Trustee meetings

Board meeting summary: 3 November 2026 (agenda)

18:00–19:00 · Online

Agenda

• Present and apologies; declarations of interest
• Notes of the previous meeting; matters arising
• Lease with Napton Parish Council and the Diocese of Coventry: update, including outstanding issues and remedies
• Trustee decisions before launch: resolutions for decision and items for noting
• Coaching arrangements: contractual options for coaches; payment options and rates
• Membership brochure: final version for approval and sign-off
• Finance: income and expenditure to 31 October 2026; financial forecast; project financing
• Any other business
• Date and time of next meeting

A summary of the decisions will be added here once the notes of this meeting are approved.

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Board meeting summary: 24 August 2026

18:00–19:00 · Online

Present and apologies

• The meeting was quorate.

Declarations of interest

• Tim Coker declared an interest in the proposed trustee loan and, in line with the charity's rules, took no part in the discussion or decision on that item.

Notes of last meeting

• Decision: The notes of the previous meeting were accepted as an accurate summary, subject to recording that Darius Potten-Ravenshead also attended.

Lease with Napton Parish Council and the Diocese of Coventry

• The trustees reviewed the remaining issues in the lease and licence documents in detail. Most were already resolved, were administrative errors that can be corrected, or were manageable risks that do not prevent signing.
• Commercial activity: charging membership and court-hire fees is integral to running the charity and its courts and should not count as prohibited commercial use. Other sports facilities on the site already generate income, and the charity has no intention of selling the operation as a business.
• End of the lease: the documents now agree that, by default, the courts remain at the end of the term.
• Insurance, indemnities and access were not considered barriers to signing. The trustees were satisfied that they have a full record of negotiations, risk assessment and decisions.
• The club must operate in line with its charitable purposes and benefit Napton and local residents, while allowing wider access where appropriate.
• Legal costs: the charity is willing to contribute towards the council's legal costs only where it is told clearly what the money is for, what work is being done and how much it will cost.
• Decision: The trustees agreed unanimously to proceed to signing the lease and associated documents, provided the final documents reflect what has been agreed.

Signing and start of construction

• Once the lease and licence are signed, the charity can contract with OnPoint Ltd, which is ready to start and has been kept informed throughout.
• Construction cannot be instructed until the necessary agreements are in place. Signing should be completed without unnecessary delay once all parties are ready.

Project financing

• The trustees reviewed projected income and expenditure, cash flow and a financial risk analysis for building both courts.
• Savings and deferrals were identified, including a much smaller launch budget, deferring lockers and court furniture, postponing some landscaping and possibly avoiding the cost of removing excavated soil.
• The construction contract includes a 5% retention, payable only after completion and a defects period, which supports the charity's cash flow.
• Only a cautious amount of Founding Membership income has been included in the forecasts, and interest has been strong.
• Decision: The trustees were satisfied that the charity has sufficient funds and cash flow to build both courts.

Trustee loan

• The loan was considered necessary to build and open both courts from the outset, avoiding the extra cost and disruption of building a second court later.
• The interest rate is 0.5% below the Bank of England base rate, reviewed annually. Alternative funding had been explored and cheaper funding was not available.
• Decision: The trustees without an interest unanimously approved the loan, subject to the agreement stating the interest rate clearly.

Construction contract

• Decision: A draft minor works contract, based on the structure of a JCT Minor Works contract, will be sent to OnPoint Ltd for comment before the final contract is signed.

Planning

• The floodlighting condition has been discharged.
• The retaining-wall drawings and calculations are with Stratford-on-Avon District Council, where a new planning officer is progressing them. Construction cannot start until this condition is discharged.
• Before work starts, start dates will be agreed with the contractor and the Parish Council, Napton Sports Association and neighbours will be told about construction traffic and activity.

