August 15, 2019

It was a night to remember for Chatteris Tennis Club junior - Liam Garcia - as he became the youngest member in the Club’s 110 year history to debut as men’s league team player. Aged 12, Liam was invited by the Club’s Men’s C team captain Matt Sizer to play in their away match against St Neots Men’s C team in the HPT League.

It’s proving to be quite an exceptional year for Liam, who earlier this year won both the Club’s Junior Tournament and the Venue Stage of the Road to Wimbledon Tournament for 11-14 year old boys. The latter he won for the 2nd year in a row, qualifying him to compete in the County Championships Stage against boys 2 years his senior.

Liam has now been invited to take part in both the Club’s Rickwood Cup Mixed Doubles Tournament later this month and in the Men’s Doubles Tournament in September.

It was a busy night for Chatteris team players as both the Club’s Men’s A and C teams competed away on adjacent courts against teams from St Neots. At home the Ladies A Team too hosted a match v Wisbech. Whilst disappointingly all 3 teams suffered defeats on the night, both the Ladies A and Men’s A teams have already consolidated their places in the divisions to which they both gained promotion last year. Also, this Summer the Ladies B Team, reintroduced after an absence of several years and the Men’s C team have provided the valuable opportunity for Club members to develop their talents for league tennis. Liam becoming the 6th member this year to debut for the Club.

A Club spokesperson told us; “We’re now building a great squad for the forthcoming Cambs Winter League when for the first time we’re entering both a second Ladies Team and a fourth Men’s Team. This takes our league team entries in 2019 to a Club record entry of 17 teams in the 3 leagues we compete in.”

The award winning Chatteris club offers a lot more than just league tennis to members of the community. All year round it provides the opportunity for members of all ages and abilities to enjoy the sport of tennis. Including, coaching programmes for Junior’s aged 5+ and adult beginners, regular well attended Club sessions on Mondays and Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings, social tennis for the active retired and an extensive and varied programme throughout the year of both tennis and non tennis competitions and social events.

July 21, 2019

Rosie Fox, a junior in coaching in recent years at Chatteris Tennis Club, became the pride of her family, especially her mum Katy, when she was announced as winner of the coveted Julie Wing Junior Coaching Award for 2019 at the Club’s Annual Junior Coaching Tournament on Sunday.

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For in doing so she has emulated her mum, Katy, who started to play tennis at a similar age and also won her club’s Junior Tennis Award.

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However, shortly after Katy won her award several years ago, her tennis days were tragically cut short by an accident which has confined her to a wheelchair ever since.

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So it was no surprise when Rosie’s mum Katy and Dad Andy and Godparents too, who regularly attend her coaching sessions as spectators, expressed, their delight that the family’s love of tennis will now be carried forward by Rosie.

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When presenting Rosie with her award, Dave Wing, who now run’s Junior Club Nights at the Club, described Rosie as an outstanding role model for young ladies seeking to take their first steps towards a lifetimes pleasure from tennis.

In a unique departure from the norm this year, two winners were granted the award, now in its 5th year as those responsible for selecting the winner felt unable to decide between 2 candidates, deemed equally deserving in different ways, to be recipients of the award in 2019.

So Francis Antonio (15) was also presented with the award too. In presenting Francis with his award, Dave highlighted how Francis, who has also attended coaching for several years, has demonstrated an exceptional  rise in his playing talents in recent months.  Benefitting from regularly attending Junior Club Nights, introduced last year, Francis has now been invited to play on all Club nights with the adult members too. Invited also to compete in the Club’s flagship Priddey Cup Mixed Doubles Tournament for the first time 3 weeks ago, Francis achieved runner up status! This week he is due to play his first league match for the Club’s Men’s C Team in the HPT League.

Both Rosie and Francis will now receive, as part of the award, 4 one to one, one hour coaching sessions with the Club’s coach Lisa Kennedy.

The Junior Coaching Tournament, which was held in glorious sunshine featured 30 young players aged 5+. Their families, friends and club members swelled to the attendance to a record 80+ for this important event in the Club’s calendar. The spectators witnessed great competitive spirit by all who participated, with many of the participants receiving special awards for their performance on the day and in coaching over the past 12 weeks.

Winners of the individual tournaments for each category of juniors were: Krillen Millwood, Louise Gardner, Samuel Clews, Archie Ronald and Liam Garcia. Tony Brown won the Adults in Coaching Tournament, which preceded the Junior Event.

On the Saturday, the day before the Tournament, the Club also provided an event for the whole community by hosting in association with British Tennis  a “ Come & Try Tennis for Free” afternoon sponsored by Nature Valley.

Members of the Club were on hand to welcome people of all ages to gain an insight into the pleasure that playing tennis can provide.

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All afternoon the courts were packed with over 80 people attending. Many expressed great interest in both the Club’s provision of coaching for children aged 5+ and coaching for adults wishing to learn to play. Coaching sessions resume on 8th Sept after a break for the school holidays.

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A significant number of families attending also expressed the desire not to wait that long to gain pleasure from having fun playing tennis together and signed up for the Special Summer Holiday Family Membership, which the Club has introduced this year.

The Club was delighted by how many people attended this weekends activities, being grateful too for the local sponsorship extended by Jacks, Chatteris which contributed to the outstanding success of these 2 major events in the Clubs Calendar.

July 09, 2019

On day 2 of Wimbledon, the Club was overjoyed by the news that Simon Grainger, the Club’s Chairman, Treasurer and Men’s A Team Captain had won the LTA National Lifetime Achievement Award for Tennis. The Award was presented to Simon by Leon Smith, GB Davis Cup Captain at Wimbledon in the presence of the tennis world where Simon later met the Duchess of Cambridge, who is both a keen tennis player and follower of the sport.

July 08, 2019

Chatteris Ladies A team were in fine form Friday evening, when they won 6-2 against City of Peterborough.

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Emma Norman, Lorraine Godfrey, Georgia Harrison and Hayley Sizer played strong all evening, and enjoyed a good win in the evening sunshine.

July 07, 2019

In the days leading up to Wimbledon and throughout the fortnight, activities at Chatteris Tennis Club have been demonstrating how tennis is a sport to be enjoyed by everyone of all ages and abilities.

In Glorious sunshine the Club staged it’s flagship Priddey Cup Tournament. In this mixed doubles event, 22 men, ladies and advanced juniors competed, cheered on by a crowd of 40 + members, juniors and their families.

