What a way to round off another fantastic year at the club!
Our End of Season Party was a brilliant celebration of everything that makes our club so special, great tennis, a fantastic social community and, above all, a group of members who know how to have a good time.
The evening kicked off with welcome drinks, expertly looked after by Emily and Francis behind the bar, before everyone settled in for a night of fantastic food, music and celebration.
Over to Reigate Priory Cricket Club we then went, where Neishe Kitchen served up a delicious Caribbean feast, while live music from Best Chilled got the party going. Later in the evening, Niyo Jo took over the decks with a fantastic DJ set that kept everyone dancing into the night.
A huge thank you to our Social Committee, Mars, Graham, Lizzy, Emily and Paul, for all the hard work that went into making the evening such a success. From organising the food and entertainment to all the details behind the scenes, they created a brilliant night for everyone to enjoy.
And while the End of Season Party was all about celebrating, it was also a chance for Chairman Frank O. to reflect on what has been another hugely successful year for the club.
A growing and thriving club
The club has continued to grow throughout the year, with a large influx of new members joining during the season.
That growth is a fantastic reflection of the welcoming and vibrant community we have built, and it’s great to see so many new faces becoming part of club life. Financially, the club is also in a strong position
We are a tennis club, of course, but we are also a very social club, and this year has seen a fantastic range of events and opportunities for members to get together.
From salsa dancing and the Summer Party to dinner evenings, regular social tennis and, of course, the End of Season Party itself, there has been plenty going on away from the courts.
A particular highlight has been our Tuesday night social tennis, organised by Russell, alongside regular sessions throughout the week.
A huge thank you goes to our Social Committee, Mars, Graham, Lizzy, Emily and Paul, for all their hard work in creating such a varied social programme throughout the year, as well as Francis and Emily for keeping the bar running so smoothly.
A brilliant year on court
And then, of course, there’s the tennis.
It has been a fantastic year for competitive tennis across the club, with members enjoying success in club competitions, leagues and tournaments at every level.
One of the standout achievements was our first ever Division 1 win in the Dorking & Leatherhead Mixed Summer League, with our mixed doubles team taking the title.
Congratulations to Claire W., Euan W., Ivan, Josh N., Kerry J., Lucy H., Susie T., Tony and Tim A. on an outstanding achievement.
There were also plenty of individual successes across our club competitions.
Our Vets Singles champions were Simon F. and Magda D., while Bill A. & Simon F. and Catherine H. & Kerry J.took the Vets Doubles titles. The Vets Mixed title went to Simon F. & Kerry J.
In the Handicap competitions, congratulations to Ian C. and Kelly P., our Singles winners, with Duncan H. & Glen W.and Magda D. & Mars H. winning the Doubles titles. The Handicap Mixed title went to Ian C. & Claire W.
In the Open competitions, Josh N. and Claire W. won the Singles titles, while Josh N. & Euan W. and Lucy H. & Susie T. were our Open Doubles champions. The Open Mixed title went to Josh N. & Melody R.
Congratulations to all of our winners and to everyone who took part.
Most Improved Player Award
There was also a special award for one player who has made particularly impressive progress over the course of the season.
We had 16 players nominated for the Most Improved Player award, with Carter J., Connie K., Kim J. and Nicky O.making the final shortlist.
Congratulations to all four shortlisted players. It was a tough decision, but after much deliberation, this year’s Most Improved Player Award went to Carter J.
Carter has taken his tennis particularly seriously this year, putting in a huge amount of training and taking every opportunity to test himself competitively. He has competed in tournaments including the Surrey County Championships, played in our own club competitions and continued to put in the hours on court.
That commitment and hard work is clearly paying off, with Carter making some really impressive progress throughout the season.
Congratulations, Carter! A fantastic achievement and very well deserved.
Record levels of league tennis
Competitive tennis has been particularly strong this year, with an incredible 265 league entries across the club.
