Falkirk Council serves up an ace to net £32,500 funding to improve area's tennis courts

Courts in Dollar Park and Zetland Park will be sharing an investment of £32,569, helping to ensure quality facilities are available for the local community.

Alongside the investment, Falkirk Council’s Sport and Leisure team will also work with the LTA to deliver a range of activity across the park sites, including weekly

tennis coaching sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience, opportunities to participate for free with equipment being supplied and in various competitions

throughout the year.

Work on sites is anticipated to start this week and will be completed next month, with court surfaces cleaned and treated and, in Dollar Park, fencing improvements will also take place.

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA to refurbish public tennis courts across Great

Britain and, it is hoped, open the sport up to many more people.

This investment will see thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country

through renovation works, and improved court accessibility with new gate-access technology and booking systems.

Councillor Laura Murtagh, Falkirk Council’s spokesperson for education and leisure said: “Park tennis courts are vital in providing opportunities for children and adults

to get active, delivering significant physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits to participants.

“Accessible facilities in parks are particularly critical to increasing participation in the sport to those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and women and girls. We’re

ooking forward to welcoming both new players and old alike once they are fully opened when work is completed.”

Julie Porter, LTA chief operating officer, said: “We are delighted to be working with Falkirk 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."