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The men’s trophy was won by Steve Tuffin, who only took up the sport last year through the Club’s Adult Coaching programme, whose also established his position in the Club’s League teams. The Lady’s/Junior Trophy was retained by 2018 winner Miriam Penegar. Runners up were John Freeman, Men’s “ Captain and Francis Antonio, a junior invited to compete for the first time.

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After the final all attending were able to enjoy both a wonderful BBQ and for 2 hours on a beautiful evening all 4 courts were full as Mums & Dads had fun playing with children as young as 3.

In League Tennis the Club’s Cambs League Men’s 2 ended their season with a &-1 win v at Cocks & Hens Cambridge & a hard fought 4-4 draw v league leaders Orwell. The Chatteris team await the results of outstanding fixtures to confirm their promotion as league winners or runners up.

The Club’s participation in the HPT Summer League opened with a highly contested match between the Club’s B & C Team won by the B Team 6-2. The teams were joined by a host of spectators for a post match BBQ.

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In response to the growing number of lady members, the Club re-entered a Lady’s B team to league tennis after an absence of several years. Facing Stamford in their opening match, one of the strongest teams they’ll face, a tight match ended with a 3-5 defeat.

On day 2 of Wimbledon the Club was overjoyed by the news that Simon Grainger, the Club’s Chairman, Treasurer and Men’s A Team Captain had won the LTA National Lifetime Achievement Award for Tennis. The Award was presented to Simon by Leon Smith, GB Davis Cup Captain at Wimbledon in the presence of the tennis world where Simon later met the Duchess of Cambridge, who is both a keen tennis player and follower of the sport.

In his absence the Men’s A team commenced their HPT League season with an outstanding 7-1 win v Ketton in his honour.

The Club’s courts are currently a hive of activity, with full use made of them all at the Mon and Wed Club nights and Sunday morning sessions. A group of 12 players, average age 63, play social tennis every Thursday afternoon. After school and weekends parents and juniors, aged from 5+take to the courts for family fun together, as do other members in competitive singles games.

At the Club from Mar-Oct, 40 juniors from age 5 and adults including many parents are taking the opportunity to learn to play and enjoy tennis through its Junior and Adult Coaching Programmes.

Inspired by the commencement of Wimbledon, John Devine of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire called in at the Club and broadcast live as members provided him with the chance he was seeking to try his hand at tennis.

If you too have been inspired by Wimbledon, then Chatteris invites you to come along and try tennis for free. On Sat 20th July the Club is staging a British Tennis Open Afternoon from 2-5pm sponsored by Nature Valley.

You’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome & the opportunity to try out the sport. No need for a racket or balls, just make it a date and get your trainers ready!

June 16, 2019

All 4 Chatteris Tennis teams competing in league matches over the weekend recorded great results, with both the Men’s 3 team competing away at Cambridge Tennis Academy and the Men’s 2 team at home to David Lloyd 5 (Cambridge) securing wins of 6-2 and 5-3 respectively.

Friday night witnessed a milestone for the Club when for the first time the Ladies 1 team and Mixed 1 team were able to play in side by side home matches. The recent addition of an additional 2 hard courts having made this possible.

The Ladies 1 team playing Gransden Ladies 2 recorded a commendable 4-4 draw, whilst the Mixed A team playing Longthorpe C achieved the result of the weekend with a comprehensive 7-1 win to maintain their league topping position.

All 6 Chatteris teams, including the Men’s 1 and 4 teams, whose matches had to be postponed earlier in the week due to the weather, are looking forward to the remaining 2 weeks of the Cambs Summer League season, followed by 5 teams competing in the Hunts and Peterborough Summer League then after a short break, 6 teams are entered in the Cambs Winter League.

The Club in 2019 is aiming to emulate and surpass it’s record breaking year in 2018 when 5 teams all achieved promotion, including a clean sweep of promotions by the Men’s 1 team in all 3 leagues.

2019 is also to be a record breaking year for the Club with this entry of teams in 17 divisions. This has been achieved as a result over the last 3 years during which membership of the club and its’s hard court facilities doubled and floodlights installed.

The Club not only offers the opportunity for people from Chatteris and surrounding towns and villages to compete in a high standard of league tennis, but also welcomes members of all ages and abilities to enjoy the sport. On offer are regular Club Nights, Ladies only sessions, Social Tennis for senior members and an all year round programme of tournaments and social events. Coaching programmes are available for Juniors age 5+ and adults wishing to take up the sport.

On Sat 20th July 2019 from 2pm the Club is offering the 2nd opportunity this year to “ Come & Try Tennis for Free” as they take part in the Nature Valley Tennis Open Weekend event.

June 16, 2019

The exceptional contribution to tennis of Simon Grainger, Chairman and Treasurer of Chatteris Tennis Club has now been acknowledged with the outstanding achievement of the Lawn Tennis Association Central and East Region Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award was presented to Simon by Cathie Sabin, Ex President of the LTA and Iain Bates, Head of GB Ladies Tennis at the Nature Valley Open at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, in the presence of tennis fans including several from Chatteris, attending this International Tennis Tournament.

Simon joined the tennis club as a young boy where his talents were swiftly recognised. Over nearly 40 years he has played tennis for the club’s Men’s A and Mixed A teams, for the majority of that this time also serving as Men’s A Captain. In addition he has won numerous, singles, doubles and mixed titles and now also plays in the Cambs Veterans League.

The award recognises much more than just Simon’s tennis playing talents. As Club Treasurer for over 20 years and in more recent years also as Club Chairman, his inspirational leadership has ensured the Club has consistently developed facilities to attract people of all ages and abilities to play tennis and provide benefit to the community it serves. Under Simon’s leadership, progressively through considerable fund raising, including contributions from both Sport England and the LTA, the club has been able to build 2 hard courts , a new club house, provide floodlighting for all year round play and in 2018 provide a further 2 hard courts. 

This has resulted in increased membership, greater participation by the club in local leagues, enhanced provision of coaching for both juniors and adults and the development of a club which provides a broad programme of social events and tournaments. The Club now attracts membership from Chatteris, surrounding towns and villages as the club of their choice.

Simon continues to passionately engage in every aspect of the Club. He assists with junior coaching, inspiring young players to develop their talents and enjoyment of the sport. He represents the Club at both Cambs League and Hunts and Peterborough League meetings. Even devoting time too, to the regular maintenance of facilities of the entirely voluntary managed and self-financing Club.

Simon was selected for the Regional Award having won the Lifetime Achievement Award for Cambs. He has now been invited by the LTA as a candidate for the National Award due to be presented at Wimbledon next month.

