertake a piece of engagement work with local tennis players about tennis in BHCC’s parks tennis courts. BHCC and LTA want to ensure that tennis facilities are sustainable in years to come and to consider ways to encourage more people to play tennis more often. The LTA British Tennis Strategic Plan, March 2015 describes how the LTA will focus its resources to engage local communities and increase participation in tennis. The LTA has allocated staff and financial resources to support this work. Brighton and Hove City Council is one of 12 local authorities in London and the South East that the LTA is developing a long term partnership with. The LTA and BHCC have recently signed a 15 year partnership agreement with a commitment to working together to sustain tennis in the city. This includes both parks tennis courts facilities as well as ways of encouraging more adults and children to take up tennis. Specifically this engagement and consultation aimed to: o share ideas about how to encourage local people to get interested and take up playing tennis o explore the options with the tennis community for parks tennis management that could apply based on ideas and good practice elsewhere o explore the potential for the future operation and/or management of parks tennis For this engagement and consultation we used a participatory appraisal approach. This consultation was primarily qualitative. Our aim was to hear the voices of the tennis community, both casual players and tennis club members. We wanted to understand and explore the issues locally and tennis community’s own understanding of these issues and how they might be addressed. A total of 470 people shared their views, experience and recommendations. 345 people completed the on line survey, 33 club members participated in 4 focus groups, 67 adults and 25 under 16 year olds had impromptu courtside conversations or telephone conversations.

1.1 Findings

There are five broad themes that have been identified in this consultation. They are as follows:

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Tennis Engagement and Consultation Report November 2015

1.1.1 Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis Courts are a fantastic resource 177 courts in 11 parks across Brighton and Hove is a fantastic resource. They are all much appreciated by casual and club members alike. Many are well used and there is scope to maximise the use of the courts throughout both weekdays and weekends.

1.1.2 Volunteerism in tennis clubs and leagues There is a rich heritage of tennis in Brighton and Hove. The city is unique across the country in having a Parks Tennis Association. The Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association (BHPLTA) is a membership organisation of the 11 Tennis Clubs in Brighton and Hove. The BHPLTA organises a competitive tennis league made up of 4 divisions. Both the clubs and the league happens because of a strong and long lasting volunteerism of the members. Both the clubs and BHPLTA are committed to supporting and encouraging people to play tennis. There are range of other voluntary and charged for tennis groups, coaching and competitions, most of which have some connection with the BHPLTA.

1.1.3 Interest in playing casual tennis Tennis is one of the popular sports in Brighton and Hove. Throughout the consultation it was evident that many adults and children didn’t necessarily want to play competitive tennis, but they appreciated easy opportunities to go to their local courts for a ‘knock around’ for an hour or so.

In this consultation the following obstacles to more people playing tennis were identified.

1.1.4 Lack of clarity about fees, payments and information Finding out information whether at the courts, on line, print or by phone is not straightforward. This includes information about the location of tennis courts, arrangements for booking and the fees. For some this was a disincentive and concerns were expressed by many that other potential casual players could be put off.

1.1.5 Relationship between Brighton and Hove Tennis Player’s, Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) and The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) The BHPLTA and Tennis Club members expressed much frustration about the lack of mutually beneficial co working relationships with BHCC and The LTA. Suffice to say there is currently no effective joint dialogue and working together in the cause of tennis in the city. The details of this breakdown in relationships are detailed on pages 14 and 15 of this report.

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Most casual players had less to say about their experience of relationships with the BHCC and the LTA given that they showed up at courts, played and left with little cause for contact with anyone other than their tennis partner(s). So, concerns about these relationships were primarily expressed by both BHPLTA and Brighton and Hove Tennis Club members. The lack of effective co working relationships of the BHPLTA and local tennis clubs with BHCC and the LTA impacted on this consultation. The appetite amongst the tennis community to work collaboratively with BHCC & LTA and move forward in the development of plans is therefore hampered. It detracted from the potential, in this consultation, to get into detailed explorations of the options for the future operation and management of parks tennis. It was, however, acknowledged by many that there is scope to develop the way in which BHCC Parks Tennis is managed. The BHPLTA and the local clubs overwhelmingly expressed an in-terest in working together with BHCC and the LTA to understand the current challenges, the potential possibilities and find ways to realise these in the cause of making parks tennis sustainable in the years to come. There is a clearly an appetite for collaboration around exploring future models for the management of parks tennis such as a tennis development group.

1.2 Recommendations There are five key recommendations in this report. They are as follows:

1.2.1 Information There are two aspects to this recommendation. Firstly, there is a need for more research, mapping, collation and analysis of information to complement this consultation and report. This includes finding out more about current usage, costs, income and demand including the current arrangements for coaches or tennis clubs to collect fees on behalf of BHCC. Comparative business models from local authorities with similar profiles and comparative information about all sports in the city so as to develop a strategic approach to sport in the city. Secondly, there is a need to improve the quality and availability of information. This includes online, information at the tennis courts and both print and electronic media. More detailed information is needed about BHCC Parks Tennis Courts, their location, availability, booking arrangements and fees as well as information about BHPLTA, tennis clubs, drop in sessions and coaching.

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1.2.2 Potential to promote interest and increase participation in tennis Developing a robust tennis outreach programme to promote and encourage tennis in the city that builds on the ongoing work of the BHPLTA, local clubs, volunteer and paid coaches as well as the BHCC initiatives such as Take Part. This could be a coordinated effort with the following groups and networks: The BHPLTA, local tennis clubs, LTA and BHCC Sports Development and with the 2,200 community and voluntary sector (CVS) organisations as well as work place sports groups, schools, after schools clubs, community and youth groups, colleges and universities. For this to be done clearly there is a need for this to be a priority work area for an organisation(s) and individual(s). There are, for example, many CVS organisations who could work with BHCC and the LTA to carry out such an outreach programme.

1.2.3 Using a Community Development Approach There is huge potential for BHCC Sports Development and the LTA to proactively build on what already exits to support and encourage people to play tennis. A community development approach that focuses on research and mapping about the current context, building on what already exists using proactive outreach and ensuring the tennis community are involved in planning. The BHPLTA, local tennis clubs, BHCC and the LTA need to come together to develop a strategic shared parks tennis promotion and outreach plan which targets schools, workplaces, youth groups, Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) Organisations, colleges and universities and further develops BHCC’s Keep Active and Take Part Programmes. The Trust for Developing Communities offers an action oriented training called Working with Communities, which is currently being offered as part of BHCC’s Workforce Development Programme. This training would be an ideal opportunity for BHCC and LTA staff to come together with BHPLTA and Tennis Club members in an action oriented 2 day training course.

