Dear Andy, Murray, Liz, Vestry members, Parishioners, and Church Property Trustee members,

We understand the Parish is considering selling the land the St Paul’s tennis courts currently occupy. As part of your decision-making process we would like to make you aware of the community of users that surround the club and the value the courts and pavilion are to us.

St Paul’s Tennis Club is a community of current, retired, social members and friends. We have tennis teams that play midweek ladies against 16 other teams. We also field a team in an evening business-house competition against 8 other mixed teams, apart from ourselves, in all approx 200 players. Waimairi and Burnside Tennis Clubs routinely have used the courts for junior interclub on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, this involves another 180 children. The courts are also used each week for informal play, this is a growing area of interest. In the last 2-3 seasons, we have had new people from Harmans Lawyers and a growing group of Filipinos join the club.

Recently in discussions with Allenvale School it was agreed with the Principal, Graeme Daniel, to make a court area available as a playground for their students during the day. This provides the school with a safe and contained outdoor environment for their students.

We believe the Tennis Club plays a positive role in providing sport and recreation facilities for a significant number of people. We have several members still playing in their eighties. Apart from this there are retired members who no longer play, but are social members.

We have gathered signatures (online and paper based) from members, social members and users of the courts/pavilion that wish to respectfully ask the Vestry and Parishioners to keep the tennis courts for the health and wellbeing of the Papanui and wider Christchurch community.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Oxley

St Paul’s Tennis Club Captain