Clapham Common Tennis Facilities Unveiled
State of the art new tennis courts on Clapham Common have been officially opened following major investment from Lambeth Council and the Lawn Tennis Association.
ETC Sports Surfaces Limited was awarded the contract by the London Borough of Lambeth for the refurbishment of eight courts at the ClaphamCommon Tennis Facility.
Local Lambeth school children enjoyed a tennis session with Marin Cilic, the world number 12 from Croatia, as well as British number one doubles pair Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski who are all in London ahead of the AEGON Championships
The tennis stars passed on hints and tips to dozens of Lambeth young people at the event on Monday.
Lambeth Council and the LTA have jointly invested £250,000 into the tennis facility at Clapham Common which has helped to refurbish eight tennis courts and provide modernised floodlights for five of the tennis courts in one of the most popular open air spaces in London.
All the courts have been completely resurfaced with new fencing and floodlighting introduced, all to LTA standard. The new facilities are accessible to disabled users.
Lambeth Council has invested around £150,000 in the facility with the LTA putting in around £100,000
Speaking after the opening, Derek Prentice, Head of Sport and Recreation on Lambeth Council, said: “Clapham Common now has some of the best facilities around thanks to this investment, and I’m delighted that Marin Cilic, Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski, have taken time out of their busy training schedules to come and pass on tips to some of our Lambeth school children.
“This investment means thousands of people in Lambeth now have access to public tennis courts that meet the highest national standards. Helping people lead active lives by making sure they have access to top sports quality facilities is one of the council’s main priorities, so it’s great to see these fantastic courts officially open and being used by so many people.”
Roger Draper, LTA Chief Executive added:
“We’re committed to expanding opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to play tennis, and investment in parks is a key part of that drive. Thanks to the support of Sport England, the LTA is delighted to have invested in Clapham Common and we look forward to working with Lambeth Council and our partners the Tennis Foundation to further develop tennis in this part of London in the future. Tennis is already one a thriving, growing sport, but working with Sport England, AEGON and local and national partners, we’re committed to making it even bigger.”
Richard Lewis, Sport England’s Chair, said:
“It’s vital that public funding for sport goes into facilities that meet the highest standards, are welcoming, and cater for everyone. That’s how we’re going to get more people using them every day. The refurbishment and floodlighting project at Clapham Common will offer brand new all weather tennis courts that meet the demand of the modern game whilst offering the local community some of the very best sporting opportunities available.”
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