St Ann’s Tennis Community Interest Company was set up in summer 2020 in order to manage and maintain the eight tennis courts in St Ann’s Well Gardens, in Brighton & Hove.

St Ann’s Tennis is a registered LTA club, and we compete in the Brighton & Hove Parks League.

What is a CIC?
A Community Interest Company (CIC) is just like a normal limited company but with certain specific conditions. CIC assets must belong to the community (which the courts in St Ann’s Well Gardens do), the CIC must be a non-profit organisation and it can’t be sold to an outside commercial buyer. All of these things together will secure the future of these courts and enable St Ann’s Tennis to operate as a self-funded tennis facility.

CICs are actually very similar to charities but are usually not dependent on donations and fundraising. St Ann’s Tennis will be self-funding, generating a regular income through “pay-and-play” court bookings and Club membership fees which can then be reinvested in ensuring the courts are well-maintained for the good of the whole community.

As well as backing from the Council, St Ann’s Tennis is supported by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) who have given the CIC a grant for the two electronic gates. St Ann’s Tennis is now a registered LTA Club and has introduced the LTA’s easy-to-use online ClubSpark booking system.

Brighton & Hove Council no longer pays for the upkeep of any of the park courts in the city – and St Ann’s is just the latest facility to switch to a self-funded management model. Hove Park, Dyke Park and Queens Park are great examples of what can be achieved when self-funding through an online booking system is introduced.

Welfare Officer

The LTA Welfare Officer for St Ann’s Tennis is Joss Albert. The Welfare Officer is responsible for promoting safeguarding within their venue and working with others to ensure a safe and inclusive environment is achieved. Contact admin [@] stannstennis.co.uk

Club Secretary

Claire Anderson is our Club Secretary. Claire has a long history of volunteer work in community tennis in Brighton & Hove, and lives just round the corner from the courts at St Ann’s Well Gardens. She provides invaluable support with administration, court maintenance and player registration.

Head Coach

Jimmy Smith is responsible for all coaching and tennis activities at St Ann’s Tennis.  Formerly a British Junior Top 10 player, he is a level 3 qualified LTA coach and R4 LTA Referee with 15 years experience. Jimmy is the 2022 Tennis Sussex Development Coach Of The Year, in recognition of his excellent work in promoting juniors and disability tennis activity in Brighton & Hove.

St Ann’s Tennis CIC
Sort code:
60-30-09
Account number:
36155039