Booking and membership software

• The trustees discussed using myClubhouse or a similar system for membership, court booking, payments and administration.
• The system must reliably identify Napton residents, handle data in line with data protection law, and let Day Members book a free court immediately.
• Decision: Tim Coker will speak to myClubhouse and at least one alternative provider about residency checks, membership approval, data protection, payments and how money reaches the charity's bank account.

Founding Membership

• Decision: People will be able to reserve a Founding Membership place without paying straight away, with payment due before opening. The charity will not take money too far in advance.

Marketing and launch

• Decision: The launch budget will be cut substantially and the launch run mainly by trustees and volunteers, for example through local promotion, social media and free taster sessions.
• About 115 people had registered interest. Around 40% live in Napton parish, 70% within a 10-minute drive and 93% within a 20-minute drive, showing the courts will mainly benefit the local community.

Membership pricing and forecasts

• Trustees will review the latest membership brochure and the financial forecast, which models a poor-case scenario starting at around 15% court use and still shows the club remaining viable.

Future roof

• A roof is not part of the current project. It would be a major cost and would need planning permission. No decision was made to pursue it.

Running the club

• Decision: The trustees will consider setting up an operating committee, so that day-to-day running of the club is separate from the trustees' governance role.

Main actions

• Obtain and check the final lease and licence documents, and arrange signing as soon as possible.
• Ask for the council's legal costs to be explained before agreeing to pay them.
• Amend the trustee loan agreement to state the interest rate clearly.
• Send the draft construction contract to OnPoint Ltd for comment.
• Chase the discharge of the retaining-wall planning condition.
• Compare myClubhouse with alternative providers.
• Plan the launch and volunteer needs once the construction timetable is known.

Next meeting

Towards the end of September 2026, depending on the lease and contract being signed.

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Board meeting summary: 6 July 2026

17:00–18:00 · Online

Present and apologies

• Present: Andrew Riley (Chair), Tim Coker, Darius Potten-Ravenshead (attendance corrected at the August meeting)
• Apologies: Not recorded

Declarations of interest

• None declared.

Notes of last meeting

• Decision: The notes of the previous meeting were agreed as a true summary.

Licence agreement with Napton Parish Council

• Progress has been made, but three issues are still preventing the lease from being signed:
  • the requirement to return the court site to grass at the charity's expense after 5½ years;
  • a restriction preventing the charity from undertaking any commercial activity;
  • a significant number of errors in the lease text, including the wrong name and address for the charity and the council's contact.

Construction timetable

• Until the lease is signed, the charity cannot sign a contract with OnPoint Ltd, so neither a pre-start meeting nor a construction timetable can yet be set.

Operational plan

• A draft membership agreement and a draft pricing structure for membership, pay-to-play and court fees have been produced.
• myClubhouse booking system: set-up is straightforward and takes less than a week, with full online support. It is hosted online, so only network access hardware is needed on site.
• Site access arrangements will need to be discussed and agreed with the Napton Sports Association.
• Toilet access has been agreed for members, and a portable toilet will be available for non-members.

Finances

• The current account position was noted.

Any other business

• None.

Next meeting

Monday 24 August 2026, 18:00, online

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Board meeting summary: 1 June 2026

17:00–18:00 · Napton

Present and apologies

• Present: Andrew Riley (Chair), Tim Coker, Tom Williams, Darius Potten-Ravenshead
• Apologies: None received

Declarations of interest

• None declared.

Notes of last meeting

• Decision: The notes of the previous meeting were confirmed as a true summary.

Licence agreement with Napton Parish Council

• On 13 May the council's working group met to discuss amendments to the lease issued by the council's solicitors. The council's representative considered that all issues had been resolved and would recommend that the council grant the charity a 5½-year lease to build and operate two padel courts at Napton Sports Field.
• At a further meeting on 31 May the council's representative confirmed that the lease would proceed. The charity was asked to obtain a start date from the contractor and arrange a pre-start site meeting as soon as possible.