May 20, 2019

Chatteris Tennis Club's Mens 1 Team were in fine form last night, playing at home against Ely Mens' 1 team in the Cambs League.

The Chatteris pairings were dominant throughout the match, completing with a 7-1 win at the end of the evening's play.  Andrew Fox and Simon Grainger won all 4 sets for Chatteris, with Jonni Henson and Lee Enstone dropping just 1 set, winning 3.

This was the second outing for Chatteris Men's 1 this season, the first match completing in a 4-4 draw at Royston. 

May 18, 2019

Chatteris Tennis Juniors Liam Garcia and Ollie Appleby repeated their success of 2018 at the 2019 Venue Stage of the British Tennis “Road to Wimbledon” tournament for boys 14 and under.

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Held at Chatteris Tennis Club on Sunday 19th May 2019, Liam once again succeeded in winning the tournament. His Club rival competed strongly to once again take the Runners Up spot.

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Ollie Tuffin, also a Chatteris Junior, entering the tournament for the first time came third, with play which the Coach Lisa Kennedy, who conducted the event, described as “the finest tennis she’d seen Ollie play”.

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Liam and Ollie Appleby now progress to the County Stage which takes place in Cambridge on 13th July 2019. They will be facing tough competition, competing against boys up to 2 years older than themselves, with the aim of reaching the finals which are held at Wimbledon, attended by former British tennis number 1, Tim Henman.

April 25, 2019

The opening match for Chatteris Tennis Club in the Cambs Summer League proved to be an epic encounter setting the tone for league matchplay by the Club in 2019.

Drawn to play the Club’s newly formed Men’s 4 team, the Club’s Men’s 3 team were pitted to compete in a match anticipated to be completed in daylight hours.  However, the match lasted over 3 hours and had to be concluded under floodlights, during which the Men’s 3 team fought back from breaks down in 4 out of 8 sets played to eventually secure an 8-0 victory. (51-33)

In what has already begun as another record breaking year for the Club, growth in membership has led for the first time in it’s 100+ year history, to the entry of a 4th Men’s team and the re-entry of a 2nd ladies team after an absence of several years. In all, a total Club Record 18 teams, Mens, Ladies and Mixed, have been entered to compete in the 2 Summer Leagues and Winter League that the club participates in.

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Six of the teams are competing in higher divisions this year, having secured promotion last year including the Club’s outstanding Men’s 1 team which won promotion in all 3 leagues it competes in.

Success for the Club in the 2019 season began with the announcement that Simon Grainger, the Club’s Chairman, Treasurer and Men’s 1 Captain, an active member for over 40 years, has won the Cambs League Lifetime Achievement Award.

Previously voted Cambs Tennis Club of the Year, this Award Winning Club welcomes new members of all ages & abilities. Coaching programmes commence this week for juniors aged 5 plus and for adults wishing to take up the sport and for those returning after an absence of years.

Already this year attendances on Club Nights, Ladies Night, Junior Club Night, Social Tennis afternoons, (for Seniors and shift workers), and by members playing independently as families or as other groups, have frequently exceeded those in previous years.

With the addition of 2 new hardcourts last year, the Club now provides 4 hardcourts, (2 with floodlights for all year round use),  for hours of fun, competition and healthy exercise in a very social and friendly environment.

In 2019 the Club has scheduled a programme of 20 tennis related and other social activities, several of which are open to non members. These include two “Come Along & Try Tennis for Free” Open Days on Sat 18th May & Sat 20th July, in which anyone from the community of any age and ability is invited. It’s never too old to play tennis - several members at the Club are in their 70’s!

April 05, 2019

Chatteris Tennis Club is celebrating their very own Chairman and Treasurer, Simon Grainger, being given the highly prestigious Lawn Tennis Associations Lifetime Achievement Award for Cambridgeshire. The Award was recently announced at the Cambridgeshire Lawn Tennis Association’s AGM, held at Emmanuel College in Cambridge.

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Simon joined Chatteris Tennis Club as a young boy and his love of the game has never wavered. Over the years he has won a good number of club singles and doubles titles, as well as the club’s mixed doubles title and now also plays in the Cambs Veterans’ League.

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This Award however was given in recognition of more than just Simon’s tennis talents.  He is an inspirational Club Chairman and Treasurer, passionate to ensure that the Club is part of the local community, engaging as many people as possible to play the sport of tennis. Ever keen to encourage young players, Simon assists with the Junior coaching programmes and various open days held at the Club, offering guidance, support and advice to the young players starting out on their tennis journey.

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Last year Simon was instrumental in achieving considerable funding from the LTA enabling the Club to install two additional hard courts.  This has resulted in increased membership, with players of all ages and abilities from Chatteris and the surrounding towns and villages, choosing Chatteris Tennis Club as their club of choice.

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Shona Kent, Club Secretary said, “We are all delighted that Simon has received this prestigious award.  His dedication and enthusiasm over many years for our Club is amazing. He inspires all of us with his passion for the game and is a driving force within our committee to ensure that we continue to offer a friendly, inclusive tennis club for our community”.

April 04, 2019

Chatteris Tennis Club were recently delighted to be awarded with a £250 grant from Wayne Moore, Store Manager of their local Jack’s Superstore.  The money has been used to purchase some new tennis rackets for the Club’s ever expanding group of Junior tennis players.

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Supporting the local community is important to Jack’s, which is why they created their Jack’s Supports scheme which donates proceeds from the sale of carrier bags to local good causes chosen by their customers. Once all of the applications are submitted they are reviewed by Jack’s store managers, who then create a shortlist of four good causes. Each of the four shortlisted good causes received a donation of £250.

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Chatteris Tennis Club are now one of the four good causes open to in store voting for three months with the winner will receiving a guaranteed additional minimum sum of £500.

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Simon Grainger, Chairman of Chatteris Tennis Club said, “To be awarded this money from Jack’s and now be one of the four good causes in store for voting, has been great promotion for our Club.  We have excellent facilities with four hard tennis courts, regular coaching programmes for adults and children, and a vibrant social and competitive tennis scene at the Club. The grant from Jack’s has enabled us to purchase new rackets for our Junior’s and assist us to continue to provide an exceptional tennis facility for our local community”.

