For some of its oldest players, the Croydon club has been something of a second home for decades.
Khamsay Phommavongsa, 76, has been a dedicated member for nearly 30 years, and is one of many to be getting behind the club as it fights to raise enough money to secure its future, as the council intends to sell the lease to reduce its expenditure.
Khamsay hopes this fundraiser, which will fund the club’s bid to buy the lease, will mean his great-grandchildren can continue to enjoy the club as he has.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “At the beginning, I was just looking for a tennis club near me. There are no other tennis clubs near us, so accidentally, I went to look around Norbury Park. Then I met the people, they are very friendly and nice.”
Khamsay recalls how his sense of community grew as he became more involved. “They asked me to come midweek, and I have never left since,” he said.
“When I see good players in the park, I go and suggest they should join the club. Everybody is really friendly, it’s like a family.”
He added: “I couldn’t find the same standard of player in the park, that is why I joined the club.”
Fellow member Anne-Marie Bowden has played with the club for an impressive 45 years, winning cups and making many friends.
She told the LDRS: “I’m still enjoying playing tennis at 76! I feel so lucky to have a wonderful tennis club in my area.”
She continued: “When I had my own children, I obtained my Lawn Tennis Association coaching award and coached mini tennis for 4 to 7-year-olds. It was so popular we had queues of parents on a Friday night, and it became a social hub for families.”
Anne-Marie’s commitment to the club is based not only on the physical benefits of tennis but also on its social and community aspects.
She said: “NPLTC has changed from the old days. Hopefully, it’s enabled me to keep apace with a hugely changing society.”
She added: “I’m not tearing all over the court now, but I can use my experience to get a few points and get valuable exercise.”
The club’s community atmosphere is something members like Khamsay are deeply passionate about preserving. “That’s why I fear for the next generation,” he continued. “There is only one club in Norbury where they can play tennis, and people come from as far as Streatham, Mitcham, and Sutton to join.”
In November 2023, Croydon Council revealed plans to put Norbury Park Lawn Tennis Club’s lease up for sale in a bid to cut borrowing and debt. Due to its Asset of Community Value status, the club has first refusal to buy the lease on a 999-year deal from the council if it can secure £25,000 worth of funding.
Following extensive fundraising efforts from the club, the total raised has almost reached £23,000. Khamsay, who paid his yearly membership in advance to help the fundraiser, said: “We will reach the target, we will get there.”
The club serves as a thriving social hub for people of all ages, offering activities like yoga and barbecue events. Alongside its affordable tennis, it hosts a day nursery well-loved by Norbury and Thornton Heath residents.
Anne-Marie continued: “Socially, I can mix in, have a drink or two at the bar, join in quiz nights, bake-offs, and watch thrilling matches on the court. I recommend you come to the club, and you will see what I mean.”
For many, the thought of losing this community resource is devastating. “It will be very sad if the club has to go,” Khamsay remarked. “It’s not for me, it’s for the next generation. For my grandchildren.”
Earlier this year, a spokesperson from Croydon Council said: “We are not selling the Norbury Tennis Club site; we are working with the tennis club to grant them a long-term (999-year) lease that will provide them with greater security.
“We signed a Heads of Terms agreement with them in October 2024, and we are currently in negotiations with them to finalise the lease.”
