May Newsletter

Dear Members,

Summer has arrived early at Old College and the club is now moving into one of the busiest and most exciting periods of the year. From tournaments and social events, to fundraising and new partnerships, there is a huge amount happening around the club over the coming weeks.

PEDDER GROUP SPONSORSHIP

Old College Lawn Tennis Club is very pleased to welcome The Pedder Group as a key club sponsor.

Pedder is a local, family-owned and run property company with deep ties to the local community. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, the company is proud to partner with us for the next three years.

Their support will be an important partnership for the club and a significant contribution to the clubhouse regeneration project; we hope members will join us in welcoming their involvement in the years ahead.

OC CLUBHOUSE ‘26 – FUNDRAISING UPDATE

Our OC Clubhouse ‘26 fundraising activities officially began on Bank Holiday Monday with a hugely enjoyable American Doubles tournament played in glorious sunshine.

We had an excellent turnout across the day, with Nick James and Peter Allen finishing joint first after a highly competitive afternoon. The pair then gave members a glimpse into the future with a one point playoff to decide the winner - Peter claiming victory with a perfectly judged lob under pressure.

Alongside the tennis, members enjoyed BBQ food, salads and cakes generously provided by volunteers.

A particular thank you also goes to Roman Gonitel , who donated a range of artisanal Portuguese wines for members to enjoy during the afternoon. Roman’s orange wine proved especially popular and all contributions from the tasting went towards the Clubhouse fund.

Thank you to everyone who contributed food, time, organisation and energy to the day. The atmosphere captured exactly what we hope to see this Summer Season, and in the years to come.

We also have members already stepping forward with their own fundraising efforts and events: Eileen Mahony will be entertaining members at the clubhouse on Thursday 28th May with travel tales from the 1980s, while Ajay Khandelwal will be testing both his endurance and dignity by running a half marathon on the weekend of 30th/31st May wearing full tennis kit (including bag).

You can support Ajay’s efforts here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ajay-khandelwal-2

And make your own contribution here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/occlubhouse26

More information soon on other ways to contribute.

DULWICH FESTIVAL OPEN HOUSE

Our artists’ Open House during the Dulwich Festival once again proved to be one of the cultural highlights of the club calendar.

The event created a fantastic atmosphere around the club and brought many first-time visitors through the gates. The participating artists generated approximately £7.7k in sales across the two weekends.

Thank you and congratulations to everyone involved in organising and hosting such a successful exhibition.

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026

Plans are now well underway for the Club Championships, which will run from 13th–27th June.

Please keep Finals Day on Saturday 27th June free. Alongside the matches themselves, we are planning a broader day of tennis and social events around the club.

We will also shortly be unveiling details of the inaugural “One Shot Weekend” — a new mid-tournament event open to both adults and juniors (June 20th/21st). More information soon.

A FEW REMINDERS

As the courts become busier over summer, a few gentle reminders to help the club run smoothly for everyone.

Please: