New Season Starts 1st Sept

We hope you had a good summer and are ready for the new season, which starts on Friday 1st September in the new hall at Welland Park Academy from 7.30-9.30pm. Please see the detailed information below for season dates and club contacts.

When entering Welland Park Academy by car, turn left and follow the road around to the rear of the school, where you can park and will see the large new sports hall next to the astroturf. The exit is then around the opposite side of the school. Given that it’s a new hall, Welland Park will only allow non-marking indoor footwear.  

Whilst we do not expect COVID-19 to be an issue during the coming season, we will continue to follow any government/Badminton England guidance. We also ask that you do not attend our sessions if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or if you have recently tested positive.

We hope to see you on Friday 1st September. 

Harborough Feathers Committee

Club Nights

Club nights will take place at Welland Park Academy, Market Harborough, every Friday from 7.30pm and 9.30pm. Due to hall availability, on some occasions throughout the season, club night may be moved to Meadowdale School from 7.45pm to 9.45pm. We will also be using Meadowdale School for matches this season.

A full listing of club nights and venues is available here. We will also send out email updates throughout the season. 

Subscriptions

This season’s club fees are here, which have increased since last season due to a longer season (until end of June) and increases in Badminton England membership and shuttle costs.

Can you please ensure that your subscriptions are paid by the end of September, any subs received after that will not receive the £10 discount. If you’re intending to play in matches, prompt payment is appreciated so you can be registered. No one will be registered or able to play in matches until their fees are paid.

We would prefer you to pay your fees by bank transfer using the details below. Alternatively you can pay giving cheque/cash to Jim at club night. Bank details have been provided to existing members by email, but please ask Jim for details if you need these.

Matches

We intend to have Mixed Doubles, Ladies and Men’s teams registered in the Leicestershire and Northants leagues this season. Once we have the fixtures, they will be available here.

Contacts

Contacts for individual committee members are available here. You can also contact us using the club email address badminton@harborough-feathers.co.uk.

If you have not provided us with full contact details previously or your contact details have changed recently (i.e. address, email, phone) then you can send us updated details using the form here.

AGM – Mon 10th July

Another badminton season is coming to a close and the Harborough Feathers AGM will take place on Monday 10th July, 7.30pm at 11 Woodgate Close, Market Harborough, LE16 8EX. 

The AGM is a great opportunity to have your say on how the club is run (including subscription fees, team entries, venue, shuttles etc) and to get involved. We would therefore absolutely welcome your attendance and input at the AGM, even if you do not wish to take on a more active role with the club.

Having said that, we are always looking for people to get involved and offer to help on the committee. All committee positions will be up for election at the AGM, including:

  • Chair
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Mens Captain
  • Ladies Captain
  • Doubles Captain (depending on whether there is a doubles team entered)
  • Welfare Officer(s)
  • Social Secretary
  • Fixtures Secretary

Most of the committee roles are not too time consuming and you are welcome to ask myself or one of the existing committee members what the roles involve. Note also that we cannot enter teams into the league(s) without team captains. In particular, the role of chair was vacant this year and it would be good if that position could be filled by someone that is not already a committee member.

If you are interested in any of the roles on the committee or would like to add something to the agenda for discussion at the AGM, then please let me know by Friday 23rd June. Likewise, if you are unable to attend and would like something raised, then please let me know.

We hope to see as many of you as possible at the AGM and hopefully on the badminton court again next season.

Regards

John

Note – you are receiving this email as you are/were a recent member of Harborough Feathers. If you no longer wish to be contacted, please let us know and we will remove you from our contact list.

Upcoming Social Events

Marcus has organised the following social events:

Saturday 17th June – Mercado Lounge

Starting off with food at Mercado Lounge in Market Harborough at 7pm, followed by drinks in town.

Friday 7th July – Langton Beer Festival

End of season get together held at Thorpe Langton Brewery, offering good music, food and drinks. There is a small fee for tickets, but definitely worthwhile. More details to follow.

Please let Marcus know if you can attend, either at a club session, via WhatsApp or email (social@harborough-feathers.co.uk).

Christmas Social – Fri 16th Dec

The Christmas social this year will take place on Friday 16th December.

A booking has been made for a curry at Avatar Dining, Market Harborough at 7pm. Please let Marcus (social@harborough-feathers.co.uk) know if you would like to attend.

For those not coming for a curry, we can arrange to meet after at one of the many drinking establishments in town (details to follow).

Club Nights now Harborough Leisure Centre

As you may know, we have experienced some issues with the sports hall at Welland Park, which we believe for several reasons is no longer suitable for our badminton sessions. As Meadowdale only has three courts, the committee has now decided to book Harborough Leisure Centre for most of the remaining club nights for this season.

So from Friday 25th November, club nights will be at Harborough Leisure Centre (Northampton Rd, Market Harborough LE16 9HF) from 8-10pm.

Directions to the Leisure Centre can be found at https://goo.gl/maps/s5DEw1B9be7ngUBX6. You may need to let reception know that you are there for a Harborough Feathers session.

This decision was not taken lightly and we believe it provides a more suitable and safe venue for badminton for the rest of this season. As and when the new hall at Welland Parks is available, we will evaluate whether this is a suitable venue for next season.