Bulletin 2
The Steering Group is delighted to welcome Lisa Bosley on board. Lisa has recently been appointed to the position of Regional Development Officer by the ETTA, after gaining a Sports Development and Physical Education degree at University, and is a very welcome addition. Project Leader Peter Bradley said “Lisa is very well known in Reading League circles, and is back playing table tennis in Reading. Lisa will provide a direct link to the Head Office of the ETTA at Hastings which will help the project enormously.”
Bulletin 1 stated that the plans are ambitious. Just how ambitious is becoming evident as the committee get down to developing a Business Plan. A three man sub-committee comprising Peter, Colin Dyke, and Brian Halliday have been charged with producing this plan and report. The aim is to deliver this to the ETTA and Reading Borough Council representatives by the end of 2008. To date the sub-committee is very pleased with the progress that has been made. However, it is appreciated that everyone will have concerns over the cost relating to both the initial build and then the eventual running cost of such an all embracing Centre. It is no secret that the projected figures are daunting, but at the moment one bridge at a time is being crossed.
So what is the grand plan? Alan Dines has worked very hard in drawing up the preliminary plans. He has produced drawings to encompass a 16 table venue that would have all tables in match play conditions. In addition it will be possible to increase the number of table spaces to 23 for coaching and training purposes. It will be necessary to utilize this facility seven days a week and plans have already been produced that cover an all embracing table tennis programme. In addition to excellent playing conditions, plans have been made for three tiers of seating on either side of the arena, a viewing gallery, offices, storage space, and a social area with café. A Pre-Planning Application meeting has been held and the committee is awaiting comments from the RBC Planning Department before proceeding with an outline planning application.
The Centre will need to establish the strongest possible links with local schools. Initial contact has been made with the Reading School Sports Partnership and this will be followed up with the County Senior Competition Manager in due course. However, help is needed to get the message across that this is a major sporting project that will benefit all areas of the community.
You will, no doubt, wonder where the necessary funding is being raised. This will be explained in the next Bulletin but, obviously, there will be a need for a major sponsor so please spread the word. The Project Team will welcome your questions and comment. Please let Brian Halliday, the Public Relations Manager, have your questions and, no matter how difficult they may be, he will try and get an answer for you. His contact details are given below.
Brian Halliday - Public Relations Manager
Tel: 01189 722421 or email brian.halliday@readingtabletenniscentre.co.uk