More than £660k investment in Salford tennis courts

An investment of more than £660,000 has been announced to renovate eight tennis courts across Salford, alongside free coaching sessions.

The investment comes from a joint partnership between Salford City Council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which has set aside a combined £662,743 to renovate eight tennis park venues across the city.

Albert Park, Boothsbank Park, Buile Hill Park, Eccles Recreation Ground, Lightoaks Park, Parr Fold Park, Princes Park and Victoria Park are the eight parks which are set to benefit from the funding.

Alongside the investment, Salford Community Leisure and We Do Tennis are organising a series of free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience, with rentable equipment.

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the government and LTA Tennis Foundation to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain, and open up the sport to more people.

Councillor Barbara Bentham, Lead Member for Environment, Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, Salford City Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to promote tennis in our communities particularly amongst those who wouldn’t usually play.

“This fantastic investment in facilities, together with a new operating model, easier booking and free coaching will ensure the tennis courts can be maintained for future generations.”

£456,091.64 of the investment comes from the UK government and LTA Tennis Foundation, with £206,652 invested by Salford City Council.

Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Salford City Council 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 Salford City Council 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.”