ARC Club Championships!

RETURNING 29TH JULY!

The ARC Club Championships will be returning this summer, taking place from Tuesday 29th  July and culminating in the grand final on Sunday 7th September. The Club Championships are completely free for ARC members and will include Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis, Squash and Fitness. Entries are open now for all events!

The Club Championships are an incredibly exciting centre-wide competition that showcases amazing talent. This is a great opportunity to compete against different people in a fun environment.

The Championships encompass both our Racquet Sports and Fitness, with finals for all categories taking place in a special event on Sunday 7th September. All trophies will be handed out at our annual ARC Awards Evening on Saturday 15th November.

The Club Championships are completely free and open to ARC members - if you’re not currently a member, don’t worry! You can join ARC on a month-by-month basis for the Championships and still compete!

 RACQUET SPORT

Full details for each sport including a schedule and how to sign up are listed by category below. 

The Racquet Sports Club Championships are free and open to anyone with the following ARC memberships: Tennis Racquet, Table Tennis, Badminton, Squash, Unlimited Racquet, Premium Racquet & Gym. Not a member? Sign up here! 

Please note: All the events for Tennis, Table Tennis, Squash and Badminton are played over one day/evening. All adult finals will take place on Sunday 7th September so you need to be available on this date in order to play. Formats will be either Round Robin or Compass Draw in order for everyone to have lots of activity in their chosen sport.  

If you have any questions, contact Marian Vinall at competitions@atlanticracquetcentre.co.uk

TENNIS

In Tennis there are Singles, Doubles, Over 50s, Open, U8, U9, U10 and U18 events. All entries for Tennis must be made online via the LTA and entries close on Tuesday 22nd July.

In the doubles events, partners will be drawn before the event.   You do not need a partner to enter. Just put Partner wanted

Tuesday 29th July U18 Boys & Girls Singles, 2.30 U8 (Red Singles)

Sun 3rd August, 10am: Open Mixed Doubles

Weds 6th August, 6pm: Men’s Open SinglesS

Thurs 7th August, 6pm: Ladies Open Singles  

Weds 13th August, 6pm: Men’s Vets’Singles

Thurs14th August, 6pm: Ladies Vets’ Singles

Sun 17th August 10am Mixed Vets Doubles

Weds  20th August, 6pm: Open  Mens Doubles

Thurs 21st August, 6pm: Open Ladies Doubles

Weds 27th August 6pm Mens Vets Doubles 

Thurs 28th August 6pm Ladies Vets Doubles

Sat 6th Sept 12.00 U9 Singles 2.30 U10 Singles

 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE TENNIS EVENTS.

BADMINTON

All entries to all Badminton events must be booked via Team Up. All events start at 7pm. For the Open Doubles, you may choose your own partner. All other partners are drawn

 

Tues 5th August, 7pm: Mystery Mixed | ENTER HERE

Friday 8th August, 7pm: Open Singles | ENTER HERE

Tues 12th August, 7pm: Mixed Doubles | ENTER HERE

Friday 15th August, 7pm: Ladies Doubles | ENTER HERE

Saturday 16th August 10am U18 Singles | ENTER HERE

Tues 19th August, 7pm: Open  Doubles | ENTER HERE

TABLE TENNIS

 

The Table Tennis events will have Genderless Singles and Doubles plus an Under 18 event. All events will be held on Saturday 23rd August   between 1 and 4pm

1pm: Genderless Singles | ENTER HERE

2pm: Genderless U18 Singles | ENTER HERE

3pm: Genderless Doubles | ENTER HERE

 

SQUASH

 

Squash events will have a Men’s and Ladies Singles event plus an U18 event. Entry for all events must be made via TeamUp.

 

Sat 6th Sept, 2pm: U18 Singles | ENTER HERE

Sat 6th Sept 2.30-3.30pm Ladies Singles | ENTER HERE

Sat 6th Sept: 3.30-5.00pm Mens Singles | ENTER HERE

 

GYM & FITNESS

 

The Gym & Fitness Club Championships are completely FREE and open to all ARC Fitness members!

 

This year, we will be running a series of ARC Fitness Club Championship Qualifiers throughout July and August, with finals day taking place on the 7th of September.

 

These will predominantly take place during our Super Saturday slot, however we will have various sessions dotted about, so look out for “ARC Fitness Club Championship Qualifiers” on TeamUp!