January 21, 2019

A win for Chatteris Tennis Club Men’s 3 team in their final match of the Cambs Winter League has secured yet another promotion for the Club.  Playing at Girton the team of Tony Finch, Bunny Miles, Duncan Hobbs and Mark Mobberley won, 8-0 to gain promotion from league Division 8 as League Champions

This success for the team rounded off one of the most successful years in the Club’s 100 year plus history. A Club record 13 teams participated in the Cambs Summer League, Hunts & Peterborough Summer League, and Cambs Winter League in 2018, with 5 of those teams gaining promotion, as either league champions or runners up. The Club is now planning in 2019 to enter a fourth men’s team in all three leagues it currently participates in.

League success in 2018 has provided a further example of how Chatteris Tennis Club has significantly expanded and developed in recent years as a family friendly club which welcomes people of all ages and abilities. All year round the club has witnessed significantly higher attendances at Club Sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. The Junior Club Night and Ladies Only Sessions introduced in 2018 have proved popular, as too is Social Tennis on Thursday afternoons.

The Club is currently planning another Coaching Programme which will commence in March, which includes coaching for children over 5, and adults wishing to take up tennis as well as those who would like to return to tennis after an absence of years.

September 21, 2018

Chatteris Tennis Club enjoyed a day of celebration for all when Steve Barclay MP and Club committee member, Tony Finch, opened its two new hard tennis courts, which now double the Clubs provision for all year round play by the local community.

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The day was enthusiastically enjoyed by over 80 people including the Mayor and Mayoress of Chatteris, the Chatteris Town Council Clerk, representatives of Sport England, Living Sport and local tennis leagues, the Club’s neighbours, friends of the club and members from the club. 

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In his speech, Steve Barclay MP referred to how the Club is going from “strength to strength” in its provision to the community, with membership, league team participation and coaching provision having all doubled in the last two years.  He encouraged all in Chatteris and the surrounding villages to pop down to the club, where a warm and friendly welcome will greet them all.

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After the opening ceremony members of all ages delighted in joining together to play on all four courts, whilst off court a hot and cold buffet was provided for all to enjoy.

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Simon Grainger, Chairman of Chatteris Tennis Club commented, “To finally see the two new courts opened has been an outstanding achievement by all those involved in the fund raising process. We really do have a club to be very proud of and we look forward to welcoming many more of our community at Chatteris Tennis Club”.

August 23, 2018

Chatteris Tennis Club's Mens A team remained in top form for the final season's match against Huntingdon B team, with Chatteris winning a resounding 7-1.

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This means that Chatteris are celebrating completing the season at the top of their Division having won all 7 matches and will now be promoted to Division 2.  The final match winning team was Andrew Fox and Simon Grainger who won all 4 sets, with Jonni Henson and Lee Enstone winning 3 out of 4.

June 19, 2018

In the run up to Wimbledon 2018, members of 2nd Chatteris Cub Scouts visited Chatteris Tennis Club for an introductory evening to tennis on Wednesday 20th June 2018.

12 boys and 2 girl Cubs accompanied by Akela: Ray Archer and Assistant Cub Leader Katie Leach enjoyed a great evening of fun and outdoor activity in brilliant sunshine.

Coaching in basic tennis skills was provided by Club Committee Members/League players: Simon Grainger, Karen Barwell, John Freeman, Bunny Miles and Dave Wing.

The Cubs particularly enjoyed testing their new skills against the Club’s Ball Machine.

Simon Grainger, Club Chairman said; “We had a great time together and would welcome approaches to provide similar evenings for Cubs and Brownies in our catchment area of Chatteris, March, Manea, Doddington and Wimblington”

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He added, “The Club provides coaching from age 5+. Our current programme, which is full, ends in 3 weeks time, but a new one starts after the school summer break. We hope Cubs who indicated they’d like to take up the sport will be enrolling”.

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Maybe too, like Isaac Malone a Beaver Cub and Junior member of the Club they would combine their coaching with qualifying for the Beaver Hobbies Badge.

The evening concluded with provision of the traditional Robinsons Squashes & biscuits which were eagerly enjoyed too.

On leaving Akela, Ray Archer commented, “Maybe one of our boys or girls will be playing at Wimbledon.

For further info about coaching and membership for juniors and adults of all ages and abilities, contact Shona Kent 01354 655363 or Karen Barwell 01354 695014.

May 23, 2018

When a forecast of evening rain threatened cancellation of the Chatteris Tennis Club’s Men’s Doubles Tournament & BBQ on Thurs 24th May, Dave Wing Tournament Organiser recommended all participants still turn up.

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Though showers occured throughout the evening, the event was still able to take place, as members benefitted from the fast draining hard courts and floodlights the Club benefits from.

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12 members, who all regularly compete for Chatteris’s 3 men’s teams in local leagues took part. They were watched by spectators including 2 regular team members on crutches arising from non tennis injuries!

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Players competed in 4 sets each, in each set accompanied by a different partner.

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The Event was won by Alan Patey with a games won/lost ratio of 83%. Runner up was Jonni Henson 67%; third Lee Enstone  57%.

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Mid evening on realising it was impractical to light the BBQs, Dave, also an accomplished amateur caterer for many of the Club’s events, decided to take home the burgers, sausages, chicken, onions & corn cobs to cook them. Returning just prior to the conclusion of the event with piping hot food & his popular home made desserts, the successful evening ended with a post match meal enjoyed by all.

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Dave has been asked to organise similar events again later in the season!

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If you would like further information about this family friendly club which welcomes people of all ages & abilities contact Karen Barwell 01354 695014.

May 11, 2018

Despite a rather wet and soggy afternoon, many people still came along to Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club’s free event afternoon held on Saturday 12th May, which is part of the Great British Tennis Weekend.

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The event saw all four of the Clubs tennis courts being used constantly throughout the afternoon by residents from the local area, including Chatteris, Doddington, March, Manea, Warboys and Wimblington.  Some of the participants had never played tennis before, whilst others had but some years ago, so it was a great mix of all ages and abilities there to enjoy an afternoon of tennis for free.

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The Club members also provided refreshments, along with tennis rackets and balls.

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Simon Grainger of Chatteris Tennis Club said, “We were absolutely delighted with such a good turnout in spite of the rather wet conditions.  The spirit of the adults and children alike was superb, smiling faces throughout.  We will be holding another similar event in July, and this time, we certainly hope that the sun will be shining!”.

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The Great British Tennis Weekend (GBTW) is a nationwide ‘open days’ campaign driving more people to play tennis by offering free opportunities to play. 

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For further information please phone 01354 695014.

