Club History
2013 IHLTC starts the next sixty years off by completely refurbishing the clubhouse, underlining the Club’s commitment to the long-term interests of its members.
2012 IHLTC marks a special year encompassing the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, London hosted Olympic Games and 60th Anniversary of the Club.
2011 Mini Tennis Red & Orange Aegon Teams make clean sweeps of their respective divisions.
A new website was launched, bringing together the Club’s activities in one accessible location and raising IHLTC’s profile in the community.
2009 Mini Tennis Red team win league.
2008 Men’s 1st team promoted to Division 1A of Bucks County shield.
2007 The construction of the Mini Tennis Court and Kidzone was completed and officially opened on 2nd September. Members, Parish Councillors, members of the community and representatives from Bucks LTA present at opening. Articles printed in local papers and Tiebreaker.
2006 A Meeting was held with LTA to discuss proposed developments. LTA technical services visit, and production of specification. Request for planning permission submitted, and permission obtained in July.
2005 The Club’s garden and viewing area was sold by IPC to local developer for construction of new houses. This area had been proposed for a future Mini Tennis Court. IPC agreed to donate £5000 and some additional land at the edge of the car park as compensation to the club to be used only for the construction of a new Mini Tennis Court and Kidzone.
2002 The 50th Anniversary Dinner/Dance held for current and former members. Use of former Parish Council office on premises finally obtained in return for covering the line rental of the payphone in the building. Lottery Grants for Local Groups (Awards for All) bid was made – of the £1500 requested, £540 was received, which covered the elements of individual coaching for juniors and a publicity budget for schools’ communications.
2000 Club Vision Feedback report gave the club a Grade 2 rating.
1997 – 2002 Six more annual LTA Ratings Tournaments were held at the club.
1996 In March a catered lunch was provided for about 100 guests, and the official opening ceremony was performed by Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee.
1995 Court construction began in November and was completed early 1996.
1993 – 1995 Lengthy negotiations with IPC for new Rights of Usage document included extending to 2039, in order to secure grants and loans. A Licence was signed on 4th January 1994 for which the club pays £1 per annum. Instead of the club contributing an agreed sum towards court surfacing, fencing, maintenance etc as previously, it became entirely responsible for the outside facilities, although they are effectively owned by IPC.
A new pavilion was built by IPC, in which the club has its own changing rooms, showers, toilets, club room, kitchen and storage.
Fund raising events during this time included: quiz night, firework display, car washing and music sales from a member’s recordings.
Applications made to assist funding for three new courts and upgraded floodlights resulted in successful fund raising from: • Foundation for Sport and the Arts Grant
• Club’s own fund raising
• Bucks County Council Grant
• South Bucks District Council Grant
• Interest free loan from LTA
August: Club submitted detailed plans to IPC of different sites for new pavilions so that three tennis courts could be built on the remaining land instead of only two. These were the basis for a project eventually agreed by South Bucks District Council and IPC, although planning permission was only granted for columns to floodlight two courts.
July: Club tournament finals were run from the newly completed temporary tennis club room with water and electricity – built by member, John Charlton, from second-hand metal buildings. Changing rooms and toilets provided by IPC in Portacabins.
June: Club’s 40th Anniversary Dinner held for 50 former and current members.
May: Sports pavilions totally destroyed by arsonists. Tennis nets burnt and courts and fencing damaged.
1992 In March the Club room and grounds refurbished and in April, the bold decision to hold a National (Volkswagen) Ratings Tournament at a two-court club (first in the county) with 59 entrants from 5 counties, was rewarded by sponsorship from seven local companies, raising £300 for the club.
1991 The Men’s 1st team won promotion to County Shield Division 3A. The Men’s 2nd team won Division 7A and the Men’s and Women’s teams entered the Winter Vet’s County Shield.
1980’s The Ladies 1st team competed in the County Premier League for two years.
Mid-week member’s ladies group established, enjoying weekly coaching and tournaments.
John Vaughan Thomas memorial cup began to be awarded at annual AGM to an individual or team for outstanding services on or off court.
Another third court application was made, but refused because a portion of the car park was needed. IPC did, however, purchase a 10’ strip of land on the opposite side of the courts, which gave members a cherished garden and viewing area.
1975 Planning permission was refused, to extend floodlighting to the second court, but an acceptable method of secondary lighting was found, that was installed by members in 1979.
1974 A proposal to utilise a spare triangle of land for a hitting wall and netted practice enclosure, with an access gate from the courts was accepted by IPC and Bucks County Council.
1972 Permission was obtained to floodlight one court, utilising obsolete street lighting columns purchased from Bucks County Council at £5 each. (It is understood that Iver Heath was the first club in Buckinghamshire to have a floodlit outdoor court).
1969 – 1970 The club’s first formal application for a third court was rejected.
1966 Iver Heath Sports Association was formed between IPC and the sports clubs. Only tennis, football and bowls clubs now remain, and joint meetings continue to be held on a quarterly basis. The tennis club has always maintained a good working relationship with IPC.
1965 IPC replaced its dilapidated wooden structures with a pavilion containing changing rooms and showers, which was shared by the cricket, football, hockey and tennis clubs, and a nursery playgroup. The tennis club successfully claimed one of two meeting areas as a club room.
1956 Affiliation to Buckinghamshire Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) was confirmed in February.
1952 Iver Heath Tennis Club was established with 60 members on two ‘non-attention’ courts built by Iver Parish Council (IPC) at Iver Heath Recreation Ground.
IPC, the tenant in possession of this National Playing Fields Association land, wanted the club to provide ‘cheap tennis’ for parishioners and ‘orderly access’ by membership. The only original facilities consisted of a wooden hut!