 

Sunday the 7th September - 3 Workouts: Designed to challenge your strength, stamina, and movement skills (more details to be released soon). Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just starting out, this event is for everyone! 

 

Categories will Include:

 

Mens 

Womens

Teens

Doubles 

50+ 

 Sign up to any ARC Fitness Club Championship Qualifier across the coming months

If you have any questions, contact Matt Pepper at mattpepper@atlanticracquetcentre.co.uk

Special Highlights: 

 

The Fitness Club Championships will run alongside the finals for Tennis, Badminton, Table Tennis, and Squash. 

A day of sports, camaraderie, and celebration of all our fantastic members here at ARC. 

How to Join: 

The event is FREE and open to all ARC Fitness members. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

ARC Summer Open Writeup

ARC Summer Open

The ARC Summer Open for Adults and Juniors continued this year in its usual week. The weather was rather disappointing after weeks of sunshine. We lost one day totally to rain and gale force winds. Thank you to all our competitors who were so understanding when we had to re-schedule, shorten formats and remove consolation draws! There were 31 different events, 9 days of competition,  212 entrants, 381 matches played and competitors aged from 5 to over 80! The week began with Mens and Ladies Vets doubles which was fiercely fought by both sexes! Thursday saw 66 children U8, U9 & U10 on site for all the singles events, and  we were able to have separate boys and girls events in all 3 age groups, these could not have happened without the help of our great team of Junior volunteers who were on court scoring:   Jayden, Oscar, Ryan, Daisy, Nathan, Will and Ryan. Thanks also must go to Brayan’s Dad Douglas Neagle who also ran an event for us

The highlight of the week had to be the Red Doubles; 6 competitors, sponge balls, a mini red court and lots of prizes to play for. (see results below)

Events for older juniors were well supported and the compass draws meant that everyone found their own level in the end. It was great to attract enough girls to hold both singles and doubles events in some age groups this year. Children travelled from as far away as Manchester, Suffolk and Kent to compete here. 31 children from ARC entered!

ARC players who claimed trophies:

U8 Doubles Winners Brayan & Cara-Rae,  RU Harry and Rupert

U9 Doubles Winners Lydia Smale & Dylan Crighton

12 & U Boys Singles Iseo Gould

U14 Boys Singles Winner Nathan Fox

U14 Boys Doubles RU Rufus Underwood & Oscar Lovelock

U16 Boys Singles Winner Jayden Lovelock

U18 Boys Doubles Winner Jayden Lovelock

U18 Girls Doubles Winner Daisy Parsons

Winsome Trophy for Most Improved and successful ARC Junior in this tournament Jayden Lovelock who won 3 titles and was Runner Up in the Mens Singles

The adult tournament did not disappoint with its late night doubles of a very high standard, spectators wrapped in blankets and the cakes and drinks going down well. Again competition was fierce, both from the home club and visitors from away. The Men’s Singles Title this year went to ARC member Emerson Styles for the 5th time, who fought off 14 year old ARC member Jayden Lovelock, playing in his first Open Final at ARC. The young pretenders in the form of Jayden & Freddie took the Mens Doubles trophy away, despite the more experienced players giving them a run for their money. The last final of the tournament ended up in a Match Tiebreak with Ilfracombe pair Ali and Andrew Swinton taking the Mixed Vets’ Title again for the second year running..  

ARC players who won trophies:

Mens’ Singles  Winner Emerson Styles  R U Jayden Lovelock

Ladies Singles RU Katie Rowe

Mens Doubles Winners Jayden & Freddie, RU Charlie Sullivan & Dave Thresher

Ladies Doubles Winner Teresa Poole RU Helen O’Toole & Katie Rowe

Mixed Doubles Vets’ RU Denise & Andrew Koval

Ladies Vets’ Winner  Cath Andrews & Jinny Stapley, RU Helen O’Toole

Mens Vets’ Winners Andy Koval & Damon Reed, RU Martyn Beer & Kevin Hooper

Mixed Doubles  Katie Rowe & Alistair Prades, RU Cath Andrews & Damon Reed

If you missed out on all the fun this time, make sure you enter the next weeklong tournament which is the ARC Winter Open October 25th to November 2nd – save the date now!