March 03, 2018

Chatteris Tennis Club member, Lucy Thompson, aged 11 who recently was one of eight players from the Club to take part in a 24 hour Tennisathon fundraising event at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, has been busy raising additional money for the Club’s bid for funding to increase their tennis court capacity via converting their two grass courts to hard tennis courts.

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Lucy, who is a pupil at Glebelands School in Chatteris, set up a ‘Sweet Stall’ at her school selling sweet cones that she and her family made and in just 15 minutes Lucy had sold all of the cones and raised an amazing £60.  Not one to shy away from a challenge, Lucy then sold further cones at the Guides Thinking day at the King Edward Centre in the town, raising a further £28.

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Simon Grainger, Chairman of Chatteris Tennis Club commented, “Lucy is a great Club member, always keen to get involved with the activities both on and off the court, and we are very grateful to her and her family’s efforts in raising additional money for the Club”.

February 19, 2018

A team of 8 players from Chatteris St. Peter's Tennis Club enjoyed a very special day in London on Saturday  17th Feb 2018 at the GB National Tennis Centre, competing with former GB Tennis stars in a 24 hour sponsored Tenniasathon.

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The Team from Chatteris represented all ages and abilities of membership at the Club from: Lucy Thompson aged 11 to Judith Grounds, one of several members at the Club still playing each week, all year round, in their 70’s. They were encouraged and supported by over 20 members, family and friends who travelled to the event.

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Chatteris Tennis Club, currently, Cambridgeshire Tennis Club of the Year, were one of only 8 clubs invited from over 4000 nationally to participate.

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The Event was organised by Bright Ideas for Tennis, a charity set up and run by former GB Davis Cup Tennis Player, Danny Sapsford, to assist clubs seeking to raise funds to enhance the facilities and opportunities for their local communities.

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Chatteris, which prides itself on being a family friendly club offering healthy, social and competitive sport at affordable prices for all, is currently seeking to raise £25,000. Supported by match funding from Cambs LTA, it aims this year to convert its 2 limited seasonal use grass courts to hardcourts, to double its provision of courts suitable for all year around use.

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Over the last 3 years the Club has achieved spectacular growth: Membership & league team entries have doubled, coaching provision for children from aged 5 and for adults together with court usage have trebled. The demand for its provision continues to grow enhanced by “Come & Try It for Free” Open Days held each year.

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Each member of the Tennisathon team: Lucy Thompson, Simon Grainger, Shona Kent, Anthony Finch, Angela Whitehead, John Freeman, Andrew Fox and Judith Grounds were challenged to raise £1000 each in sponsorship. They spectacularly rose to the challenge, smashing their target by raising over £12,500.

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The event was the 2nd of 3 events for which the Club has gained the support of Bright Ideas for Tennis. The 3rd takes place on Wednesday 28th Feb 2018 when one the Clubs most active members, Dave Wing takes to the skies over Chatteris in a sponsored Sky Dive in the week that he celebrates his milestone 65th birthday.

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Instead of buying him birthday gifts Dave has requested all his family and friends together with anyone wishing to support this community enhancing provision to sponsor him.

The Club anticipate that this event will enable it to commence the expansion of facilities around Eastertime this year.

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If you wish to assist the Club, which provides not only for the people of Chatteris, but for the whole of South Fenland including March, Manea, Doddington & Wimblington, you’re invited to visit the Website; https://mydodate.bt.com,click on “Sponsor a Fundraiser”, enter Dave Wing and make a donation.

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For further information about the Club, including information on this years’ membership & coaching programme, contact Shona Kent 01354 655363/ Karen Barwell 01354 695014.

January 07, 2018

Chatteris Tennis Club has been invited to take part in a 24 hour Tennisathon, organised by Bright Ideas for Tennis. This is another amazing opportunity for our Club to raise money towards our two additional hard courts. We will be taking eight players to the event, which is being held at the National Tennis Centre, Roehampton.  The event is held from 12 noon on Saturday 17th February until 12 noon on Sunday 18th February 2018, and Chatteris Tennis Club players have been allocated the 12 noon slot on the 17th.  Danny Sapsford and Jocelyn Rae (current Fed Cup player and WTA 70 doubles world ranking) will play the full 24hrs with every 4 hours a new Davis Cup / Fed Cup partner.  Every 4 hours there will be 2 venues (that’s us!) providing the opposition.

Each of our players will be setting up individual BT MyDonate fundraising pages, and all raised funds will be Chatteris Tennis Club’s money which we will be putting towards our new hard courts fundraising efforts.

SO, PLEASE DO SUPPORT OUR PLAYERS AND HELP TO ENHANCE OUR CLUB’S FACILITIES FOR ALL TO ENJOY!

Our players are; Simon Grainger, Shona Kent, Andrew Fox, Lucy Thompson, Angela Whitehead, Tony Finch, John Freeman and Judith Grounds.

Please do follow them on their Facebook pages where you will be able to donate.

We are welcome to take along supporters to cheer our eight players on – so please do join us, it will be a fun event and the facilities at Roehampton are amazing.

October 20, 2017

Danny Sapsford and Andrew Richardson, both GB Davis Cup Tennis Stars of the 1990’s launched a major appeal for development funds on Saturday 21st October at Chatteris Tennis Club, resulting in £2200 being raised on the day. This money will go towards the Club’s aim of raising £27,500 which will then enable them to seek match funding from the Lawn Tennis Association to convert their two limited seasonal use grass courts to all year round use hard courts, thus catering for the Club’s ever expanding membership.

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Despite a rather blustery day, the day attracted a large supporting crowd including Club members and their families, visitors from the community, plus the Chatteris Mayor and local MP Steve Barclay.  The programme of events commenced with sponsored coaching sessions with the professionals, with Club members aged from 5-75 taking part. In the afternoon two exhibition matches took place where Danny and Andrew paired up with the Clubs best doubles players, Simon Grainger and Andrew Fox, followed by a ‘Stars against Chatteris’ match, which saw many trick shots added along the way! A surprise appearance of ‘John McEnroe’ as ‘Chatteris Team Captain/Cheerleader added to the fun of the occasion.

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All day entertainment was provided with a ‘fastest serve’ competition, face painting, children’s mini-net tennis, tasty take away hot food, an ice cream van, homemade cake stall and a grand raffle which included over £600 worth of prizes, all donated by local companies.

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Commenting on the day, Simon Grainger said “We enjoyed an amazing day with Danny and Andrew who were great sports throughout the day.  Such an event has really helped us to raise awareness of the Club’s need for additional funding to double our court availability.  We are welcoming new members every week and we are desperate to provide the facilities to meet the demands for now, and the future generations of our community”.

