This is the first of the Member’s Profiles

Paul R joined Goring Tennis Club in 1974 just after he had moved to Goring. He was elected to the Committee in 1983 with Brian B as Chairman. This was when the Club had just negotiated a 15 Year Lease with the Parish council and Brian was organising the refurbishment of the three original courts. This was done in 1984 at a cost of £9000. 

Paul took over from Brian as Chairman in 1985 when the coffers were empty after paying for the courts. Fortunately we had a very good Treasurer (Ian W) who explained to the Club the need not only to pay our annual costs but to build up a capital fund to pay for future refurbishments and improvements. This worked so well that in 1996 we negotiated a new 25 year lease with the Parish council and under Frank C we started on an ambitious plan to build a fifth court and provide floodlighting for two courts. The estimates for this were £80000 and with the Club capital fund standing at £50000 we decided to approach the Lottery fund through the Sports Council for a Grant of £30000.

The paper work to do this was so onerous that Frank decided to resign as Chairman at the end of 1997 so that he could devote more time to seeing this project through. Paul was recycled as Chairman for 1998 with Robert B, a new member of the Club as Vice Chairman offering to take over after one year. Paul chaired the project subcommittee with Frank, Robert and Peter B as members and 1998 proved to be an exciting year.

A grant was received for £29,000 but the Sports Council required an extra metre on the three courts to bring them up to minimum widths and demanded that we should seek professional advice and monitoring of the court construction and also the floodlighting installation – all of which added another £7000 to the costs.

We put in for a supplementary grant to cover these additional costs but before we knew the outcome we had to commit ourselves to the contract if the courts were to be fit for the following season. The committee agreed to go ahead aware of the fact that we might have to go round with a begging bowl if the grant did not come through. Fortunately it did, for £6000, and the courts were completed in 1999.

Paul still makes use of the courts regularly on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and is very pleased to see how much use is made of the floodlighting during the winter months as he can see when they are on in the evening from his home.

Thanks to Paul R for his input