Remember all events are either Compass Draw or Round Robin so you get to play 3 or 4 matches and only need to commit one  day or 2 evenings!

Also coming soon for ARC members The ARC Club Championships for all our sports.

Details available soon!

Free Open Day - Sat 12th July 2025

Our Next Open Day - SAT 12TH JULY 2025!

Join us at Atlantic Racquet Centre on Saturday 12th July for our FREE FAMILY OPEN DAY! No booking required, simply come along and enjoy guaranteed fun whatever the weather!

We’ll be running free taster sessions for all ages across our facilities including fitness classes, tennis, badminton, pickleball, squash, and table tennis. If you don’t want to join in with an organised session don’t worry, the facilities will also be open of free family usage, including free use of our gym for those over 16. There’ll be so much to do with something for everyone, with a BBQ and drinks on offer all afternoon.

All racquet courts will be open for you to play with your friends & family, with all equipment provided free of charge.

If you’ve never been to ARC before, this is the perfect opportunity to see what we’ve got on offer. As a thank you for joining us on the day, we’re giving away ONE FREE MONTH OF MEMBERSHIP to those who sign up on the day. This incredible offer will be available for new members only and on this day only so make sure you come along to benefit from it.

Timetable of Activities

Below you’ll find the timings for all of the fun activities that we’ve got going on during ARC Open Day. Don’t forget to sign up to our Monthly newsletter to get the latest news and exclusive ARC offers sent direct to your mailbox. Sign up here.




Member Appreciation Day 2025

🎉 Member Appreciation Day 2025 – You're Invited!

At ARC, our members are at the heart of everything we do—and we want to say a huge thank you for your continued support. That’s why we’re thrilled to invite all ARC members to our Member Appreciation Day 2025, taking place on Friday 11th July from 6pm to 10pm.

This special evening is all about celebrating our amazing community with a relaxed, fun-filled event packed with activities, food, and exclusive perks just for you.

What’s Happening on the Day?

🌭 Free BBQ & Drink
All members will receive a complimentary BBQ meal and drink as a token of our appreciation. Bring your appetite and enjoy some delicious food on us!

🏋️ Free Workshops & Classes
Try something new or join your favourite session—our team will be running a variety of free workshops and classes throughout the evening. The evening will include activities for children too.

🎾 Full Facility Access – On Us!
Regardless of your membership type, you’ll have free access to all ARC facilities during the event. Whether you’re usually a gym-goer, a racquet sports enthusiast, or just curious to explore, this is your chance to enjoy everything we offer.

🏓 Open Club Play Sessions
From 7pm to 10pm, our usual club play sessions will be taking place but will be free and open to all members regardless of membership type. All capacity limits will also be removed for the evening. Come along and play tennis, squash, badminton, pickleball, or table tennis with fellow members in a friendly, social setting.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Friendly
We’re also welcoming members’ families to join in the fun! While family members are welcome to enjoy the facilities and atmosphere, please note that BBQ food for non-members will be available for purchase.

This is our way of saying thank you for being part of the ARC family. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

LGBTQ+ MAKE A RACKET FEST IS BACK!

LGBTQ+ MAKE A RACKET FEST IS BACK! - JUNE 2025

May 30th 2025

ARC will once again be hosting our LGBTQ+ Make A Racket Festival to welcome LGBTQ+ people and allies from across Devon to join us for a fabulous afternoon of sports activities. This is a perfect opportunity for people to come together in a fun, safe, supportive and welcoming environment, and to experience and enjoy racquet sports in a friendly atmosphere amongst likeminded people.

Our Make A Racket Festival will take place on Sunday 15th June from 1pm-4pm, and is open to all - no previous racquet sports experience is required! There will be something on offer for everyone including the opportunity to try tennis, badminton, table tennis, pickleball and squash with pumping music and prizes throughout the afternoon. The event is always super friendly and inclusive with all equipment provided free of charge.

Tickets are only £5.00 per person and can be booked now by clicking here.

Walk-ins are welcome on the day, but places are limited so we reccomend booking in advance.



ARC Tennis Summer Open 2025

The annual ARC Tennis Summer Open returns this May, taking place from Saturday 24th May to Sunday 1st June! ARC’s biggest event of the year is open to everyone with events for all ages, from under 8s to vets. All events will be held on set days following the schedule below. You do not have to be available all week, but if your event runs over 2 days, you must be available on both of those days.

