[Please note that amends to this petition have been made following specific concerns submitted to Change.org regarding some language in the first iteration. We have therefore expanded on some details for greater clarity. To the best of our knowledge, this is an accurate summary of the current facts.] 

Save Merton Tennis Coaches!

Merton is home to Wimbledon, the tennis capital of the world. As such, we believe the borough of Merton should uphold the core values of community, inclusivity, and fair competition that tennis inspires. The central message of the Save Merton Tennis Coaches campaign is simple:

We ask Merton Council to reconsider the terms of the contract and allow local coaches, and independent businesses to continue operating on the publicly owned courts 1-10 at Wimbledon Park.

Background

Earlier this year, Merton Council initiated a tender process to award a contract for the management of selected tennis courts across the borough. This was part of a funding initiative to meet the LTA's annual £65K investment requirement for the upkeep of courts recently refurbished with a grant from the LTA.

Wimbledon Park’s publicly owned courts 1-10 were excluded from the original tender, as they were not part of the LTA-funded refurbishment. Many local coaches, believing their businesses would remain unaffected, chose not to participate in the tender process. However, in a surprising move, Merton Council later included courts 1-10 in the final agreement with Tennis in Merton (Powered by Emma Wells), the winning contractor. This decision has created a monopoly for tennis coaching in the borough, forcing many local coaches—who have operated on these courts for many years—to shut down their businesses, whilst removing the choice of independent coaching providers from local residents.

These courts are the crown jewels of the borough’s tennis facilities as the only floodlit courts in the area and situated in a highly desirable location. As such, they are the most popular courts for both local coaches and the general public, who have both long paid a premium to use them. 

We believe this decision undermines Merton Council’s own "Borough of Sport Mission", which promises to "support our substantial network of sporting and community organisations to not only survive but thrive." The expulsion of independent tennis coaches - who have built a thriving park tennis community - from Wimbledon Park contradicts this mission, and undermines the council’s claim to "help sports and leisure businesses stay based in Merton while facilitating new businesses." Many self-employed tennis coaches or competing coaching businesses are now being forced to leave the borough to continue coaching elsewhere, or accept working for the new monopoly provider. Furthermore, Merton Council’s claim to "support Merton’s children and young people to be the most active in London" is threatened, as this decision risks eroding the diverse mix of crucial and popular sports provisions already in place for young people.

What Does This Mean for Tennis in our borough?

• All rental of courts and coaching in Merton will be controlled by a single provider, Tennis in Merton (Powered by Emma Wells) - a private company, not run by the council.
• Many local coaching businesses, with years of experience and established clientele, will be forced to close.
• Local coaching businesses and independent coaches wishing to continue operating in Merton will have to work under the Tennis in Merton umbrella, accepting their terms, or forced to leave. 
• Merton residents seeking to stay with their coaches or wanting alternative coaching options will have to look outside the borough, or to use private club facilities.
• One private company operating as a monopoly provider will profit from publicly and LTA funded courts.

Merton Council’s Response:

In response to public pushback, Merton Council issued a statement defending the contract. However, we believe that several claims in this statement are misleading, including the suggestion that coaches have been "using the courts for free to run their businesses." In reality, while other courts in Merton are free, Wimbledon Park's 20 courts are not. Coaches rent the courts at a premium cost and have invested thousands of pounds over the years to be able to coach their clients and build their businesses, thereby contributing to the upkeep of all Merton's public courts.

The council also cited "extreme financial pressure" from factors "beyond their control." This explanation does not account for the fact that Merton recently announced a £75 million "Legacy Fund" from the sale of a council-owned company, with "Sporting Infrastructure" explicitly named as a priority area. The £65K annual investment required by the LTA, when multiplied over the five-year contract, amounts to less than 1% of this fund. We believe this raises serious questions about the council’s financial priorities.

Despite requests for transparency, Merton Council has yet to provide evidence that the decision to include courts 1-10 in the contract was made through a fair and open process. The council claims that a "competitive tender process" was followed, but how can this process be deemed competitive when key aspects of the contract—such as the inclusion of courts 1-10, the most valuable asset in the contract—were not disclosed to all potential bidders? We want answers and greater transparency from the council on how and why this tender was awarded to one monopoly operator and why courts 1-10 were included in the final contract without consultation. 

How You Can Help:

1. Sign and Share the Petition: Support the cause by signing and sharing our petition with your network.
2. Donate to the Campaign: We’ve set up a GoFundMe page to support our efforts. Please donate here: www.gofundme.com/save-merton-tennis-coaches
3. Email Merton Council: Merton Council has provided an email address (tennis@merton.gov.uk) for the public to ask questions about the contract. We encourage you to email the council and ask for clarity on their decision.
4. Follow Us on Social Media: Stay up to date with the latest news by following us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaveMertonTennisCoaches

Let’s work together to ensure Merton remains a borough that supports local businesses and fair competition in tennis.