1.2.4 Rebuilding relationships between the BHPLTA and the LTA and BHCC Rebuilding these relationships is an essential precursor to more work on information, promotion and outreach and adoption of a community development approach so as to ensure the future sustainability of parks tennis in Brighton & Hove. It is evident that making and implementing decisions about the future management of parks tennis will be difficult especially given BHCC’s current financial challenges. A collaborative approach to working through issues and rebuilding relationships will mean that all the resources, insight, expertise and passion for tennis can be maximised in securing the ongoing provision of parks tennis.

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There are many ways forward in rebuilding these relationships. One such option is a series of facilitated meetings that provide opportunities to work through the current challenges.

1.2.5 Future Management of Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis Courts BHCC, the LTA, the BHPLTA, local tennis clubs, groups and casual players are all clearly interested in securing the future sustainability of parks tennis. Following the opportunity to rebuild relationships, as described above, a follow up plan for ongoing dialogue and shared planning will be needed towards implementing new arrangements for the operation and management of parks tennis.

Note on terminology used in this report This consultation has been primarily qualitative. As such opportunities to, provide quantitative information such as, ‘450 people said the courts are a great resource’ are limited. In this report, in order to represent strength of feeling of those who shared their views the following words have been used to represent the rough percentages of people who had similar views:  most / common experience / general consensus / the majority / key point / overwhelming - these words imply that over 75% of participants made this point. For example, ‘450 people said the courts are a great resource’  many / a significant number - these words imply that 50 to 74% of participants made this point.  some - this word implies that 25 to 49% of participants made this point.  few / small minority - these words imply that 1 to 24% of participants made this point.

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2. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

2.1 Brighton and Hove City Council Budget Reductions

Brighton and Hove City Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015 – 2019 states: “We expect that rising costs (inflation) and demand for services alongside reduced central government funding will result in a budget gap of £102.4 million by 2019/20, starting with the assumption of no increases in council tax. In 2015/16 alone we will see a reduction of £18 million of government grant funding, which together with increased costs and demands, leaves a gap of £26.3 million.”

This tennis consultation and engagement is necessarily framed by the realities of National Government austerity measures. These are having a dramatic impact on the funding of local authorities across the country. Locally, BHCC will reduce in size by one third by 2019. This necessarily has far reaching implications for all council services and the potential reduction in local council spending across all council services. As such all services continue to be scrutinised for opportunities to both reduce spending and increase revenue. Other sport/parks facilities are being subject to this same scrutiny currently and the future of tennis provision sits in this wider context.

2.2 Tennis in Brighton and Hove

Sport England has compiled data around current tennis participation levels and latent demand in Brighton and Hove. They conclude that there is a total demand of 10,474 who play or want to play tennis. This is made up of 4,977 people who play tennis and 5,497 want to play tennis. The same Sport England data states that 43,132 want to play outdoor sports. So, based on this data tennis in the city accounts for approximately a quarter of all those who either play or want to play an outdoor sport.

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There is a rich heritage of community based tennis in Brighton and Hove Parks and a diverse web of clubs and groups. The Brighton and Hove Tennis Clubs and Parks Leagues are unique across England. There are 11 Brighton and Hove Tennis Clubs. These clubs are members of The Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association. (BHPLTA) was established in 1929 and has survived and thrived through the efforts of many active volunteers. It has a membership of 600 and it organises the Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis League Matches over 18 weeks throughout the summer season. The League has 4 divisions, 20 matches a week are played from April to Sept involving 320 players. In addition the BHPLTA organised a Davis Cup Tournament in Hove Park in mid-September. This year 80 people played in this tournament and it was also the occasion to present league cups for the Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis League Matches. The BHPLTA are also part of The Sussex County Summer League, the Aegon

The Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association Membership Card

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Notably, The BHPLTA is the only parks tennis association in England. The BHPLTA and its tennis club members encourage and welcome people of all ages at all levels to join their clubs, for many joining a club kick started their interest in tennis. Many of the clubs boasted a membership of all ages, from under 16s to people in their 70s and 80s.

The BHPLTA AGM is in November and there is a Council Meeting in February every year. It has a committee made up of a president, vice president, general secretary, treasurer, league and registration committee members, competition secretary and match secretaries.

There are other groups of people locally who come together to play tennis. Such as Sussex Sound Tennis, which uses a ball that makes a sound when it bounces, so that it can be tracked by people with sight loss. Rusty Rackets, for people returning to playing tennis, The Dyke Park Autumn/Winter Singles Leagues, Meet and Play, an informal tennis and social drop in and The Welbeck Tennis drop in for over 50s that meets 4 times a week in Hove Park and costs £10 a year plus £1 a session.

Many spoke of the social aspects they experience being part of a citywide tennis community.

The costs of joining a tennis club vary slightly from club to club, but are considered by tennis club members to be reasonable. For example, members of Saltdean Tennis Club pay £45 for membership and £1 per player on match nights. There are concessions for juniors and unemployed. This fee covers the payment to BHCC for tennis court bookings as well as tennis balls. Club members can purchase BHCC Tennis Season tickets for £30 with which players can play across Brighton and Hove’s courts. The cost of joining BHPLTA Tennis Clubs is significantly cheaper than joining private one of the private tennis clubs such as The Pavilion and Avenue Tennis Club where the fees for an adult for the year are £285.

There are a total of 77 tennis courts in 11 local parks across the city. The majority of club and casual players appreciate that this is a fantastic asset and they are all keen, as are BHCC and the LTA, to ensure this resource is safeguarded for tennis players now and in the future. This consultation is attempting to explore, with local tennis players, their experience, insights and recommendations of options to ensure the sustainability of tennis in years to come.

There are many tennis coaches in Brighton and Hove, some thought as many as 50. Coaches either work independently or are part of tennis coaching businesses such as Tennis Tigers and Badgers Tennis Club Coaching. They run regular coaching sessions across the city. For example Tennis Tigers offers coaching to 200 school children per week. Many coaches are licensed and registered with The LTA and there are non-LTA licensed coaches working in the city. Tennis coaches have their own public liability insurance.

All of these tennis clubs and tennis coaching businesses are keen to increase the numbers of people who are interested to play tennis. Tennis players described how many coaches are particularly encouraging and inclusive in their approach to tennis, with some offering a combination of charged for, low cost and free coaching.

2.3 Policies, Strategies and Legislation 11

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The future sustainability of Brighton and Hove Parks tennis is framed and informed by a range of local and national policies, strategies and legislation. These include the following:

The LTA launched The British Tennis Strategy in March 2015. This strategy identifies three ways that the LTA will focus its resources to engage local communities and increase participation in tennis. These are clubs, education and community. The community aspect focuses on parks tennis with a focus on securing a stock of high quality, accessible courts and ancillary facilities which are underpinned by cost effective and sustainable management.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s introduction to their sport and physical activity programme highlights the importance of being physically as part of overall health and well-being. Brighton and Hove Active for Life supports people from across the city to take part in sport and physical activity. The emphasis is around working with a variety of partners to offer a wide range of low cost, local sessions in targeted neighbourhoods to help residents to reap the benefits of being more active. Active for Life supports people in the city to lead active lifestyles. From a small scale pilot in Hollingdean in 2005 Active for Life has grown into a city- wide initiative which reaches out to thousands of Brighton & Hove residents every year, supporting them to become more active, more often.

In the introduction to Happiness: Brighton & Hove’s Mental Wellbeing Strategy it says, “We have tried to look in the widest way possible to bring together resources and ideas and support for improving the happiness of our residents. We have looked to arts and culture, to gardening, to cooking and eating, to sports and walking and everything in between.”

As well as local government strategies there are also national government policies that focus around the value of physical activity. These include:

The Public Health England’ Strategy, From Evidence into Action which focus on securing improvements against seven priorities including tackling obesity particularly among children

The All Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood has recently launched its report on children’s play. Central to the report is its call for the promotion of play as part of a ‘whole child’ strategy. In announcing the report it was stated that, ‘whilst there is broad consensus about the importance of physical activity in the battle against obesity, play policy has lost political momentum in recent years and the report calls for a fresh approach’.

In The NHS Five Year Forward View 2014 it states that, a third of men and half of women don’t get enough exercise. Almost two thirds of adults are overweight or obese. These patterns are influenced by, and in turn reinforce, deep health inequalities which can cascade down the generations.

A key message of The Public Health England guide to community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing is that, ‘local government and the NHS, together with the third sector, have vital roles to play in building confident and connected communities as part of efforts to improve health and reduce health inequalities.’

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3. METHODOLOGY

This consultation focused primarily on gathering qualitative data. The qualitative information was gathered from dialogue with the tennis communities as detailed below. We ensured that there was robust segmentation and sampling to ensure representation of the diversity of views of tennis communities across Brighton and Hove. This consultation was promoted by way of A3 posters at all the tennis courts in the 11 Brighton and Hove Parks. An invitation to participate in the consultation was emailed to all the tennis clubs and league members as well as through Community Works email networks. It was also promoted via BHCC, Community Works and other community social media.

Of the 286 respondents to the question - In what capacity do you use tennis facilities in the city the breakdown of casual users and club members was as follows:

Our consultation plan comprised five elements which offered opportunities to both generate wide-ranging discussion and to share information. These were as follows:  Two impromptu visits to all 11 Park tennis courts during which there was discussion using the survey with 61 adults and 25 under 16 year olds  4 focus groups specifically for members of Brighton and Hove Tennis Clubs during September. These were held in 4 venues across the city; Withdean Sports Complex, Portslade Sports Centre, Moulsecoomb Leisure Centre and Stanley Deason Leisure Centre. A total of 33 club members participated in these focus groups. The aim of the focus groups was to generate discussion using open ended questions with prompts to stimulate conversations to unfold the participants’ experience and insights. The participants were encouraged to make recommendations for the future of tennis and park tennis courts in Brighton and Hove. See Appendix 7.1 for more detailed information about the focus groups.

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 An online survey throughout August and September for all those who play tennis in Brighton and Hove whether as a casual player or a member of a club. A total of 345 people responded to the on line questionnaire. See appendix 7.2 for more detailed information of survey results.  Three in-depth telephone interviews with tennis players who wanted an opportunity to talk in more detail about their experience and insights.  Email communication with both casual and club players. Information was shared about the drivers for this review; the need to change current management arrangements to improve the way tennis courts are managed across the city and the need to make tennis more financially sustainable in the face of continuing budget reductions. We encouraged stakeholders to share their ideas and examples of good practice elsewhere and discussion was generated about the role that stakeholders could play in the future operation and / or management of parks tennis.

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4. FINDINGS

Whilst there are many common themes that have been highlighted through this consultation the findings also reflect some different experiences of those who play tennis in the city, both club and casual.

Brighton and Hove City Council and The Lawn Tennis Association acknowledge that there is much that is not known about tennis in the city. This includes, for example the lack of information about how tennis payments are made, who manages courts, who takes court fee payments from casual players, how payment is made to council, how parks tennis is organised, managed and paid for in other parts of the country, what are the experiences and lessons learnt, the limited knowledge about how BHCC, LTA and players both club and casual are working together and about what role park attendants have currently, what potential role they could have. This report has gone someway to addressing this gap, yet it is just the start of a journey. The lack of comprehensive data is a barrier to deciding how best to proceed.

There are 10 key themes which have emerged from this consultation

What works well? 4.1 Tennis Courts

There is an overwhelming view amongst both casual and club players that the courts are a fantastic resource, primarily in good condition and mostly well maintained. Mostly casual players appreciate being able to turn up and pay and play and mostly casual players got to play when they turned up, even if they had to wait a while in the summer months.

For The Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association Tennis Clubs and Parks League the pre-season block booking and charging for tennis courts for club sessions and matches works well. Clubs can book 2 sessions a week, 2 evenings or an evening and a weekend. There are always courts available on club sessions for casual players. Some clubs include a season ticket as part of their membership fee.

4.2 Volunteerism There is a robust spirit of volunteerism amongst members of The Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association and others who organise tennis groups or drop-ins. In many of the parks these club players/volunteers and some coaches complement the work of park attendants by keeping an eye on the courts, checking all is ok, litter picking and asking people not to use the courts for other activities, such as dog walking or skateboarding. The work of Brighton and Hove Parks Staff and tennis playing volunteers combines with the overall community respect for the tennis courts to the extent that vandalism of the courts is very low. As described in the section on tennis on page 5, there are many voluntary initiatives of

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people coming together to play tennis. This is a testament to the spirit of volunteerism amongst tennis communities.

Challenges and Potential for Development

4.3 Fees and Payments Of the 72 respondents, who specifically shared their views on price approximately 33 thought the fees for playing tennis were reasonable, the majority of these were club members or season ticket holders, while 39 thought the fee per court was too expensive. The majority of these respondents were casual players:

There is a significant difference in the responses of casual tennis players and tennis club players. Most tennis club members expressed their pleasant surprise at how affordable it is to join local tennis clubs and the opportunities this offers to play tennis on a regular basis. It is likely that many would be tennis players do not know this and have made the assumption that joining tennis clubs will be prohibitively expensive. All those who had season tickets thought the cost was reasonable and many commented that there is scope to encourage more players, adults and under 16s to sign up for season tickets. The cost of a 2015 to 2016 season ticket for adults is £91.20 and £13.90 for children. BHPLTA tennis club members can purchase a season ticket for £31.00.

