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Club Update
We are very pleased to announce further steps back to normality for members at Sheen.
Squash play will re-commence shortly in a restricted form, and squash members will receive a separate newsletter explaining the temporary playing conditions. Of course, our squash members are still welcome to continue playing tennis until squash can be more fully re-opened.
We shall also be re-opening the clubhouse, bar and indoor areas progressively over the next few days, and members may now again invite guests to play tennis with them. Please read on for further details.
Court Bookings
The court booking system is working well, and making bookings in 30-minute slots to allow 90-minute matches has been very popular so will remain unchanged. Please remember the important regulations which are necessary for us to meet the club’s ‘Test & Trace’ obligations and are in members’ interests generally:-
- The names of every member who will be on court MUST be registered on the system prior to play in each booking
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Cancel your booking as soon as possible if you later find that you are unable to use it. Make sure you cancel all the 30-minute slots in your booking by ticking the box ‘All bookings in the series’
- Off-peak, Playing Parent, and Youth members are reminded that they should book and play only in their eligible times
Members’ Guests
We are pleased to announce that members may again invite guests to play tennis with them at the club. During the time that squash play has to be restricted, no guests may be admitted to play squash.
Guest fees can now be paid online through the system at the time of booking your playing session with non-members. Members are no longer able to pay fees for their guests in cash so the first time you want to play with a guest at the club you may need to add credit to your account online. We realise that this will be new for our tennis members but all our squash members have successfully used the system for some years now and it is easily learned.
To book a game with one or more guests go to the booking system as normal to select the time, court and number of required 30-minute slots, enter your own member name into the booking, and then:
- Click the
 icon and enter each guest’s name and phone number in the input box. You MUST include the guest's name and their phone number, like this 
- You will be prompted with the amount of guest fees for the session, and when you confirm these will automatically be deducted from your online member account
- If you have insufficient credit to pay your guest fee you will need to top-up your member account which you can do online in the booking system using a debit/credit card. Just go to the main page of the court booking system and click the
 Manage Account button then follow the on-screen instructions. Have your payment card handy or you can pay using your PayPal account if you have one. There is also a how-to video guide for this on the website here https://sheenltsc.co.uk/how-to-add-credit-for-court-bookings
Tennis guest regulations are:
- An individual guest may play at SLTSC a maximum of three sessions per year
- Each guest session may be for a minimum of one hour and a maximum of three hours per day, booked in 30-minute slots
- The guest fee for each 30-minute slot is £2.50 and must be pre-paid on the system before play commences
- Guests may only play together with the member(s) who are inviting them
- A maximum of two guests per session may play with an individual member, so for doubles with two guests there must be two members playing together with them in a booking
- Any member who brings a non-member to play at the club without entering their contact details in the booking and pre-paying the guest fee will be charged a penalty guest fee of £20 in addition to the regular session guest fee. Repeated infringement may result in suspension of the member’s playing privileges
Because of our obligations for ‘Test & Trace’ the name and telephone number of each playing guest MUST be entered into the system at the time a booking is made. Our priority remains keeping the club safely open for member play, so any booking which does not include BOTH a guest’s name AND their contact phone number will be deleted. You will then need to re-enter the booking with proper guest details to play your game.
Clay Court Dragging
From today, dragging is again obligatory after your playing session on artificial clay courts 4 – 8. Please use hand sanitiser immediately after you have used the drags or line-brushes. Members must allow time at the end of their playing slot to drag their court so that the following game can start at the booked time.
Those members who still feel unable to drag the clay courts whilst the pandemic lasts are asked to use only the front acrylic courts unless their playing partners will oblige on their behalf.
Clubhouse Toilets
The clubhouse toilets are now open for use by members, but please note the following important temporary conditions:
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One at a time in each of the ladies and the gents please, so knock on the door and wait in the corridor before entering the loo
- Wash your hands and then use hand steriliser when you re-enter the clubhouse main areas
Clubhouse Facilities
Clubhouse areas will be progressively opened for member use over the next few days, so follow the signage as these are made available. Please remember that social distancing and hygiene remain particularly important in the indoor areas of the club, so:-
- Use hand sanitiser before you enter and when you leave the clubhouse building
- Follow the marked access and exit routes, and walk in and out singly respecting distancing
- When seating is allowed ensure that you and your friends sit apart from each other and do not exceed the marked number at each table or seating area
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Do not move tables or seating as these have been spaced and marked to comply with government requirements
- The kitchen remains off limits for now
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Do not leave rubbish of any kind in the clubhouse or on the terrace areas: please take it home with you
Please be aware that MC / Refurbishment Committee / Coaching Staff may be at work inside the clubhouse and that this does not mean it is open to all members: follow the signage!