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Further fundraising events are being held at the Club, including a fun for all the family General Knowledge Quiz Night at the King Edward Centre, Chatteris on Friday 3rd November at 7.30pm, participation in a sponsored ’24 Hour Tennisathon’ at the National Tennis Centre in February, and a sponsored Sky-Dive by Club member, Dave Wing in the Spring.

October 20, 2017

We are delighted to announce that on Saturday 21st October, between 11am – 5pm, Danny Sapsford, ex GB Davis Cup Player and another Davis Cup player (name to be confirmed) will be attending our tennis Club as part of a fundraising event via a Charity called ‘Bright Ideas for Tennis’ – the day will include coaching sessions with the pros and an exhibition match plus a ‘fastest serve competition, and trick shots demonstration.

The aim of this exciting opportunity is to raise as much money as possible for the Club as we are endeavouring to obtain grant funding to further enhance our facilities by changing the two existing grass courts over to hard courts, thereby ensuring that even more court availability will ensure that we can continue to grow our Club and welcome more people to play tennis at Chatteris Tennis Club now, and in the future.

This work will of course cost a lot of money, but if we can raise some funds ourselves then we have a much greater chance of gaining funding from outside sources.

There will be food and refreshments available on the day, along with a raffle.

So, can we please invite you and your family and friends to support us on the day – we are anticipating a great action packed event, so please do join in!

We are contacting the local TV channels, Radio Stations and newspapers in the hope that they may cover the event prior and on the day – so don’t miss out on this fabulous opportunity to play a part in this amazing event at your tennis club!

As you will appreciate the day will require organisation and planning to ensure its success, so can I kindly ask you to reply to me if you;

a) Wish to take part in the coaching sessions.  This will be on a first come, first served basis as numbers limited – costs for children is £5.00 and Adults £20.00 (don’t forget it is all about the fundraising so we trust you will appreciate the cost being asked for).  Payment in advance has been recommended to ensure less cash being handled on the day (if rain prevails the event taking place it will be rescheduled ASAP).

b) In addition to the taking part cost, we would be delighted if you could also endeavour to raise even more money by asking friends and relatives to sponsor you to take part.  Please contact Karen at the club for a form, plus we will be setting up a Crowdfunding page as well.

c) Wish to attend the event and enjoy watching some amazing tennis with professional GB Cup Davis Players (no cost to spectators).

We really need a great turnout for this day so please do join us – it’s for the future of our great Tennis Club.

August 31, 2017

Chatteris Tennis Club, currently Cambs LTA’s “Tennis Club of the Year”, provided a weekend of celebration, 1st-3rd September, during the short break between the Summer & Autumn/Winter seasons.

On Sun afternoon/evening, the Clubs Ladies held a Free Tennis and Social Event, open to ladies of the community, regardless of age and ability, to join club members for tennis and to socialise over wine and nibbles. The event proved popular, attracting 2 new ladies to join the Club and enrol for the Autumn Adult Coaching Programme which commences 10th September (now fully booked).

The previous Friday, the Clubs men held a well attended “Tennis Party, BBQ & Beers” evening. Numbers were enhanced by many of the new men who have joined the Club this year.

As a result of the increase in men joining the club, it will be entering a record 3 mens’ teams in the Cambs. Autumn/Winter League which commences next week. The Club are similarly planning next year to increase their mens’ team entries to 3, in both the Summer Leagues they compete in.

This weekends activities were a new addition to the Clubs social calendar this year. Between now and Christmas, 3 further popular social events are scheduled to be enjoyed by all members including juniors.

If you are interested in joining this friendly, vibrant and successful Club, which plays all year around, contact Karen on 01354 695014

August 18, 2017

At the Chatteris St Peters Tennis Club Singles Ladder Challenge Tournament held at the Club on Sunday 20th Aug 2017, young Tennis Ace Cameron Smart (16) secured outstanding wins against some of the Club’s A team members, taking him to the top of the Ladder.

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It’s been a great fortnight for Cameron, who in a Lawn Tennis Association national competition for 16s & unders recently won all his 3 matches improving his LTA rating to 8.2. 

Cameron clearly is a chip off the old block. His dad Matt also competing in the tournament had a successful day, with wins taking him also several places up the ladder.

The event was an outstanding success with more competitors taking part than in all similar tournaments previously held.

Two members who  recently joined the club; Lee Enstone  & Mark Mobberley, also  took the opportunity of the Tournament to join the Ladder, which runs all year. Both achieved considerable success in climbing the Ladder; Lee into 3rd place.

Dave Wing who organised the Tournament commented, “It was an incredibly competitive event, in which a high standard of tennis was played in all the matches. More players secured wins over higher ranked players, taking them up the Ladder, than in the 2 similar tournaments held in the last year. As a result I’m anticipating a lot of Ladder challenges in the next few weeks, by members hoping to re-establish their former positions.”.

As many spectators as competitors attended the event, which concluded with a BBQ, also prepared and cooked by Dave, who is both a tennis fanatic and loves entertainment cooking. His provision including home made salads, his own recipe desserts & ever changing BBQ menus, have become a regular & popular feature for events at this very social club, the current Cambridgeshire Tennis Club of the Year.

 For further information please phone 01354 695014

August 18, 2017

We have decided to hold a Tennis/Social afternoon ‘just for the girls’ at Chatteris Tennis Club – Sunday 3rd September at 4pm

It gives us an opportunity to get together, have a quick hit at tennis, a chat and a glass of something chilled maybe….:)

Some of us play regularly on Club nights, whilst some play more on Sunday social or maybe in matches mainly or with their families.

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All of which is great, but we thought why don’t we all come together for a few hours to encourage each other and have a catch up.

We will be putting posters around the local community (please see attached) as we want to also encourage new ladies to join the Club – the more the merrier!  So, can you please pop a note in your diary to come along on Sunday 3rd September at 4pm as we would like as many lady members there as possible.  Ask your friends, work colleagues, families – everyone is welcome.

Please feel free to bring any drinks/nibbles that you may fancy – obviously tea and coffee, soft drinks will be available as always in the Clubhouse.

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Thank you for your support

August 10, 2017

Chatteris Tennis Club’s young star, Cameron Smart (Aged 16) has continued to contribute to his impressive rise in the Lawn Tennis Association Junior Ratings.