In discussions with casual players at the courtside and in the online survey there were many who thought the fees for 2 adults to play for an hour, £7.70 was too expensive. Of the 72 respondents, who specifically shared their views on price approximately 33 thought the fees for playing tennis were reasonable, the majority of these were club members or season ticket holders, whilst 39 thought the fee per court was too expensive, the majority of these were casual players.

Many casual players described their confusion about the charging arrangements. There are different arrangements for collecting court fees across the parks. Often times, depending on

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which park people played in, no payment was made as there was no-one to collect the fees, to the extent that many casual players assumed it is free to play tennis on Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis Courts. In some parks fees are collected by BHCC Park Attendants during the summer months. In other parks, Saltdean, Queens Park and Dyke Road a coach or tennis club pays £820 per annum to BHCC for the right to collect fees.

From discussion with casual players it seemed that those who collect fees are not always clear about what players are expected to pay. This is partly because there is a complex pricing structure for play and pay players. Straightforward if it is 2 adults at peak times. However it gets more complicated; depending on the time of day, the ages of the players, whether there is a mix of under 16s and adults playing together, or if one of the players has a season ticket or a Compass Card. The information on the BHCC website is not clear with regard to the above permutations. It seems that few people who collect fees understand all the permutations.

For pay and play players the majority preferred that fees are collected by a BHCC Park Attendant as happens at Parks such as St Ann’s Wells and Hove Park during the summer months. Although most acknowledged the challenge for the council with regard to raising enough revenue from tennis court fees to cover even the salaries of these staff. There was some discussion about the potential for roving park attendants collecting fees from nearby courts alongside their other park responsibilities. Others suggested exploring the potential for park café staff to take payments. Where coaches/tennis clubs take payment this mostly seemed to work, although not all players were clear who was collecting their court fees.

4.4 Information

Information about playing tennis in city is patchy. Information on the BHCC Website and in other formats could be improved so that information about location of the courts, fees, how to book and/or pay is readily accessible. Similarly, information at tennis courts about fees, how to book and information about tennis clubs and the bookings of courts by tennis clubs is limited or patchy. This can discourage potential players when it is not clear about what arrangements they would have to make to book or show up, what the charge is and who they will pay.

Whilst some casual players were in favour of an online booking system for casual play the majority of players were concerned about the introduction of an online booking with a key fob system. Their concerns stemmed primarily from a reluctance to see the courts locked and the message this would give about exclusivity. There was also concern about how on line bookings would be managed if people came for their allotted court and those already playing were unwilling to acknowledge the booking. Given that a key aim of BHCC and LTA is to increase the numbers of local people who play tennis, the combination of online booking with a key fob system could deter easy, show up, play. Many thought it would limit access and make a sport that some consider exclusive to be more so. Many expressed their view that tennis courts are/should be a free public facility in public parks in the same way as playgrounds, gardens, table tennis, toilets and other park amenities are. 17

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4.5 Brighton and Hove Tennis Player’s Views of Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) and The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)

Members of the Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association expressed huge frustration and lack of trust in the both BHCC and the LTA. This is multifaceted:

There is a strong feeling that the work, commitment and value of tennis club volunteers is not acknowledged by both the LTA and BHCC. Many expressed frustration that both the LTA and BHCC haven’t been interested to really find out what is already going on in the world of Brighton and Hove Tennis. For example undertaking a research and mapping process to find out more about tennis in the city. They felt that if this had happened it could have facilitated their more active involvement promotion and engagement in this consultation.

BHPLTA and tennis club members spoke of their lack of trust in BHCC to acknowledge the current and potential participation in tennis. They fear decisions will be made to close tennis courts in the same way that bowling greens have been closed. There is not a confidence that BHCC will really work with those who play tennis casually and competitively to maintain and develop services.

Especially in these times of reducing council budgets, many expressed concerns about BHCC spending priorities. Spending on the i360 was often mentioned.

There are frustrations about the way the LTA has handled membership. To be eligible to play in the Counties League and to be part of the draw for Wimbledon tickets, the Parks Tennis League was able to join the LTA as one organisation. Latterly they have had to join as individual clubs which costs approximately £200 a year. Most clubs have now opted out of joining the LTA as there is not enough incentive to warrant the fee. In addition membership requires a significant amount of additional paperwork, there is a lot of corporate advertising and many felt that membership doesn’t increase the chances of acquiring Wimbledon tickets. The fact that the majority of Brighton and Hove Tennis Clubs are not members of the LTA is significant for tennis in Brighton and Hove. The BHPLTA provided a feeder pathway for those who are at the standard to play in the Sussex County League and LTA leagues across Sussex.

Whilst there are 3 representatives of Parks Leagues on Tennis Sussex, concerns were also raised about the lack of transparency and accountability of Tennis Sussex. Information about meetings is not shared, minutes of these meetings are not readily available.

Overall the LTA is considered to be glossy with regard to publicity material, systems and data and more interested in spotting talent amongst young players and support them through the LTA Excellence Centres. As important as this is for would be champions, club members would prefer that efforts and resources are focused on proactively supporting and offering effective ways to build on the current involvement and interest in tennis in Brighton and Hove at whatever level. Many raised questions as to whether the LTA could be using its resources to, for example, develop the infrastructure at the courts, such as floodlights, all weather courts, indoor courts and maintenance of the courts. Clearly there is scope to ascertain the full costs 18

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of providing and maintaining tennis courts and how these and other costs can be covered to ensure the sustainability of tennis courts in Brighton and Hove’s Parks for years to come.

In 2013 BHCC with LTA attempted a pilot introduction of an on line booking system in Preston Park. It is acknowledged by both BHCC and LTA staff that this was not handled well. It created significant frustration and undermined the confidence of casual and club members in both BHCC and LTA. Subsequently focus group participants shared information about an audit and cost neutral proposal for managing the courts that was submitted to BHCC by Park Avenue Club members in 2014. The limited acknowledgement and response has served to exacerbate BHPLTA’s frustration with both BHCC and LTA.

There were also some issues raised about the apparent reluctance of LTA to promote local tournaments or league matches in Brighton and Hove. There is also a frustration that the LTA only recognises one coaching qualification.

