The new season is about to begin at local level and the Kent SRA is busy with a whole range of programmes.

Our new Coaching and Development Team will be into its stride very shortly with major efforts going in to promote the sport all over the county.

We are in the process of ordering new kit for all of the county teams, from the youngest juniors to the oldest vets, and various discussions over fashions and colours have taken place during the summer.

The subject of PAR11 scoring continues to be the subject of considerable debate and we look forward to various trials taking place in both the Priory and Outer Kent Leagues in a bid to find a system that works for everybody, even if that means using two separate scoring systems for different divisions.

I am building a team to create new tournaments, in addition to the very busy schedule already in place with events at Bexley, Canterbury, The Mote and Thanet.

We are planning a Kent Open and a Kent Junior Open to raise the profile of the sport in Kent, and sponsorship programmes will soon be under way, along with a search for suitable venues to house a glass court should sufficient funding be forthcoming.

As usual, any assistance (or financial support!) would be warmly appreciated.

To everyone in Kent squash, whatever your age or ability, have a great season.

Good luck to every team and I hope every match will be played in the right spirit, mixing competitiveness with that brilliant cameraderie that shines through so much of our sport.