.jpg)
From 30 members
to a waiting list
In 2020, Woburn Tennis Club had around 30 members and was facing many of the challenges familiar to small community clubs. Membership had fallen, the committee was changing, and the courts were quieter than anyone wanted them to be.
After many years coaching at the club, James Godber had recently taken on the role of Head Coach, while his good friend Kevin Rand had recently become Chair. Together with the committee and members, they began looking at how the club could move forward — not just on court, but as a community.
They repainted the clubhouse at minus five degrees. They bought a coffee machine. They asked members to bring in their old tennis memorabilia. They created social events alongside the tennis. Small things, but together they began to change how the club felt.
Four years later, Woburn had grown to more than 200 members, with around 80 people on the waiting list. But the numbers only tell part of the story. People who hadn't previously known one another were playing, talking and spending time together. A stronger club community had grown around the tennis.
Kevin Rand, co-founder, Clubmatch
.jpg)