There is support and funding available to the club from QUB but as with all public money there must be evidence that it is being spent wisely for the agreed purpose of the club. Essentially we need show activities that reflect well on the university community, for example, wide participation at different levels, coaching, tournaments, competitions and leagues.

Good Annual Report: This is crucial. Give to VP Clubs & Societies, Students’ Union end of October at the latest. Make it 10 pages long. Detail absolutely everything that happened last year - tournaments, competitions, BUSA, Irish Intervarsity, coaching, training days attended. (British University Games (BUG) do not include tennis so not an option). Mention any problems, the impact they had and detail possible solutions.

Most impressed by: Good infrastructure - this means coaching for beginners, intermediate and advanced players. Club must be developmental - bringing people of all standards on. Not just an elite group seeking medals - has to be wider than this. Aim for teams at different levels (e.g. rugby have 5 teams of different standards). Good coaching structure. Good active committee (means they do the things detailed on this page). Make good use of grant - financially sound. Only overspend if can show lots of good activity.

Target club size: aspire to 60 active members. Note: this would require access to 15 courts for doubles play. With coaches doing drills could manage with 12 courts. This is feasible as on any given week if estimate 40 people arrive. Would be difficult at the start. Would need more court time and coaches.

Funding Structure: Recurrent, Capital, Special. Special is used for individual and team tours outside the UK & Ireland and for hosting events. To go to European, US or Asian competitions. If wish to invite a GB university over to give us preparation for BUSA then would grant aid this. (note: would need courts at the weekend for this.) BUSA Home Nations competition might be an option for us? (not sure if still runs)

How to increase funding? To offer coaching, Irish Intervarsity Tournaments, BUSA competition and Belfast & District League the minimum budget needed would be £10,000 pa. To reach this level would take 3 or 4 years if consistently demonstrate there is a need. Will not fall below current level of £924. Make sure you put in a thorough covering letter with your grant application detailing activities, coaching, fund raising.

Fundraising: Want to see evidence of this. May be better to focus social activities around fund raising events.

Club Website: Current and detailed.

QUB Clubs Away day: Tuesday 9th October 2007,Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast. Very important Chair, Secretary & Treasurer attend this. If you have been before send someone else in your place. Give out Grant Application Packs on this day.

Attend relevant PEC courses: e.g. 1st Aid, Information Service’s Martin Reid’s web site authoring training course.

Administration: Collect post promptly in Students’ Union. Answer e-mails promptly.

SCAG: Sports Club Advisory Group meets 1st Tuesday of each month during term in the Students’ Union. Attendance by a Club Committee member is required.

QUB Academies: There are currently 2 QUB Academies which supply QUB funded coaching, Rugby and GAA. There are plans for 9 more. Tennis is not one of these but they will help with coaching.

Bursaries: If there are good tennis players coming to QUB, then push for Bursaries. Raises profile in PEC.

Link with University of Ulster: This would be encouraged. Would be merit in a Northern Ireland Universities’ tennis team.

VP-Clubs & Societies sits on key committees: NI University Sports Committee and BUSA National Committee. Also sits on key QUB Committee concerned with redeveloping the PEC.

Students learn organisational skills: Important students run their clubs. They provide great practical experience in getting things done. They help train future sports administrators.

Plans for DUB / House of Sport site: No plan to refurbish the 10 old tennis courts here. Likely they will be grassed over and make another pitch. The DUB while impressive is not a popular facility because:

• No floodlights - yet most coaching is in the evening.
• An open site therefore a maintenance headache
• Long way from clubhouse to pitches - inconvenient
• Requires bus or taxi to get there from QUB - inconvenient.
• Everyone would prefer to have facilities behind the PEC

Redevelopment of PEC: Most sensible idea is to have a special relationship with Windsor or Boat Club for students and staff. This would be far cheaper and better than redeveloping DUB. Or copy David Lloyd’s Belfast club format www.davidlloydleisure.co.uk with a private partner to develop the QUB site at the DUB. Essentially, given our climate, outdoor courts are a waste of money. The need is for at least 8 indoor courts with changing areas and a lounge. QUB is moving to model of building facilities to be used by the wider community which become a profit not a cost centre