Competing in the Lawn Tennis Association’s 16s and under event at Amersham, Bucks on Friday 11th August 2017, Cameron won all 3 of his matches in the short sets version of tennis. Having recorded 4-0, 4-0, wins in the first 2 matches, Cameron maintained his winning ways with a 4-1, 4-2, win in the final match, taking his LTA Rating up to an impressive 8.2.

2017 is proving to be a great year for Cameron, having now also established his position as a regular member of the Chatteris Men’s Tennis Teams, competing in both the Cambridgeshire Tennis League and the Hunts & Peterborough Tennis League.

August 02, 2017

Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club Mixed Team ended the summer season with a 7-1 away win to Stamford E which secured promotion for them as runners up from Div 3 in the Hunts & Peterborough Tennis Leagues.

Alison Edge, Emma Norman, Shona Kent, Barbara Spilka, Simon Grainger, Andrew Fox and Tony Finch (Captain) have all contributed to this team’s success, which emulates that of Chatteris Men’s A team earlier this Summer in the Cambs Tennis League.

With 3 further teams still to complete their matches in the Hunts & Peterborough Tennis Leagues and a record 4 teams entered in the Cambs Winter Leagues due to commence in September, Chatteris is looking forward to the achievement of further success in 2017.

Voted Cambridgeshire Tennis Club of the Year for the 2016/17 season and now with floodlights the Club is now offering the opportunity for new members to join, at reduced rates, for the remainder of this season which continues to 30th March 2018. Junior Coaching for the over 5’s and above is also scheduled to recommence in early Sept. Anyone interested: Contact Karen Barwell on 01354 695014

July 08, 2017

On Sunday 9th July the Annual Junior Tennis Tournament took place at Chatteris Tennis Club.

Organised by Tennis Coach Lisa Kennedy, members of the club together with parents of the Juniors were able to enjoy watching outstanding performances by the youngest members of the Club as they competed in a wonderful friendly and fun atmosphere for the trophies and awards.

All Day the sun shone brightly on these tennis stars of the future.

The Beginners Group 1 trophy was won by Agnijan Vaheeson, Runner up Skye Mclean, The Beginners Group 2 Trophy by Ellie Warby, Runner up Rosie Fox and the Intermediate Group Trophy by Francis Antonio , Runner up Liam Garcia.

Special awards were also presented to: Ajax Millwood, Jamie Shaw, Joe Sizer, Robert Floria, Noah Devine, Alex Floria and Ted Pay.

This year, the prestigious  Julie Wing Junior Coaching Award, presented to the Junior player “who throughout the season has consistently demonstrated the ability, enthusiasm and attitude to develop as a talented tennis player and gain a lifelong benefit from playing tennis” was jointly awarded to Katie Neil and Oliver Appleby.

July 01, 2017

Chatteris St Peter's Tennis Club held their annual Priddey Cup Tournament on Sunday 2nd July, where warm sunshine brought a great turnout of Club members and their families for an afternoon of tennis, followed by a BBQ.

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All four of the Club’s tennis courts were in action throughout the afternoon, with some close matches being played, resulting in Alison Edge winning the Ladies trophy and Simon Grainger taking top spot for the Men’s tournament.

June 27, 2017

Chatteris Tennis Club was recently delighted to have been awarded a fully funded Automated Exterior Defibrillator (A.E.D.) from the Seniors Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain.

To have a defibrillator at the Courts is so valuable to the Club’s members and visitors, as someone who has a cardiac arrest can often be saved by prompt treatment, so installing one of these offers great peace of mind, should such a medical emergency arise. Located in the Clubhouse, the potentially life-saving defibrillator is easy to operate by anyone without training as it provides voiced instructions to the user during operation.

Seniors Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain Committee Member, Mr Andrew Soul and his wife Sue visited the Club recently to officially hand over the equipment and commented, “Chatteris Tennis Club is a great example of a thriving community based tennis Club, offering tennis to all ages and abilities, ranging from the very young to the ‘more senior citizens’. We were very pleased to be able to supply them a defibrillator to enhance their facilities, and wish them continued success with their Club for many years to come”.

June 26, 2017

Competing in the Cambridgeshire Summer League 2017 the Chatteris Men’s team have once again secured promotion. Having entered a team in this league for the first time last year, Chatteris have matched their success in 2016, by achieving promotion in consecutive seasons. An influx of new members this year at this increasingly popular tennis club enhanced the squad of players available: Simon Grainger, Andrew Fox, Charlie Gienke, Lee Enstone, Tony Finch, Cameron Smart, John Freeman, Joel Grieco, Alan Patey and Dan Knighton all contributing to this year’s success.

Dave Wing, Non –playing Captain said “ I’m really proud of what the guys have achieved and we’re all looking forward to Hunts & Peterborough Summer Season which starts in July, in which we’ve 2 men’s teams participating.”

May 13, 2017

Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club had over 70 people from the local community turn out for their latest Great British Tennis Weekend event which was held on Sunday, 14th May.

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Under warm sunny skies, the Club’s four tennis courts were in action all afternoon, along with two mini nets set up for the younger children to use. In addition to the tennis other activities were available including face painting and a free prize draw, where t-shirts and tennis balls were given as prizes by the Club.

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The Club provided tennis rackets and balls and were on hand to help out and offer assistance if required to those on the courts.  Refreshments were available throughout the afternoon, which included a BBQ to round off a very successful day. During the afternoon, several visitors signed up to join the Club, as well as some of the young children being enrolled onto the Club’s junior coaching course.

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Simon Grainger of Chatteris Tennis Club said, “Once again we were delighted to welcome so many visitors to our most recent free Open Day event.  Everyone joined in, including children, parents and grandparents – the atmosphere was very friendly, smiling faces all day – it was terrific, and our thanks to all those who came long”.

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A date will soon be announced when the Club will be repeating the event, later in the Summer. The Great British Tennis Weekend (GBTW) is a nationwide ‘open days’ campaign driving more people to play tennis by offering FREE opportunities to play. 

May 08, 2017

The two grass courts at our Club are now ready to be played on during the summer months.

Thanks to Tony Finch for once again putting in so many hours to prepare them for us all to enjoy.

May 02, 2017

Members of Chatteris St Peter's Tennis Club, the current Cambridgeshire LTA Club of the Year, enjoyed a very active & successful Bank Holiday Weekend.

Both Chatteris Women’s & Men’s teams have got off to a winning start for the Summer league season, seeing the Ladies team of Barbara Spilka, Emma Norman, Cindy Burnley and Lorraine Godfrey recording a home win against Gransden Ladies 6-2 on Friday 28th April. This was followed up by the Men’s team: Simon Grainger, Andrew Fox, Charlie Gienke & Alan Pater recording a similar 6-2 win away at Milton on Monday 1st May.

