Albany’s Friday Morning Ladies held their AGM last Friday and reported another successful year. 16 members attended and volunteers were sought to run their various events for 2019. They have planned nine special days, some of which will be fundraisers for charity. In 2018 they raised £395 shared between five different charities. Some events this year will just be for fun and all Albany female members are welcome to join them each Friday between 10am and 12noon. They have full use of the indoor court for that time, so don’t be put off by the weather. There are always coffee breaks and often homemade cakes to sample. The first event of this year will be after tennis on February 15th, lunch in Ramsey and tenpin bowling.
Congratulations to our club Coach, Ian Watson who has been nominated by the IOMLTA as Coach of the Year in the 2018 British Tennis Awards. Also nominated is Charlotte Clarke as the IOM Young Person of the Year 2018. Winning the Girls Road to Wimbledon event last year was such a great achievement for her and Ian as her coach. They now go forward to the Reginal Awards selection Also nominated is our club captain Jackie Russell as Volunteer of the 2018. A presentation will be made to them at the club this Saturday at 2pm.
The next club event is the big one – Race Night – and we would like all members and friends who intend joining us to contact kirstenolsen123@gmail.com to order their supper. Entry fee, fish & chips plus soft drink/tea or coffee is £10 and sausage & chips etc is £8. Start time from 7pm with the first race at 7:30pm. Race sheets are already in circulation with some members but if anyone wishes to have a sheet and find sponsors for owners (£5), trainers (£3) or jockeys (£2) please contact me on albanytennispr@manx.net .Winners on each race win four times their stake. The whole evening is co-ordinated by John Morrison of Morrison Photos Ltd and great fun. There will also be a raffle. The committee look forward to seeing you.
The club’s committee have various ideas for adding to the current facilities but these will obviously need funding. If any member has an idea for a new event or is willing to assist us, please let a committee member know. Maybe our Juniors can run an event. In the early 1990s, when we were planning the indoor court, the then Juniors did various things – sponsored walk, 24hr tennis, raffles and tournaments, measure the speed of your serve – and raised £8,000!!! Maybe the current Juniors would like to organise a Senior Mini Tennis competition. Any ideas, please let me know and I’ll bring it up at the next committee meeting.