A common concern expressed by BHPLTA is that the LTA are wanting to include those who play with BHPLTA tennis clubs in their statistics, yet the LTA have had no involvement and have offered no support in the development and ongoing work of the BHPLTA and the tennis clubs. In fact there is lots of concern about how the LTA impacts negatively on parks tennis. There were issues around individual tennis clubs needing to have their own liability insurance which caused much bad feeling, especially when it seems to have been confirmed that all tennis on local Parks Tennis Courts, whether casual or club, is covered by BHCC insurance.

4.6 Potential to promote interest and increase participation in tennis

Many people commented on the huge potential to kindle an interest of people of all ages in playing casual, recreational and/or competitive tennis. A common reflection was the spike in interest around Wimbledon, especially with the current profile of British players such as Heather Watson, Laura Robson and Andy Murray. However it was noted that this interest is not maintained as well as it might throughout the rest of the year.

There is huge potential to build on the ongoing work of the BHPLTA, local clubs, volunteer and paid coaches as well as the BHCC initiatives such as Take Part to promote and encourage tennis in the city. It is eminently possible to develop links and joint BHPLTA, local tennis clubs, LTA and BHCC strategies and plans to get more people playing tennis. In addition in Brighton and Hove there are 2,200 community and voluntary sector (CVS) organisations as well as work place sports groups, schools, after schools clubs, community and youth groups, colleges and universities. A robust tennis outreach programme could work with all these groups and networks.

In response to the questions - do you have any thoughts or suggestions about how to get more people playing tennis the following ideas were shared:

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A total of 36 said more proactive promotion and advertising needed in coordination with BHCC and Clubs, 27 said to focus specifically on encouraging young people to play tennis, particularly in liaison with schools. 108 people said either lower prices of maintenance of courts or both, 104 said taster, beginners sessions, coaching, fun days, rusty rackets. 5 said maximise current use, 10 said no, 1 said leave as is, 2 said running of courts to be reviewed.

BHPLTA Tennis League results are printed in The Argus every Monday. This is an opportunity to share more information about what is available in Brighton and to encourage more people to get involved in tennis. Many tennis clubs such as Queens Park advertise in local community newsletters such as Queens Park Living. Many neighbourhoods have such publications which could be used more actively to promote tennis, as well as Brighton’s Radio and Latest TV Station.

Throughout this consultation questions were also asked about the extent to which the LTA and BHCC could maximise the use of their resources and networks to work proactively to encourage people to take up tennis. Both the BHPLTA and the individual clubs said there is scope to build on their outreach work to encourage more people to get involved in playing tennis. Clubs are open to encouraging more people to get involved and they would appreciate and be open to working with others to promote tennis. Many of the clubs described their outreach work to encourage people to sign up as members. For example Queens Park Club outreach has increased the membership from 81 to 138 in 2 years.

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Many of those who participated in this consultation noted that generating an interest to play tennis regularly will not happen by chance. There is huge untapped potential to get people playing tennis. Young people could be more encouraged through their schools, youth groups, developing links between schools and their nearby park tennis courts in liaison with park tennis clubs.

There are a plethora of possible developments that could build on those currently offered. Such as free or low cost drop-in or try out sessions for children and adults where rackets and balls are available for people to have a go or free or low cost coaching. Others suggested activities such as cardio tennis or making links with and building on, for example, Sussex Sound Tennis, Rusty Rackets, Autumn/Winter Singles Leagues, Meet and Play and The Welbeck Tennis drop. In addition Tennis For Free (TFF) is a community sports charity that works with local councils, tennis clubs and coaches to provide free weekly coach led family oriented tennis sessions to local communities throughout the UK in public parks.

4.7 Management of Tennis Courts

The vast majority of people who commented on future arrangements were absolutely positive about BHCC continuing to manage the courts rather than contracting to a private organisation. Much concern was expressed that about privatising the management of public courts. People were concerned that such an arrangement would lessen the accountability to the council and the public and that it would reduce a commitment to tennis facilities being inclusive and available to all on a pay and play basis. There is concern that if tennis courts are managed by a private company it will contribute to a decline in the community feeling that is a hallmark of tennis in Brighton and Hove. Whilst it seems evident that the courts at Withdean are well used, some sighted the changes that have taken place at Withdean since it has been managed by Freedom Leisure. For example, some shared their experience that it is less inclusive of drop in and casual play and pay tennis players. Also the tennis club, Rookery, based at Withdean are themselves finding it increasingly difficult to book courts.

In response to the on line survey question - do you have any thoughts or suggestions about how tennis courts could be more efficiently managed? It is evident that both casual and club players did not feel sufficiently resourced or knowledgeable about possible alternative management arrangements. They shared the following views:

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In response to the question the breakdown of responses was as follows: Free or reduced rates 15, promoting tennis 16, park keeper/coaching/collecting money 23, regular maintenance 26, liaison with clubs 29, a booking system and/or paying 43, keep as is 45, no suggestions 70. The other comments from smaller numbers of people include: stop other uses/lock court 4, more information about proposals 1, concerns with LTA 2, voluntary management of courts 1, weather 1, better signage 2, focus on young people and schools, another company to run courts 3.

There is scope to learn from how things are done in other parts of the country. It would be helpful to know more about experiences and lessons learnt.

Many were clear that they did not want the arrangements in Brighton and Hove to resemble that of other towns, such as Southbourne, as described by a tennis club member. Here the previous unlocked courts are now closed to the public with a 'key fob' type system in place. It costs £30 for one year plus court fees to book a limited selection of courts in the area. To play on other courts payment needs to be made to a different 'tennis academy' to use those courts. All of which combines to significantly increasing both the cost and confusion.

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4.8 Maintenance and Development of Parks Tennis Courts

Whilst the majority of people appreciated the availability of tennis courts across the city there were a number of maintenance and infrastructure issues raised. Most were happy with the resurfacing of the courts in recent years, although a few pointed out dips in the courts surface. The astro turf courts in Hove Park are in serious need of upgrading. These courts are used for football through the winter months so experience harder wear. An ongoing issue on some courts are the problems caused by overhanging trees, at Hollingbury Park or foliage needing to be cut back around the edges of the courts in Preston Park or Mackie Avenue in Patcham. Mostly nets were in good condition and repaired as needed, although sometimes it took a while for the repairs to be done.

Some clubs such as Queens Park and Dyke Road have a club houses. The arrangements for maintenance of these differ. In Queens Park the outside of the building is the responsibility of BHCC and the inside is the responsibility of the club. At Dyke Road monies were raised by the club to extend and improve the club house.