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'Play Your Way To Wimbledon' returns to ARC!

ARC will be running the fantastic 'Play Your Way To Wimbledon' Boys & Girls events again this year - an unmissable opportunity for ARC's younger members to play at Wimbledon! We'll be running two events: 14&U Boys & Girls Singles and 18&U Boys Doubles. Entry is open to ARC members only and is FREE as part of membership. Entry must be made via TeamUp and entries close 2 days before each event.

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ARC Spring 2025 Squash Championships

Don't miss out on our first ever ARC Spring Squash Championship Tournament taking place on 12th & 13th April 2025! We will be running U18, Ladies & Men's events - all abilities and ages welcome. All matches will take place on the Squash courts at ARC. All qualifying rounds will be played on Saturday 12th April, with Finals played on Sunday 13th April.

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Badminton Coaching: Reduced Prices + Drop-ins Now on Offer!

Over the past few months we’ve seen great interest in the variety of Badminton adult coaching sessions we have on offer, which have been increasing in popularity alongside our Junior Badminton programme. Starting in March, we’re now offering Drop-ins for our Adult Improver & Adult Intermediate/Advanced coaching sessions, meaning you can book for individual sessions whenever you want - no ties, no long commitment!

For the next three months, we’re also delighted to offer reduced prices for direct-debit coaching for both members and non-members - full details of cost savings can be found below.

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Read an ARC Member's Diary!

Throughout the first week of February 2025 we tried something new & exciting on our social media feeds. Each day of the week we published an ‘ARC Diary’ written by member Cindy Reynolds, sharing her experiences of some of the many sessions we offer, covering both our racquet sports & gym.

The idea was to give both members & non-members an insight into a few of the activities you can participate in as an ARC member, as well as what the sessions are like and what you can get out of them.

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UK Racketlon Devon Open Coming to ARC in March!

ARC will be hosting the UK Racketlon Devon Open on Sunday 16th March! 4 Rackets! 1 Sport! Racketlon is a fun, unique & exciting multi-racket sport where you play your opponent at Table Tennis, Badminton, Squash & Tennis - you play each sport in a set up to 21 points; the Match Winner is the player with the most points overall!

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In 2025, Make It More Than A Resolution!

To help you kick start your year and make sure you keep on track with your health & wellbeing goals, ARC has introduced a range of exciting special offers & discounts to help you ‘Make it more than a resolution’ in 2025. Our offers cover our racket sports as well as gym & fitness, with opportunities to get great discounts on coaching as well as court bookings!

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Join ARC's gym this January & get one month FREE!

This January, ARC Fitness are bringing you a fantastic new offer so that you can MAKE IT MORE THAN A RESOLUTION in 2025! Kick start your new year by joining ARC Fitness in Bideford, with memberships starting from only £20, and we’ll give you the whole month of May FREE!

Join our friendly, welcoming & accessible gym community, with state-of-the-art equipment, expert coaches, and classes for all ages & abilities in our purpose-built space at Atlantic Racquet Centre.

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ARC Fitness Offer Free Spinning Classes

ARC Fitness is running FREE 30min Spinning Taster Classes throughout the next week! You asked for it - we've done it! In our 2024 Customer Survey a large number of you requested that we introduce spinning classes to our ARC Fitness class programme. So come and try out our new bikes in these exciting, high energy classes led by ARC Fitness Coaches Catherine and Leanne! 

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Cèilidh Dancing Fundraiser Event - 18th Jan!

Don't miss our special fundraising evening coming up in January 2025... CÈILIDH DANCING WITH THE OGGLE BAND! On Saturday 18th January brilliant local legends the Oggle Band will be leading a fun and exciting evening of organised cèilidh in the ARC social space. This event is open to both members and non-members and promises to be one of our biggest and most enjoyable events of 2025 (already!).

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Customer Survey 2024 Feedback & Analysis

In February & March this year we undertook a major customer survey that aimed to gain valuable insight into how our users rate their experience of ARC and the many activities we offer. The survey covered membership, the ARC customer experience, all our racquet sports including club play, coaching & competitions, as well as our gym, fitness classes, and much more! In total 227 ARC members participated in the survey and we have published a full Customer Survey Feedback & Analysis document that shows the findings.

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