An open day to celebrate a £660k investment in tennis courts across Salford has been organised.
The open day, on Saturday (1 July) at Parr Fold Park, will acknowledge the development of the 21 courts across the city which have received funding from Salford City Council, and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Tennis Foundation and the government.
So far, the project has seen resurfacing, line painting, new nets, lighting and secure fencing installed at the likes of Albert Park, Boothsbank Park, Buile Hill Park, Eccles Recreation Ground, Lightoaks Park, Park Parr Fold Park and Victoria Park.
Visitors to the open day can enjoy a tennis coaching session on the day from 10am to 12 noon with We Do Tennis.
From 12 noon to 2pm there will be tennis-based fun, suitable for all ages with no pre-booking required and the park’s Pavilion café will be serving Wimbledon themed refreshments all day from 9am to 5pm.
Councillor Barbara Bentham, lead member for environment and community safety, said: “This is the biggest investment in tennis in Salford in years and it’s great to see so many courts being brought back into use. Although we have contributed to the project, the council did not have enough money to do this alone so the investment from the Lawn Tennis Association is very welcome.”
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) invested £272,000 on improving court surfaces, new nets and electronic access gates across the city. Salford City Council added £272,494 for disabled access, enhanced fencing and flood lighting to courts at Parr Fold Park, much of which came from Section 106 payments made by developers.
“Salford Community Leisure and We Do Tennis will offer a free coaching programme, with equipment to encourage children, particularly those who don’t normally take part in sports, and adults to have a go or improve their game. SCL will also work closely with local schools to help children develop tennis skills in a familiar setting before introducing them to tennis in the park.”
“There will also be local tennis leagues to encourage friendly and social competitions and the new booking system makes it easier to find, book and play in a local park court. For a small booking fee players can guarantee a court being available and the money from this will be re-invested to make sure the courts are maintained to high standards.”
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “After months of hard work, we’re delighted to see park tennis courts across Salford officially back open to the public, and in better shape than ever.
“Public tennis courts are such vital facilities for getting active and we want as many people as possible, of all ages and abilities, to pick up a racket and enjoy playing tennis. Thanks to this investment the sport will be opened up to more players, for years to come.”
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