A FREE family fun day at Abbey Park will give people the chance to try tennis at some of the city’s newly refurbished tennis courts.
On Saturday 20 July, from 11am-1pm, all are welcome to come and have a go at tennis, with free equipment provided and coaches on hand to offer playing tips and advice.
The event is an official launch for the city’s new tennis facilities, and a chance for people to meet the team from We Do Tennis, the not-for-profit community company that has partnered with Leicester City Council to provide tennis coaching and free weekly tennis sessions for people of all ages.
Tennis courts in Leicester have recently benefitted from a £420,000 transformation. In total, 28 park-based tennis courts have been renovated ready for summer, spread across Evington Park, Humberstone Park, Monks Rest Gardens, Knighton Park, Aylestone Hall Gardens, Abbey Park and Rushey Fields. Improvements that have been made include new asphalt surfacing, repainting, replacement nets and new entrance gates.
Leicester’s renovation programme has been carried out in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), with funding from the LTA Tennis Foundation and Leicester City Council.
Assistant city mayor for sports, leisure and culture, Cllr Vi Dempster, said: “This fun day will be a fantastic chance for people to come and try out our newly refurbished tennis courts as we officially launch our partnership with We Do Tennis.
“Tennis is a really enjoyable sport and a great activity for families to try out together. This partnership and investment demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality tennis facilities for Leicester people, with free sessions available to encourage more people to enjoy tennis and the health benefits it can bring.”
Under the new arrangements, We Do Tennis will also run a booking system for the courts. They will be bookable at a cost of £42 a year for a family of six, or on a pay and play basis of £6 per session. This follows a successful pilot at Victoria Park which has seen 382 household memberships sold and over 2,000 casual court bookings made.
The new booking system is being implemented gradually across the seven sites, with the introduction of online booking available through the LTA website. Income from the booking system will go back into the upkeep of the courts.
We Do Tennis and the city council will work together to provide free park tennis sessions, offering an hour of free tennis each week at each of the seven sites, with equipment provided. Free sessions will typically be offered on a Saturday or Sunday at 10am.
The same concessions currently on offer in city council leisure centres will apply, meaning that city residents with disabilities, or who are on means-tested benefits, will not be charged to book.
The renovation programme is part of the biggest-ever investment in park tennis facilities across Britain, with £30million being spent to transform and update more than 2,000 courts. The project is being delivered by the LTA to encourage more participation in the sport and provide vital opportunities for children and adults to get active.
While you can just turn up for the fun day, booking will help give We Do Tennis an idea of numbers and ensure you get a chance to try out the courts! Book online at https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/AbbeyPark2/Events/
Find out more about memberships and court booking at https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/LeicesterParksTennis
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