That is a huge level of participation and demonstrates just how much tennis is being played, organised and enjoyed by our members.
A big part of that success is down to our fantastic coaching team, Russell, Josh, Doug, Evie, Tim and Amar, alongside Club Captain Claire.
And it’s not only organised competitions and leagues keeping the courts busy. During the day, the club continues to benefit from a number of successful groups of members who regularly get together for their own tennis, alongside our organised social sessions.
Thank you to Russell for Tuesday tennis, Bill for Wednesday, Claire and Josh for Thursday, and the range of volunteers who help make Sunday tennis happen.
Huge success for our juniors
Our junior section has continued to go from strength to strength, with several young players achieving success at county and even national level.
A particular congratulations goes to Greta B. and Lara D., who both competed in the Lexus Junior National Championships within their age groups, an amazing achievement, with Lara becoming the British 2026 Lexus Junior National 11U Girls’ Doubles Champion.
It’s fantastic to see our junior members representing the club so successfully, and we look forward to seeing what the next generation of players can achieve.
Investing in our club
A thriving club needs great facilities too, and we have continued to invest in making the club a better place for everyone.
This year we have upgraded a number of areas of the clubhouse, including the front door, bathrooms and changing areas.
A huge thank you to our Facilities Team, headed by Catherine, and to James, our groundsman, for all their hard work.
We are also incredibly grateful to our volunteers who help keep the grounds looking their best, including our grass mowing team, Mark, Peter, Tim and Nick, who provide additional cuts beyond what James can manage.
Our newly formed Grounds Team, Erin, Heather, Hilary, Joan, Lizzy, Lucy and Maryanne, has also made a fantastic contribution.
And a special mention must go to Russell, who somehow manages to combine his coaching commitments with helping keep the facilities running smoothly, including dealing with our occasional nighttime badger visitors!
Celebrating our volunteers
Perhaps the most important message from Frank’s speech was a thank you to the many volunteers who give their time to the club.
So much of what happens here is made possible by people who quietly get involved behind the scenes, whether that means organising tennis, helping at events, looking after the facilities, mowing courts, taking photographs or simply stepping in when something needs doing.
We really couldn’t run the club without you.
This year, two people were particularly deserving of recognition, with the Community Volunteer Award jointly awarded to Hilary A. and Catherine H.
Hilary, as well as being our Club Secretary, takes on a huge range of responsibilities across the club, including managing teams and competitions, helping organise Sunday social tennis and acting as our Club Welfare Officer.
Catherine tirelessly oversees our facilities and has put an enormous amount of time and effort into making the club a better place for everyone.
They are both thoroughly deserving winners, and we were delighted to celebrate their contribution on the night.
What a way to finish the summer season
From the success on court to the growth in membership, the packed social calendar, the continued investment in our facilities and the countless hours given by our volunteers, there is plenty to celebrate.
And judging by the dancing, laughter and very full dance floor at the End of Season Party, our members certainly know how to celebrate!
A huge thank you to Best Chilled for the amazing live music, Neishe Kitchen for the delicious Caribbean food, and Niyo Jo for the fantastic DJ set.
And, of course, a massive thank you to Emily, Mars, Graham, Lizzy and Paul and everyone else who helped make the evening such a wonderful success.
But while we may have celebrated the end of the summer season, the tennis and social life of the club certainly doesn’t stop here!
There is still plenty of friendly and competitive tennis to look forward to throughout the autumn and winter months, with our courts continuing to be busy and our regular sessions carrying on. We’re also sure to have a few more social events along the way, so there’s no need to put the tennis gear away just yet!
We have a great club, great members, a talented committee and an enormous amount of enthusiasm for both tennis and the social side of what we do.
What a summer. What a night. And here’s to plenty more tennis, fun and good times over the months ahead!
Do you have any photos of the evening? Please send them along to info@rpltc.co.uk to be featured in the upcoming newsletter.
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