Eastbourne

ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL EASTBOURNE
R
Alicia Barnett
and Harriet
Dart of Great
Britain visits
Stanley Park
in Coventry,
where courts
have been
renovated
or ability. At parks where booking systems
have been in place for 12 months, we have
seen a 47% increase in participation.
“We also want to create more innovative
ways for people to play and are working
with local authorities and tennis providers
to ensure that each area receiving
investment delivers a weekly free park tennis
session where equipment is provided.
“It’s our vision that Free Park Tennis
will be our sport’s equivalent to Park
Run - free community-run sessions for
players of any age or ability delivered
by local volunteers on weekends.
“This will be great for players who don’t
have a partner or want to play for the
first time or those who want to hit a ball
after some time out of the game.”
The LTA’s Local Tennis Leagues project has
fuelled the demand for park tennis facilities
and the aim of the renovation programme is
to increase annual participation in parks by
over 500,000 players in the coming years.
“We know that this 500,000 target is
ambitious, but we are confident that we
can achieve this uplift,” added Julie.
“None of this would have been
possible without the support of the UK
Government and LTA Tennis Foundation,
as well as the tireless work of the LTA’s
Parks Investment Delivery Team and
counterparts at local authorities.
“Alongside this, a public procurement
process has taken place to appoint
contractors to deliver works, ensuring that
we meet the requirements of spending
public money and achieving best value.
“Whilst there is still much to do, everyone
at the LTA is very excited about the
transformation of parks tennis that is
underway, which will help many more people
pick up a racket, get active, and enjoy all
the physical and mental
health benefits that our
sport provides.” >
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Devonshire Park, Eastbourne | 24 June - 01 July 2023
47