Technical information

• The council's representative has approved all the technical documents, subject to final discussions with the contractor at an on-site pre-start meeting.

Project plan

• The project plan has been revised for a June 2026 start, with a provisional six-week build programme for one court.
• Decision: A detailed plan will be produced for opening and running the club from the end of July 2026.

Finances

• The bank position and the month's transactions were confirmed.

Annual Report and Financial Statement

• The Annual Report and Financial Statement were circulated before the meeting for discussion and approval.

Any other business

• None.

Next meeting

Monday 6 July 2026, online

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Board meeting summary: 7 May 2026

18:00–19:00 · Napton

Present and apologies

• Present: Andrew Riley (Chair), Tim Coker, Bethan Hanna, Tom Williams, Darius Potten-Ravenshead
• Apologies: None

Declarations of interest

• None declared.

Notes of last meeting

• Decision: The notes of the previous meeting were approved.

Licence agreement with Napton Parish Council

• An update was given on recent correspondence with the council and its forthcoming meeting. There is still no date for the issue of a licence or lease.

Technical information requested by the council

• A schedule of all the technical information the council requires has been produced. The remaining technical papers have been requested from the contractor and will be sent to the council for approval.
• The charity has asked the council to extend the terms of reference of its licence working group to include reviewing and signing off the technical papers. This will be discussed at the council's next meeting.

Project plan

• The only major outstanding risk is the delay in the council granting the charity a licence to build and run the courts. All other risks are rated green.
• No further planning work is possible until the lease is granted, as everything else is in place to start construction.

Finances

• The bank position was noted, including grant funding already committed to the project.

Any other business

• The May newsletter has been issued and shared on all social media channels.

Next meeting

1 June 2026, 17:00, online

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Board meeting summary: 13 April 2026

17:00–18:00 · Online

Present and apologies

• Present: Not recorded
• Apologies: Andrew Riley (Chair)

Declarations of interest

• None declared.

Matters arising

• The Sport England grant of £15,000 has been received.
• Planning permission: some calculations are still outstanding.

Licence agreement with Napton Parish Council

• The charity is still awaiting a decision from the council.

Contractor

• Decision: The construction contract will be offered to OnPoint Ltd, subject to the charity holding a licence or lease to build and operate the courts: initially one court, and a second if funds allow. OnPoint's bid was judged the best, being as close to a fixed price as could be obtained.

Website

• Decision: Additional pages will be added to the website for meeting agendas, notes and other papers.

Membership and pricing

• Options for membership prices and court hire charges, for members and pay-to-play players, were discussed against the income needed to run the courts.
• The general view was to look at increasing pay-to-play prices. No final decision was made.

Marketing

• Decision: A QR code linking to the website and booking system will be added to the brochure, and the logo will be corrected to the one in regular use.

Finances

• The bank statement was reviewed. The March income and expenditure position and the April–May forecast were not discussed.
• Grant opportunities: no further news on the Wigley Group application. Details of the Warwickshire Tennis funding are still awaited. FCC Communities can be approached again once a licence or lease is in place, and the LTA can be approached if it is a lease.

Any other business

• None.

Next meeting

The next meeting was held on 7 May 2026.

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Board meeting summary: 9 March 2026

17:00–18:00 · Online

No meeting notes were recorded for this date. The agenda items are listed below.

Agenda

• Present and apologies; declarations of interest
• Notes of the meeting of 9 February 2026
• Matters arising: FCC Communities grant application; Sport England grant application; planning permission
• Licence agreement with Napton Parish Council: update
• Project plan: review of the updated plan; tender review and contract award process
• Finances: income and expenditure for February 2026; bank account; forecast for March–April 2026; Wigley Group and other grant opportunities
• Any other business
• Date and time of next meeting

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Board meeting summary: 9 February 2026

17:00–18:00 · Online

Present and apologies

• Present: Andrew Riley (Chair), Tim Coker
• Apologies: Tom Williams, Bethan Hanna

Declarations of interest

• None declared.

