Ottery St Mary tennis club has begun a campaign to seek sponsorship towards the possible provision of new courts for the club on land designated for sports use by the Cricket Club.

There’s a real passion to get this project on land at Strawberry Lane moving.

The plan is to provide two permanent tennis courts on the site.

The club currently has the use of the Kings School multi-use games area, but suffers from not having a permanent base for practice, matches and junior player development.

The recently negotiated 50-year lease for the land gives security and allows the club to now develop potential in the longer term.

The Committee are hoping to raise the greater proportion of funds by grants from sports orientated bodies, but this will still leave the club a significant amount to find to allow the project to proceed.

In particular the club have put together some interesting sponsorship packages.

Amongst some of the ideas as for sponsors to have a plaque acknowledging their support sited permanently in the clubhouse. A permanent end-of-court windbreak endorsed with the sponsors company name. Life membership of the club for a member of the sponsoring business and also photographic opportunities and other sponsor benefits.

Ideally the committee would like to find five local companies to get involved with sponsorship.

The Club is asking for a one off sponsorship offer in excess of £5,000 to qualify for founder status and trust that the annualised cost is a reasonable level for a high quality of local advertising.

The cost is tax deductible and therefore very efficient method of achieving local recognition for a philanthropic gesture.

The committee would also like to offer local businesses’ the opportunity to become a general sponsor by asking for a one-off sponsorship in excess of £250 to qualify for an entry onto the Club’s sponsor board to be erected in the club house.

Any level of funding support would be helpful and the committee would be pleased to help you in any way should you require additional information on how to make your pledge.

You can find all the contact details for key members of the Ottery St Mary Tennis Club at www.ottery-st-mary-tennis-club.info