West End Letters: coaches | Councillor Audrey Lewis | Claude Keith

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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 28 November 2008

Asking coaches to pay £1,000 per month?
You cannot be serious!

IN response to Councillor Audrey Lewis (Ball back in their court, November 21), I can assure both the councillor and your readers that at no time was it ever suggested that the established tennis coaches could maintain their position at Paddington Recreation Ground if they agreed to do charitable coaching.
The coaches would have been prepared to do this, especially as one of them is already actively involved in local community programmes.
The reality was that these coaches were squeezed out unjustly. Initially, there was a poorly managed Head Coach and Assistants appointment procedure.
Additionally, by January, the established coaches had all references to them removed from the marketing support literature, even though they were still operating as official coaches until July this year.
Then, without discussion, a 26 page contract that had no benefits to these coaches was imposed on them, in what had become a monopolistic situation where every enquiry on coaching was to be directed solely through one named individual.
The contract also suggested that within one year the coaches would have to pay £1,000 per month to be a registered coach at Paddington Recreation Ground – up from £86 per month – which is totally unjustified and not comparable with any other public coaching location.
At no time has any consideration been given to these coaches’ livelihoods, or to the many residents and council tax payers, who have been coached by these coaches, in some cases for as long as 10 years.
While the tennis programme has done something to widen the appeal and participation of tennis among juniors in the peak summer months, little has been achieved among the poorer ethnic communities in the neighbourhood or for adults generally.
Three hundred people have now signed a petition to have these unfairly treated coaches reinstated, at a sensible cost.
Claude Keith
Lauderdale Mansions,W9

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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