Meet The Team
The people behind Tennis Sussex
Tennis Sussex is led by an elected Management Board made up of volunteers who bring a range of skills to the association.
The Board meet regularly through out the year. The volunteers are helped by an Office Team who look after different areas of Sussex Tennis.
Contact us at office@tennissussex.com
Meet the team
Phil Latham
Office Manager – Works Monday-Thursday
Phil manages the Tennis Sussex Office, with additional responsibility for Leagues and the County Championships. Phil is also responsible for administration in regards to Junior County Cups as well as providing admin assistance to Keith in regards to County Performance Tennis.
Phil is also Deputy Safeguarding officer for the County.
Nigel Matthews
Performance Manager – Works Mondays & Thursday’s
LTA Level 5 Master Club coach (Feb 2018)
BA (Hons.) Coach Education and Sports Development 1st class degree from Uni. of Bath
Former GB National ranking 53
Sussex Coach of the year 2015
Former Oxfordshire County Champion (U12/14/16/18/men’s)
Competed Internationally is ITF Futures and Satellite events
Head Coach of Matthews Tennis Coaching
Carly Washington
Office Coordinator – Works Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Carly is responsible for Schools and works closely with the organiser of the Sussex Schools County Championships.
She takes the lead on the annual Tennis Sussex Awards, as well taking responsibility for the Counties social media and website presence.
Carly is also responsible for all Babolat County Kit.
If you have any questions please contact her at carly.washington@tennissussex.com
Liz Bartlett
Disability Coordinator
Liz is responsible for delivering our Open Court Plan supporting people with disabilities to play tennis within Sussex. She also works for the Grace Eyre Foundation which supports adults with learning disabilities and previously worked as a Tennis Development Manager at the LTA. Liz would love to hear from individuals, players, coaches, venues, parents of schools who are interested in finding out more.
Any questions please Email Liz on disability@tennissussex.com
Tennis SUSSEX BOARD
Martin Carpenter
Chairman
I grew up in Warwickshire and spent time in Berkshire and Lincolnshire before moving down to Sussex in my mid-twenties to take up a job in Lewes. That was some 35 years ago. I joined Southdown Sports Club as my boss was a tennis nut and he introduced me to the club. Initially I lived in Brighton and moved to Lewes in 1990 and have been a member of Southdown since. For a few years I was tennis chair and, from 2011-2021, I was chair of the whole club which provides tennis, hockey, squash and netball facilities.
I have been chair of Tennis Sussex since March 2022.
I have always enjoyed the physical exercise and social enjoyment of tennis and try and play as much as can which usually means 2 or 3 times a week. I particularly enjoy doubles and am fortunate to play for the O60s county team which I thoroughly enjoy, particularly visiting and meeting players from other counties.
In my day job I am a director of Enplan, a planning, landscape and environmental consultancy with offices in Lewes and Milton Keynes. I set up the business with my co-director in 2000.
My wife, Sue, is an accomplished player and I’m pleased to say we still manage to play mixed doubles together!
David Firth
Treasurer
I am a qualified chartered accountant with 40 years experience in finance. I have been a board member of a number of public companies and I am currently a non-executive director of three public companies and chairman of one private company. I enjoy working with small and motivated teams.
I have lived in Sussex since 2000 and played tennis regularly until a few years ago.
Urszula Tompsett
Secretary
Urszula has a background in travel and tourism but is currently working in the Education Sector. She has 2 boys who play tennis – one at county level and the older one playing more at a club/recreational level. She lives in Sussex and enjoys outdoor activities, making the most of the fabulous local seaside and countryside with her family.
Steph Trill
LTA Councillor
Since the age of eight, I’ve played tennis for Sussex, captaining the Ladies o35’s team, obtaining a national title then retaining it the following year. However, since stepping off the Tennis court, I’ve become LTA councillor for Sussex since 2019, and assumed the role of the Deputy Chair of the South East Regional Forum, and currently I lead the LTA development group on Padel Tennis.
I was the National GB Quad coach with a successful stint at the Beijing Paralympics with a gold and a bronze medal, with my team winning World Team Cup. In 2009, I was named Coach of the Year at the National Wheelpower Awards.
Along with tennis, my sporting efforts have now taken me onto the Padel Court, where I am now a part of the Seniors GB squad.
I still coach tennis as well as teaching clay pigeon shooting. Outside of sport, I work as Head of Operations at an online gaming company.
Alison Cash
Responsibility for Office Staff
Alison Cash is looking after our Wimbledon tickets and also manages the Tennis Sussex staff.
Alison has a background in running training courses, software testing, and ran a small database management company for 20 years and is now retired. She has two boys who both started playing tennis as children and loved playing for Sussex. They both still play, with Jamie enjoying club tennis and Julian on the professional circuit. Alison is also a qualified referee.
Conrad Brunner
Sponsorship/Partnership Lead
I am a grass roots guy, delivering affordable and accessible tennis in Sussex. In 2017, I helped establish Queens Park Tennis Club as the first independent, self-funded parks club in Brighton & Hove, a model followed successfully by several clubs in the city. In 2020, I founded St Ann’s Tennis in central Brighton & Hove, now a flourishing community club, and winner of the Tennis Sussex 2023 Parks Venue Of The Year award. I serve on the Brighton & Hove Parks League LTA committee, and coach red ball at the Crew Club in Whitehawk. I have a background in sports TV and marketing, working with IMG, UEFA, British Rowing, the Premier League and Formula E.
Pip White
Venues and Community Engagement Lead
Pip has been a member of Ifield Tennis Club in Crawley for over 10 years and has always been an active volunteer on the committee, first as Treasurer and now Secretary. Ifield is a small grassroots club and in 2021 was in a very poor state with only a handful of members, she took the lead and worked hard for nearly 2 years rebuilding the club and was awarded National Volunteer of the Year in 2023 for her efforts.
Pip currently works for the Library Service, a position she has had for nearly 20 years and has also worked in accounts and retail. She is married with 2 adult sons and all the family love to play tennis.
Alex Beaumont
EDI Strategic Adviser
Having worked at the LTA as the lead for volunteering for 8 years, I’ve joined Tennis Sussex because of my passion for grassroots and community tennis. I strongly believe sport should be available for all, and I’m motivated to make tennis inclusive.
I head up volunteering at Mental Health Innovations which powers Shout and The Mix, and have volunteered most of my life including at the Samaritans. I’m also a trained therapeutic counsellor.
Having moved to Sussex a few years ago, I now play most of my (very amateur!) tennis at Hove Park. I regularly play in the Local Tennis Leagues, and I’m a committee member of BLAGSS (LGBTQ+ tennis group).
Tennis Sussex President & Advisors to the Board
Anne Clark
Advisor – Non-Voting Role
Anne advises the Tennis Sussex Management Board on matters related to Seniors Tennis. Anne also assists with the governance and policies that are a necessary part of any voluntary organisation. Anne has played for Hove Park, Pavilion & Avenue and West Worthing tennis clubs, representing Sussex in their junior, open and senior teams. Other tennis related roles include Captain of GB senior ladies teams (currently captain of the GB ladies 65 team); Trustee of the AELTC; Chair of the International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain and the Seniors Lawn Tennis Club of GB. Member of the Seniors Tennis GB Committee managing the Participation Grant scheme encouraging more ‘seniors’ to play tennis. Anne was the Tennis Sussex Ladies Match Secretary between the 1990’s – 2020, an LTA Councillor 2004 to 2018 and the TS Chair 2015 to 2022.
Chris Neighbour
Tennis Sussex President – Non-Voting Role