Seven park tennis venues will have new gate access systems on courts, making it easier to book and access quality public tennis facilities.
Tower Hamlets Council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) have announced a partnership to invest in public park tennis courts across the borough.
Seven park tennis venues will receive a total of £35,000 to install new gate access systems on courts, making it easier for the local community to book and access quality public tennis facilities.
The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to many more people. This investment will see thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country through renovation works, and improved court accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems.
Park tennis courts are vital in providing opportunities for children and adults to get active, delivering significant physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits to participants. Accessible facilities in parks are particularly critical to opening up the sport to those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and women and girls.
Alongside the investment, Tower Hamlets Council and the operator of the tennis programme across the parks, Premier Tennis will also work with the LTA to deliver a range of activity across the park sites. This will include weekly organised free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided, meaning that people will not need someone to play with or their own racket. Local Tennis Leagues will also provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition.
The park venues receiving investment are: Bethnal Green Gardens, King Edward Memorial Park, Poplar Recreation Ground, Ropemakers Fields, St John’s Park, Wapping Gardens and Victoria Park, which will all be available to book online via the LTA website, making it far easier to find and book a court or activity.
Councillor Iqbal Hossain, Tower Hamlets Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation said: “Physical activities such as tennis are essential for our individual health and wellbeing and that of our communities. It is important for local people to have access to high-quality facilities to play sport, stay healthy and come together as a community. We are delighted to partner with the LTA on this investment project, and hope that people at whatever level of play, will make use of the new facilities and the free tennis sessions on offer.”
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with The London Borough of Tower Hamlets to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active. This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project, and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come. We will also be working closely with The London Borough of Tower Hamlets to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people.”
Posted on Tuesday 11th July 2023