Notes of last meeting

• Decision: The notes of 12 January 2026 were approved.

Matters arising

• Decision: The charity will not register for VAT.
• Decision: The FCC Communities grant application will be submitted, recognising that it will not be accepted without an operating licence.
• Sport England: additional information has been submitted. A decision is expected within two weeks.
• Planning permission: final details will be ready to submit within a week.
• The appointment of Bethan Hanna as a new trustee was confirmed.

Licence agreement with Napton Parish Council

• The trustees were concerned that there had been little tangible progress since the council's January meeting, because of delays in the council's legal process. Without an operating licence, construction cannot start.
• Decision: Existing work on the planning application and contract award will be completed, but no further expenditure will be committed unless and until the council grants a licence.
• The planned opening has already moved from Easter 2026 to at least the end of May 2026. Further delay to the licence will push it later into 2026.

Grant Making Policy

• Decision: A few amendments were agreed. The amended policy will be brought to the March meeting for final approval and then published on the charity's website.

Project plan

• Decision: Project plan actions 3.8–3.10 are formally rescheduled to start by the end of March 2026 because of the licence delay.
• The tender process is on track, but a contract cannot be awarded until the council grants a licence.

Finances

• Decision: The January financial position was agreed and bank balances were noted.
• Amendments to the February–March forecast were agreed, and a revised forecast will be circulated with the notes.

Any other business: sports field access security

• An options paper on replacing access security at the sports field has been prepared for the Napton Sports Association meeting on 17 February.
• The charity cannot commit funding to developments on the sports field until it has a licence. The outcome of the NSA discussion will be reported to the March meeting.

Next meeting

Provisionally 9 March 2026, online

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Board meeting summary: 12 January 2026

16:00–17:30 · Online

Present and apologies

• Present: Andrew Riley (Chair), Tim Coker, Tom Williams
• Apologies: None recorded

Notes of last meeting

• This was the first meeting of the charity's trustees.

Completing the establishment of the charity

• The trustees considered the Charity Commission's feedback on the registration.
• Decision: A draft Grant Making Policy will be prepared for the February meeting. All other points raised will be incorporated into the charity's constitution.
• The charity's bank account has been opened.
• Decision: The charity will proceed with voluntary VAT registration now that the bank account is open. (This was reversed at the February meeting.)

Planning permission

• Decision: The architect will be commissioned to complete the pre-tender work, including detailed plans for floodlighting and the retaining wall, resubmission of outstanding documents to Stratford-on-Avon District Council, and project management up to handover to the preferred contractor.
• Decision: Quotes will be sought urgently for a soil survey, which the architect cannot carry out.
• Pre-tender documents will be sent to the three shortlisted contractors within two weeks.
• Decision: Final interviews with contractors will be held in the first week of March 2026.

Business plan

• The plan covers one court, with the option of a second when funds allow.
• Decision: The business plan was approved for submission with the Sport England and FCC Communities grant applications.

Grant applications

• FCC Communities: the application is ready, but needs a copy of the operating licence from Napton Parish Council, which the council agreed at its October meeting. If the licence is not in place by 31 January 2026, the charity cannot apply and could lose a grant of up to £100,000.
• Decision: The Chair will write to the Chair of Napton Parish Council to explain the urgency.
• Sport England: the application has been submitted. Bank details are still to be provided.
• Contact with a potential local sponsor is promising and will continue through February.

Project plan

• Decision: The trustees reviewed and signed off the latest project plan. More detail on the actions before the site start will be added.

Finances

• The trustees reviewed the financial projections in the business plan.
• Decision: Sufficient income to complete the project must be confirmed before committing to a contractor to start construction.

Any other business: appointment of new trustees

• Decision: A potential new trustee will be approached. If they wish to proceed, they will provide a short CV for the trustees, who will meet them before deciding on appointment.

Next meeting

9 February 2026, online

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