There was some discussion about the potential to share these facilities, although of course uppermost in the minds of those who use these clubhouses was how this would be managed on a day by day basis.

Many spoke of potential improvements which included benches, litter bins, toilets, changing rooms, club houses, all weather surfaces and floodlights. Hollingbury Park Tennis Club were frustrated that initial plans to share the renovated kindergarten were not in the event honoured. So players at this park miss the lack of facilities and access to toilet facilities.

Overall most players were happy that maintenance was carried out, although not always as timely as some hoped and often times it required reminder reports before repairs were dealt with. In the online survey a total of 287 responded to the question - What is your experience of booking and paying for tennis courts? The breakdown of responses is as follows:

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4.9 Developing a booking system for casual players

A total of 286 responded to this question the breakdown is as follows: 7 have season tickets, 84 are club members, 59 said it is good or ok (of whom 15 are casual users, the others are club members), 3 have a coach who books, 115 haven’t booked and just show up, 7 have booked (3 of whom used on line for booking for courts at Withdean), 2 said it was expensive and 5 said it would be good to have a booking system, 4 said it could be better, but weren’t specific about how and 1 had used on line for group booking, but not as a club member.

This experience was repeated in focus group and courtside discussions. The majority of people who participated in this consultation were in favour of keeping a turn up play and pay arrangement. The argument is that it reinforces inclusivity by offering the opportunity for parents with their children, young people or others who are less keen to book in advance to just turn up and play. Many casual and club players were open to considering the development of online booking alongside turn up, play and pay. It was evident that there are a huge range of electronic/online options which need not be immediately discounted. Although there were many questions, notably how reliable and flexible the technology would be and how bookings made will be enforced when those who have booked come to play if there are play and pay players already using the court.

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4.10 Sustaining and developing the involvement of volunteers

There are some tennis coaches who combine their charged for individual and group coaching with voluntary work to support and sustain tennis, tennis clubs, coaching and competitive tennis in local parks. Some have been actively involved in supporting tennis for up to 20 years. The work of these volunteers means there is vibrancy to tennis where people are part of clubs, leagues and drop-ins. Those who are casual players at these parks are offered opportunities to join or get more connected with the local tennis club. There is a need to offer ongoing support to tennis volunteers to increase the number of volunteers and to maximise what they offer.

5. REFLECTIONS

These findings have implications for the Brighton and Hove City Council, The Lawn Tennis Association and both club and casual tennis players in Brighton and Hove. The future of tennis in Brighton and Hove is dependent on all those involved complementing each other in supporting and developing tennis in the city.

As the Brighton and Hove Community Works Consultant for this engagement and consultation I have appreciated working with everyone in the tennis communities, Brighton and Hove City Council, The Lawn Tennis Association and Brighton and Hove Community Works. Discovering more about the Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis Court facilities and the thriving world of tennis in Brighton and Hove has been an eye-opener. Contrary to my pre- consultation assumptions I have discovered how accessible it is to play tennis in Brighton and Hove. My reflection is that similar assumptions are made by many would be tennis players. There is huge potential for active outreach and sharing information about what is available, both the tennis courts and the variety of tennis clubs and drop in sessions across the city.

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6. RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations respond to the issues raised during the focus groups, impromptu visits to tennis courts, the on-line surveys and telephone calls. The recommendations vary in scale and timeframe. Some will be achievable more easily than others whilst some require larger operational, system or strategic change. They all need to be considered as part of the follow up to this engagement and consultation. The recommendations are not listed in order of priority.

6.1 Information There are two aspects to this recommendation. Firstly, on the basis that BHCC and The LTA acknowledge that there is more to find out more about tennis in the city, there is a need for more research, mapping, collation and analysis of information and data about current usage, costs, income and demand including the current arrangements for coaches or tennis clubs to collect fees on behalf of BHCC. Comparative business models from local authorities with similar profiles and comparative information about all sports in the city is also needed so as to develop a strategic approach to sport in the city. This data collection was out of the scope of this consultation. A process of further research and analysis will usefully complement this report and will help inform decisions about the future of tennis and park tennis courts in Brighton and Hove.

Secondly, there is huge potential to improve the quality and availability of information. This includes online, information at the tennis courts and the diversity of print and electronic media. More detailed information is needed about BHCC Parks Tennis Courts, their location, availability, booking arrangements and fees as well as information about BHPLTA, tennis clubs, drop in sessions and coaching.

6.2 Potential to promote interest and increase participation in tennis

Developing a robust tennis outreach programme to promote and encourage tennis in the city that builds on the ongoing work of the BHPLTA, local clubs, volunteer and paid coaches as well as the BHCC initiatives such as Take Part. This could be a coordinated effort with the following groups and networks: The BHPLTA, local tennis clubs, LTA and BHCC Sports Development and with the 2,200 community and voluntary sector (CVS) organisations as well as work place sports groups, schools, after schools clubs, community and youth groups, colleges and universities. For this to be done clearly there is a need for this to be a priority work area for an organisation(s) and individual(s). There are, for example, many CVS organisations who could work with BHCC and the LTA to carry out such an outreach programme.

6.3 Using a Community Development Approach

There is huge potential for BHCC Sports Development and the LTA to proactively build on what already exits to support and encourage people to play tennis. Such as a community development approach through proactive outreach, promotion, supporting and maximising the work of those currently involved in tennis. BHPLTA, local tennis clubs, BHCC and the LTA could come together to develop a strategic shared parks tennis promotion and outreach plan 26

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which targets schools, workplaces, youth groups, Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) Organisations, colleges and universities and further develops BHCC’s Keep Active and Take Part Programmes.

The Trust for Developing Communities offers an action oriented training called Working with Communities (see details in appendix 5). This is currently being offered as part of BHCC’s Workforce Development offer. It could also be commissioned specifically for those interested in working together to develop parks tennis in Brighton and Hove. It would be an ideal opportunity for BHCC and LTA staff to come together with BHPLTA and Tennis Club members in an action oriented 2 day training course.

6.4 Rebuilding relationships between the BHPLTA and the LTA and BHCC

Rebuilding relationships is essential for the future of tennis in Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis Courts. Opportunities for BHPLTA, BHCC and LTA people to come together, possibly in facilitated meetings, to have robust and frank discussions about the current context and frustrations with a view to re-finding ways to work together in the cause of ensuring that tennis facilities are sustainable in years to come.