On Friday evening 40 members and friends of the club enjoyed the 1st of two General Knowledge Quiz evenings to be held this year at the King Edward Centre Chatteris.

On Saturday 29th April, members participated in the 1st of two Singles Ladder Tournaments scheduled for this year. The outstanding performance of the day was by the youngest competitor: 15 year old Cameron Smart rising to 2nd on the ladder with a 6-4 defeat of Simon Grainger. In a tightly fought final match against Andrew Fox, Cameron narrowly missed out on securing the top spot by failing to convert 2 match points in the final game, resulting in Andrew securing victory with a 6-5 win. Over the last year Cameron has participated in LTA Junior Tournaments around the country, consistently improving his LTA junior ranking.

The tournament concluded with a BBQ, enjoyed by both the players and spectators.

This season has already seen the club welcoming several new members, families and juniors. There are also opportunities to “Come Along & Try Tennis for Free” scheduled for this season, with the next such event is being held on Sunday 14th May from 2.30pm and includes a BBQ.

April 01, 2017

Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club was delighted with a great turnout to their Summer season Open Day held on Sunday 2rd April, where free tennis was enjoyed by children and adults alike.

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The Club provided the tennis equipment for anyone wanting to try their hand at tennis for the first time, or indeed for those who have not played in a while. Club members were on hand to provide guidance and help if required and the courts were consistently busy all afternoon with young children and their parents enjoying an afternoon of tennis fun. As a result of the Open Day, several families expressed an interest in becoming members of the Club, which also offers the opportunity for Juniors and Adults to participate in the coaching courses held throughout the year.

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During the afternoon the Club celebrated their recent award as the Tennis Club of the Year for Cambridgeshire as declared by the Lawn Tennis Association with the cutting of a specially made ‘tennis court cake’ for all to enjoy.

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New Members, of all ages and abilities are always welcome, so please call Karen on 01354 695014.

April 01, 2017

Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club recently attended an awards evening at Emmanuel College in Cambridge, where they were presented with the plaque for Aegon British Tennis Awards 2016 Club of the Year for Cambridgeshire.

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This latest award for the Club sets them up for a great start to the new season, which kicks off with a free to the public Open Day on Sunday, 2nd April at the Club, starting at 2pm.

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Visitors will be provided with tennis equipment and Club members will be on hand to offer assistance if required.  In addition, light refreshments will be available during the afternoon.

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Club chairman Simon Grainger said, “We very much look forward to our Spring Open Day as this allows us the chance to share our Club with our entire community, enabling visitors the opportunity to enjoy free tennis for all, regardless of age or ability. It’s always well attended and a fun afternoon”.

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For further information on Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club please phone 01354 695014

The trophy cabinet continues to grow at Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club as they recently have been named as winner of the coveted Aegon British Tennis Awards 2016 Club of the Year for Cambridgeshire.

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The Club engages their community and surrounding areas with a warm and friendly welcome to all, regardless of age or ability.  In addition, a series of coaching programmes are offered throughout the year from LK Tennis Academy, which continues to prove very popular with young people and adults alike.

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Membership continues to rise with currently 100 members, the highest figure in the Club’s 110 year history. The Club holds regular tournaments, free to the public Open Days, BBQ’s, Quiz Nights and Social ten-pin bowling evenings.

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A variety of membership options make it affordable to all, with 20% reduced fee for all new members, reduced fee joining for only part of the year, reductions for senior citizens, those in education, and the unemployed.  The average age of members has dropped significantly in 2016, reversing the previous long standing trend. Most new members now fall into the 20-40 and 6-13 age brackets. In 2016 a record number of family memberships and parent and child memberships were generated. Also, the increasingly cosmopolitan nature of the county is now reflected in our membership which includes members originating from over 10 different countries.

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Club chairman Simon Grainger said, “We are delighted that the Club had secured this prestigious award – it is certainly a testimony to the dedication and commitment of all of those involved in the Club, including our committee, volunteers, members, young players and their parents who help and support the Club all year round”.

Chatteris St Peter’s Tennis Club are very proud to have been a finalist at the recently held Living Sport Sports Awards 2016 which were held at the Burgess Hall, in St.Ives.

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One of three finalists in the Community Club of the Year Award category, Chatteris Tennis Club was presented with a runners-up certificate, with the winner being Peterborough Police Boxing Club.

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The Living Sport Awards evening drew a full house, where sportsmen and women, coaches, volunteers, organisations and clubs from all across the county were celebrated for their outstanding achievements, all accompanied by a three course dinner, and raffle.

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Simon Grainger, Chairman of Chatteris Tennis Club commented, “To have made it to the finals of these prestigious awards, in our very first year of entering them, has been a terrific achievement for our tennis club”.

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For further information on Chatteris Tennis Club please call 01354 695014.

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Link for Living Sport is www.livingsport.co.uk

The Club holds regular social tennis events, with the most recent being a Halloween ‘Monster Smash’.  The event saw over 40 people attend, with a mix of juniors and their parents enjoying an evening of Halloween fun, where tennis was played under floodlights and prizes given for the best Fancy Dress, all accompanied by a Halloween supper for all to enjoy.

Chatteris Tennis Club has been very busy over the winter months with the installation of new floodlights on the two hard surface courts at the Club. The floodlights were possible due to a £23,944 cash boost from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Olympic and Paralympic Fund, which was awarded to the Club in the late Autumn of 2015.

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Across the country, local community sports groups were able to apply for grants which were offered to celebrate its link to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The lengthy application process for the grant was no mean feat, and the Club has a debt of gratitude to Simon Grainger and Lindsey Harrison who worked tirelessly over many months in the preparation of reports, meetings with the Council and local residents, and in turn the contractors.

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This once in a lifetime opportunity has enabled the club to continue its improvement of its facilities and make the courts more accessible to its members for year round play, not just in the summertime.

The work was carried out by Floodlighting Limited, one of the region’s leading installers of quality sport lighting.  The installation of the state of the art LED floodlights was very efficiently handled, with minimum disruption and a rapid completion.

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The club’s chairman, Simon Grainger, said: “We were delighted to secure the grant, which will enable us to engage more people of all ages and abilities in the great sport of tennis. The lights will enable tennis to be played during the darker winter months and has further upgraded the features of our club for the benefit of our local community”.