AGM 2025

Our AGM took place at the National Tennis Centre, Roehampton, on the middle-Sunday of The Championships at Wimbledon and was attended by 56 delegates, representing 33 out of the 41 ICs invited. 

The agenda covered:

1. The approval of the formation of the new IC of Bolivia (you can read more about this here)
2. The decision to notify two inactive ICs (Bulgaria and Romania) that they will be suspended at the next AGM, unless any rehabilitation to their activity occurs before then
3. A generally healthy financial position, albeit reserves could be stronger and more introductions to potential donors are needed
4. A strong level of events activity, with a significant number of upcoming anniversary celebrations (find out more about these here)
5. A strong improvement to our communications, with all ICs sharing the eNews with their members and our IC Council Instagram account reaching over 1,000 followers
6. The results of this year’s Business Returns survey, which you can read in more detail in the Members’ section of the website here
7. An update from the IC Philanthropy Foundation, who are now supporting 17 programmes in 15 countries and have recently introduced a new Global Cultural Exchange Programme (you can read more about ICPF’s work here)
8. The success of the inaugural wheelchair tennis event at the 2024 IC Week and an ask to more ICs to include wheelchair members and players.

The AGM was preceded by a workshop on Saturday 5 July, which focused heavily on the theme of driving greater engagement with younger former players. We ask all ICs to discuss this objective more with their Regional Reps and Boards – including the nomination of potential mentors from your IC for current or former professionals.

For further information and the documents from the AGM, please log in to the Members’ section of the IC Council website. Each IC’s President and Honorary Secretary has these details and can share any information or answer any questions you may have.

Hurricane Refugees Enjoy Tennis Clinic

As part of The North American IC Rod Laver Junior Challenge in The Bahamas, 25 kids who are refugees from Hurricane Dorian enjoyed a tennis clinic run by coaches and the junior players participating in the Junior Challenge.

In September, Hurricane Dorian devastated two northern Islands of The Bahamas and for almost two months the kids in the clinic have been living in temporary accommodation on the capital island in Nassau.

On the second day of the Junior Challenge, 25 refugee kids were brought to The National Tennis Centre where the coaches and juniors were initially organised in to four groups. There were juniors from each country put in to every group which also helped them get to know each other. Over the next two hours the refugee kids then rotated through the groups in a series of different fun drills which they enjoyed.

At the end they were split in to groups to have a volleying match with soft balls across a tennis court. The juniors in The Junior Challenge went behind and to the side of the refugee kids to help keep the rallies going. There was much laughter and everyone enjoyed the whole event.

Before the kids left they were given small gifts and a tennis ball so they could hopefully continue some of the fun games they had back at their temporary homes.

Overall it was a great success and a superb experience for both the refugee kids and the juniors from The Junior Challenge. Perry Newton, the BLTA Head of Junior Development was also involved and is looking in to ways of continuing future clinics for these unfortunate refugee kids.

It was a good example of the IC Philosophy of "Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean" as the kids had crossed the Bahamas seas to come from their devastated island to the main Bahamas Island where they are currently living. The Philanthropy Clinic also helped the Juniors in the Challenge appreciate their own good fortune and it provided a lesson in "Giving back".