Petition on Tennis Coaches at Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea venues; Holland Park, Avondale Park, Kensington Memorial Park, and Royal Hospital Chelsea As from the 3rd July 2011 Brad Roberts, Rade Kovacevic, James Macaskill, Richard Bean, John Johnson, Yusuf Murphy, and others will no longer be allowed to be Tennis Coaches at their respective venues of registration in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBK&C) unless they sign a new contract that has not been agreed by any one of these coaches. We, the undersigned, have been coached, or know these individuals in their capacity as Tennis Coaches at these RBKC Tennis venues. It is unacceptable that they should be given what is as good as a zero option choice in relation to maintaining their livelihoods and their lengthy and professional service to us the undersigned. We, the undersigned, believe that the coaches are right in not agreeing to sign the proposed contract as it has a number of flaws:- • It is suggesting that for every hour of coaching at £45 per hour the coaches will receive just £25 with the facility/Quadron/The RBK&C taking £20. £20 for court fees is extreme! Same court wiil cost a resident £7 to play with a friend /relative for an hour. And £25 with a coach is hidden charge to the residents that already pay QSL TO RUN THE PARKS THROUGH THE COUNCIL TAX, AND INCOME TAX. • • In the new ComunityTennis Programme proposed they would receive just £15 per hour, which would work only if it was incremental business/hours. Coaches are not avoiding community program . It can be done in such way that every coach gives one hour or two hours per week for community tennis, Westway has token that role already we will be having empty sessions. Who will play outside when an indoor facility is near by. • A perception that coaches are not paying enough to the facility and making out like bandits. This ignores the close season, their costs and the reality of their situation which is recognised by their customers. Charging them a sensible monthly retainer, the court fees and a surplus for private coaching would be a more acceptable way of meeting everyone’s objectives.I would cut out surplus it , a sensible monthly retainer is a good term • • It is proposed that all coaching bookings and payments have to be done by the customers with the individual facilities and not the coaches, despite the fact that the contract currently is a private one between us as players and our individual coach and not with any facility. • No consideration has been given to the residents of the RBK&C, who are customers of these coaches, who now face losing their coaches (and having to provide their private details). • The proposed LTA endorsed Tennis Programme does not have to be mutually exclusive to private independent coaching. The two can run side-by–side even utilising the same coaches. • The reality is that outdoor facilities such as these cannot attract year round usage at a constant and consistent level and this too obviously applies to the coaches earning potential. • The intent to treat these facilities as private clubs is incorrect. They are for everyone and anyone who wants to simply pay for a court or have the opportunity of playing with a coach. Above all we want to retain these coaches for private independent coaching at these facilities, on a similar basis to that currently employed, irrespective of any other tennis initiatives - be that ‘LTA’s Tennis for All’ or ‘LTA Beacon/Clubmark status’ or ‘Tennis Community Programme’. Name Date Address Signature …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………