6.5 Management of Brighton and Hove Parks Tennis Courts

The vast majority of people who commented on future arrangements were absolutely positive about BHCC continuing to manage the courts rather than contracting to an external organisation. Whilst there was some discussion about the potential of BHPLTA and local tennis clubs to manage parks tennis courts, there is need for a more fulsome discussion. In recent times two proposals have been shared. One was developed a year or more ago by members of Preston Park Club. More recently a proposal has been submitted by Barry Fulcher for independent management of the parks courts. Many of those consulted were reticent about their capacity and wherewithal to manage tennis in the city. There is a need for further discussion and exploration of other models. See points 6.3 and 6.4

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7. APPENDICES

7.1 Participation in Focus Groups

Venue Date Participants Withdean Sports Complex Thursday 24th September, 3women 6.30 to 8pm 5 men Tennis Clubs: Stanford, Hove Park, Park Avenue and Dyke Road Park

Portslade Sports Centre Friday 25th September, 2 women 10.30 to 12 1 men Tennis clubs: Saltdean Moulsecoomb Wednesday 30th 4 women Leisure Centre September, 2.30 to 4pm 3 men Tennis clubs: Hove Park, Dyke Park, Queen's Park, President of Brighton and Hove Parks LTA Ladies Match Captain Stanley Deason Leisure Thursday 1st October, 10 women Centre 6.30 to 8pm 4 men Tennis clubs: Queens Park, King Alfred, Saltdean, Dyke Road, LTA Coach Badgers Hollingbury Park

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7.2 Responses to On-line Survey

There were are total of 345 responses to the on line survey. 286 responded to the question about whether they are a tennis club member or casual player.

Tennis Club Members Demographic Profile of all respondents – tennis club members and casual players 167 Members of tennis clubs Gender Responses were received from all 163 women, 172 men Brighton and Hove Parks Lawn Tennis Association Tennis Club members Sexuality 40 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender respondents

119 were casual players Age 10 were under 16 years old 14 were 16 to 24 years old 32 were 25 to 34 years old 233 were 35 to 64 years old 41 were 65 or older 45 preferred not to say

Ethnic origin/race/nationality 305 identified as White British / English / Scottish / Welsh / Northern Irish 15 identified as either Black / Black British – Caribbean/ Asian / Asian British/mixed heritage

Carers 35 defined as carers

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7.3 Prompt Questions for Focus Groups

Brighton and Hove Tennis Players Engagement and Consultation

Focus Group Questions

Background to this engagement and consultation

Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) and The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) want to hear the voices of the tennis community to explore local issues and consider how they might be addressed.

BHCC have contracted a local organisation, Community Works, to carry out this consultation. Community Works creates support structures and networks that enable individuals, community groups and voluntary organisations, and businesses to use their time, expertise and energy most effectively. For more info go to: www.bhcommunityworks.org.uk

An overview of the current context and the need for parks tennis to be managed differently in Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove City Council want to ensure that the provision of council tennis facilities in the city are sustainable in the years to come in the face of continuing overall council budget reductions.

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has a British Tennis strategy, launched in March 2015. This identifies three ways that the LTA will focus its resources to engage local communities and increase participation in tennis. These are clubs, education and community. The community aspect focuses on parks tennis with a focus on securing a stock of high quality, accessible courts and ancillary facilities which are underpinned by cost effective and sustainable management.

The LTA and BHCC are developing a partnership with a view to sustaining tennis in the city. This includes both the facilities and ways of encouraging more adults and children to take up tennis.

Specifically in this focus group we aim to:

o share ideas about how to encourage local people to get interested and take up playing tennis?

o explore the options for parks tennis management that could apply based on ideas and good practice elsewhere

o explore the potential role you could play in the future operation and / or management of parks tennis

 make recommendations about how parks tennis management can be reconfigured in the future

I will be facilitating an explorative discussion prompting with open ended questions to unfold the discussion.

The aim of the focus group is to find out more about your experience, your views and your ideas. I will be mindful of facilitating so that you all have an opportunity to share your views and suggestions. It may be that there are contrasting views, these are welcome and in discussing these it may require 30

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you to be respectful of each other’s views where they differ from yours. I will capture the diversity of views and ideas in a report with recommendations will be ready by mid-October.

Confidentiality and anonymity statement

The anonymity and confidentiality of all the contributors to this focus group will be respected

For the report we will provide a list of those organisations who have been invited to the focus groups. We will not attribute any views to an individual or any group, unless there are specific issues for clubs or leagues that you want highlighted in the report.

About you and your organisation:

 Which club/organisation/league are you a member of?  What are the aims of your club or league?  Which park courts do you currently use?

Facility Access:

Exploring your current experience:

 How would you describe your current experience of booking and using tennis courts in the city?

 Do you have a formal arrangement with Brighton and Hove City Council around the use of any park tennis court? If so what is this?

 How does this arrangement work for you? (e.g: Amount of court time available, Profile received communication/support from the Council/LTA?)

 Does your organization currently experience any issues around access to public tennis courts in the city?

Exploring future opportunities

Technology - offers new opportunities around booking and direct access to park tennis courts (e.g. Key Fob access to courts, online booking systems). This has been shown to make it clearer what takes place on local courts (e.g. Poole), when it takes place and also when courts are free to use, and has helped increase usage at sites where it has been implemented.

 Would your organisation would be supportive of the introduction of new technology around the booking and access to public tennis courts?

 Do you have any concerns around changes to the way a club or member of the public books a tennis court?

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Working with external partners: In some areas (e.g. Park Langley, Bromley), the Local Authority has begun to work more closely with external partners to manage public tennis courts on their behalf. This has been approached differently in different areas, sometimes an organisation has taken on the role of managing a range of courts, whilst in other areas several different organisations have different sites.

 Do you think the management of public courts could be done more efficiently through closer working with external partners in the city?

 What challenges might be created by different organisations taking on the role of managing individual sites?

 What opportunities do you see, should different organisations take on the role of managing individual sites?

 If such a model was implemented in Brighton & Hove how might this impact your club or organisation?

 Do you think it would be better to have a single organisation or several different external partners managing public tennis courts? Why do you think this?

 Would your organisation potentially be interested in undertaking such a role?

Programming & Participation: The Lawn Tennis Association and Brighton and Hove City Council are keen to support people to participate in playing tennis.

 From your perspective, is there anything that currently discourages people from using public tennis courts in the city?

 What are your thoughts or suggestions about how to encourage local people to get interested and take up playing tennis in the city?

 What involvement could your organization have in helping to increase usage of public tennis courts?

 What support might you need to help you do this?

Anything else:  Is there anything else you feel you feel the Council should be aware of regarding the existing and future management of local public tennis courts?

