Tennis courts in 7 of the borough’s parks have been given a new lease of life thanks to more than £250,000 of investment from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).
Improvements have been made to 14 courts in Churchfield Recreation Ground, Elthorne Park, Ravenor Park, Southfields Recreation Ground, Spikes Bridge Park and Wolf Fields. In addition to the £253,772 funding from the LTA, Ealing Council contributed £70,000 to the improvements, in addition to the investment of £253,772 from the UK Government, supported by the LTA Tennis Foundation, which included:
- resurfacing and repainting of the courts
- new nets and posts
- upgrades and installation of the gate entry system
North Acton Playing Fields has also had a coded gate fitted to the courts to ensure that anyone who has booked to play tennis can do so.
Maintain upkeep
To maintain upkeep of the courts, a small charge of £4-6 per hour is being introduced from Monday 30 September.
This is below the London average, making it competitive in comparison to other areas across the city. The council is also working with the LTA to deliver free weekly tennis sessions, for all abilities, which will be run by volunteers. If you would like to become a Free Park Tennis volunteer, find out more on the LTA website.
A real difference
Councillor Blerina Hashani, the council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, said: “All tennis players, whether novices or pros will see a real difference when playing on the new courts – the resurfacing in particular is key to being able to play safely and confidently.
“High quality accessible sports facilities are essential for physical and mental health and we’re supporting residents across the borough to take part in more physical activities.
“By introducing the new charge, we will maintain upkeep of the courts for people to enjoy for many years to come. We have worked closely with the LTA to bring in free sessions so that more people who haven’t tried tennis before or who want to brush up their skills will join in.”
The tennis court fees will be invested back into the courts to keep them at a high standard.
All courts and sessions at all sites will be available to book online via the LTA website.