Remember : the First Aid kits and defibrillator are currently kept in the changing room lobby area of the squash building, which remains unlocked for the purpose.
Bar Opening
We are very pleased to announce that the bar can be re-opened again for members and their guests, hopefully from this weekend. Redecoration is complete and a successful test of the necessary temporary Covid arrangements took place on Monday which can keep everyone safe in these difficult times.
- Initially, seating may be outside only but we hope to re-open inside areas soon
- Service will be one in, one out ordering at the bar using the marked in/out routes and members must not congregate at the bar counter
- For drinks served in bottles/cans, please re-use your glass through your session and then return it afterwards to the marked point on the bar counter
- Service may at times be in recyclable plastic glasses rather than the club’s usual glassware. Plastic glasses can afterwards be disposed of in the recycling bins provided
- Please ensure that tables are completely cleared of glasses, bottles and cans afterwards
- Payment is cashless so you can now only pay by debit/credit card and usually this will be contactless
- There may initially be a slightly limited range of drinks and snacks available but we hope to have all your favourites there!
Until our squash courts can be fully re-opened there will probably be only limited member demand for the bar on weekday evenings. We therefore intend initially to open at weekends and on Thursday evenings to coincide with busy tennis playing times and club mix-ins. Bar opening hours will be published on the website and may change to reflect court usage so please check them regularly here : https://sheenltsc.co.uk/index.php/about-us
The bar will be staffed at times by our paid bar staff and sometimes by volunteers. Members are asked to help by carefully following their guidance and the temporary signage at all times.
Remember : these requirements have been put in place with the priority of keeping our members safe and the club open for play.
Office
The admin office will remain closed for the present but we hope to re-open this later in September. If you have any questions in the meantime about anything at SLTSC which you can't find answered on the website (please try the FAQs here: https://sheenltsc.co.uk/index.php/about-us/faq-s first) just email us on office@sheenltsc.co.uk and one of the volunteers will be pleased to help.
Club News
A very successful invitational tennis match between the Squash and Tennis sections was held on Monday evening, and the tennis and squash committees are considering further events of this kind for our members to enjoy.
Surrey Winter League inter-club tennis matches will be resuming shortly. Any lady tennis members who are interested in playing ladies' team matches please email ladiestennisteams@sheenltsc.co.uk
Weekend matches will typically be arranged for Saturday or Sunday mornings and members will see the bookings in the online system ahead of the 5-day member bookings window. In order to keep good court availability for members’ general play, we will try to avoid playing two matches simultaneously but everyone is asked to understand that weather cancellations may occasionally make this necessary. Matches will be booked on the artificial clay courts but with the agreement of members who have previously booked the acrylic courts for general play may be switched to the front courts at match time if weather conditions are conducive.
The next rounds for the Club Box Tennis leagues will be published in week commencing 13th September. These are currently open to all tennis and squash members, male and female, who are age 13 and over. If you are not already registered to play in the leagues and wish to join please send an email to boxtennis@sheenltsc.co.uk
The hall is now able to re-open for some non-strenuous activities with appropriate distancing, and members may be interested to hear that classes for some exercise groups and Kumon will now progressively be re-starting.
The LTA’s guidance for tennis players, updated for recent government changes, can be found here: https://www.lta.org.uk/globalassets/news/2020/lta-guidance-for-tennis-players---covid-19.pdf
If you experience any symptoms of Coronavirus within 14 days of play at the Club then you MUST contact us urgently by email office@sheenltsc.co.uk and immediately follow government 'Test & Trace' guidelines here
Take care and enjoy your tennis.
Managing Committee
Sheen LTSC
PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE AT WWW.SHEENLTSC.CO.UK FOR URGENT UPDATES
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