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7.4 Survey

Brighton and Hove Tennis Players Engagement and Consultation

Introduction Brighton and Hove City Council are working with The Lawn Tennis Association to consult with tennis players to inform options for the future management of council tennis facilities in the city. A local organisation, Community Works, is carrying out this consultation.

We welcome your views and suggestions. There are two key aims of this consultation:

 To ensure that tennis facilities are sustainable in years to come  To consider ways that will encourage more people to play tennis

As someone who plays on Brighton and Hove's Tennis Courts we would like to know what you think.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. All responses given are anonymous and will be kept confidential. We do ask for some information about you & your background for the purpose of understanding more about tennis players in the city. However these questions are optional & will not be analysed alongside the consultation responses you give.

Community Works will include your views and suggestions in a report which will be presented to Brighton and Hove City Council and the Lawn Tennis Association in late October. You will be able to view a summary copy of the report at www.bhcommunityworks.org.uk/tennis. If you have any queries about the consultation, or would prefer to arrange a telephone interview or join a focus group to discuss your views, please contact [email protected] or 01273 234023. 33

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About you

We would like to know a little more about you and your background in order to understand more about tennis players in the city. These questions are all optional so you can skip them if you do not wish to give your details.

The information you do give will not be analysed alongside the consultation responses you give on the following pages. The information will also be kept anonymous and will be securely stored.

1. Your age (please tick the box that you identify with)

 under 16

 16-24

 25-34

 35-44

 45-54

 55-64

 65-74

 75+

 Prefer not to say

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2. Ethnic origin / race / nationality (please tick the box that you identify with)

 Asian / Asian British - Indian

 Asian / Asian British - Pakistan

 Asian / Asian British - Bangladeshi

 Asian / Asian British - Any other origin

 Black / Black British - African

 Black / Black British - Caribbean

 Black / Black - Any other origin

 Chinese

 Mixed - White & Black African

 Mixed - White & Black Caribbean

 Mixed - White & Asian

 Mixed - Any other origin

 White British / English / Scottish / Welsh / Northern Irish

 White Irish

 White - Any other origin 35

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 Any other origin

 Prefer not to say

 Not known

3. Gender (please tick the box that you identify with)

 Female

 Male

 Other

 Prefer not to say

4. Do you identify as Trans?(for the purpose of this question trans is an umbrella term for transgender people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth) (please tick the box that you identify with)

 Yes

 No

 Prefer not to say

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5. Sexual orientation (please tick the box that you identify with)

 Heterosexual / straight

 Bisexual

 Lesbian

 Gay man

 Other

 Prefer not to say

6. Your religion or belief (please tick the box that you identify with)

 Atheist

 Buddhism

 Christianity

 Hinduism

 Judaism

 Islam

 No religion 37

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 Sikhism

 Other

 Prefer not to say

7. Do you consider yourself to be disabled? (please tick the box that you identify with)

 Yes

 No

 Prefer not to say

8. Are you a carer? (a carer provides unpaid support to family or friends who are ill, frail, disabled or have mental health or substance misuse problems.) (please tick the box that you identify with)

 Yes

 No

 Prefer not to say

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Tennis Players’ survey

Please answer the following seven consultation questions

1. Where do you play tennis?

2. How often do you play tennis?

3. What do you think of the current facilities, price and accessibility?

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4. What is your experience of booking and paying for tennis courts?

5. How can we make it easier and more enjoyable for you to play tennis?

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6. The Lawn Tennis Association and Brighton and Hove City Council are keen to encourage more local people to participate in playing tennis. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions about how to get more people playing tennis?

7. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions about how council tennis courts could be more efficiently managed?

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. If you have any queries about the consultation please contact [email protected] or 01273 234023 41

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7.5 About Us

Brighton & Hove Community Works Brighton & Hove Community Works wants voluntary and community action to have the greatest positive impact on people in Brighton and Hove. We put in place the support and networks that make it happen. We help organisations and individuals across the city make as big a difference as possible to local lives and issues. This can be anyone from community groups and voluntary organisations and volunteers to businesses and public sector organisations; anyone who wants to give their time, expertise and energy towards making our city a better place for everyone.

Yvonne Rivers For the last 30 years Yvonne has worked in environments of complex and ongoing change with community, voluntary, public community and health organisations in England, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon and Pakistan. Yvonne works with individuals, communities and organisations to maximize their impact by developing their skills and confidence to address complex concerns and tricky issues.

Her work includes: • Support in the development and implementation of projects to meet the needs of diverse communities • Facilitation of development workshops, focus groups and action learning groups • Analysis of complex information and development of reports with recommendations to inform ongoing development • Training needs analysis, curriculum development and delivery of training

Recently her work has focused on maximising the potential of collaborative working with local people, public and community and voluntary sector organisations. This has included work with Brighton & Hove Community Works (formerly The Community Voluntary Sector Forum), Trust for Developing Communities, Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, Brighton and Hove and High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Groups and with Patient Participation Groups in GP practices across the Brighton.

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7.6 Overview of The Trust for Developing Communities Working with Communities Training

Working with Communities This course is for you if you need your service or staff to work better with volunteers, citizens or communities, You will learn how to

 Identify and harness the benefits of working with citizens and communities for you

 Build on local networks and enhance effective collaborative working

 Develop an approach, test out ideas and review your own work with citizens and communities

 Create sustainable work with citizens and communities

 Network with cross-sector colleagues to generate new ideas and share experiences

Day One is an exploration of ways to work with communities with support and time to create your own action plan.

Day Two is held two months later after you have tested out your plan. It is an opportunity to reflect on your experiences and learn from others in the group.

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7.7 References

1. The British Tennis Strategic Plan, The Lawn Tennis Association, March 2015 www.lta.org.uk/globalassets/about-lta/strategy/british-tennis-strategy-plan

2. Brighton and Hove City Council’s sport and physical activity programme www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton- hove.gov.uk/files/Get%20Active%20Autumn%20Winter%202015%20web%20version.pd f

3. Happiness: Brighton & Hove’s Mental Wellbeing Strategy www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton- hove.gov.uk/files/Happiness%20Brighton%20%26%20Hove%20Mental%20Health%20an d%20Wellbeing%20Strategy_0.pdf

4. The All Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood has recently launched its report on children’s play, October 2015 www.policyforplay.com or www.rethinkingchildhood.com

5. The Public Health England’ Strategy, From Evidence into Action www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/366852/PHE_ Priorities.pdf

6. The NHS Five Year Forward View www.england.nhs.uk/wp- content/uploads/2014/10/5yfv-web.pdf

7. The Public Health England guide to community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/40288 9/A_guide_to_community- centred_approaches_for_health_and_wellbeing__briefi___.pdf

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