Middlesex Tennis is planning to go through a transformational change to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (‘“CIO”’). On Monday 4^th March 2024 Middlesex Tennis would like to invite all members and venues to attend an EGM to approve this process to form the new Middlesex constitution.

Time: 19.30 to 20.30 – Video Conference. Register here.

Draft Constitution Available here.

Background

Following the changes to the county funding model, whereby all club affiliation fees are paid centrally to the LTA and then the LTA allocate income to counties, the LTA has recommended that counties consider a form of incorporation.  Venues now complete their LTA Registration process directly with the LTA and all local associations (such as Middlesex) now need to manage their own membership process.  

As part of the process of Middlesex Tennis incorporating, our venues and existing members will be invited to become legal members of the newly incorporated CIO and therefore the relationship between all our venues and Middlesex Tennis will be maintained.

Incorporating as a CIO (rather than as a charitable company) means members do not have to be incorporated themselves, so unincorporated associations which are currently members can become members of the new CIO. The intention is for the current Middlesex Tennis management board to become trustees of the CIO.

Benefits to operating at a CIO

• Change to the LTA funding model means that our venues now contract directly with the LTA rather than via Middlesex Tennis and so we need a way to manage our own membership process.  Incorporating and inviting the venues to become members restores this direct relationship.
• It’ll improve the county governance, updated and refreshed Constitution, and enables us to apply for charitable status which should help our fund raising potential / ability to grow our sponsorship income & donations
• Becoming a CIO entity means unincorporated venues can still become members
• Incorporating as a CIO grants limited liability to the trustees of the entity
• Being a corporate body means we can enter into contracts in our own name (as opposed to an unincorporated association where some contracts have to be entered into via the name of an individual who then bear the liability)

On the evening of Monday 4^th March 2024 Phil Veasey (Middlesex Tennis Chair) and Matthew Robinson (Board member) will contextualise the reasoning for putting forward a formal recommendation to becoming a CIO and the form of the new Constitution. They will also delve into the exciting plans around the work on inclusion mentors, transformational change projects around coaching and officiating.  There will be an opportunity for those on the call to ask any questions regarding the change.

We would like to invite a representative from all current venues to attend the EGM on Monday 4^th March 2024 which will take place via video conferencing to hear and celebrate what will be a prosperous future for Middlesex Tennis.

We hope to see as many of you as possible on the evening.