Free family fun day to open London 2012 hockey and tennis legacy venue

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, the £30m London 2012 hockey and tennis legacy venue on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, opens with a free family fun day next week.

At a thrilling time for both sports, with England men's hockey team through to the World Cup semi-finals and The Wimbledon Championships just days away, everyone will have the chance to come to this world class venue and give both sports a try for free on Saturday 21 June – the day it opens to the public.

Shaun Dawson, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority chief executive, said "This is a venue for the whole community and our free family fun day will give everyone the chance to sample the world class facilities on offer.

"We've also secured a host of high profile international competitions to bring back some of the stars of 2012, with the first major event as early as next month."

The fun day is part of the Great British Tennis Weekend which is supported by the Lawn Tennis Association and Tennis Foundation. Visitors can try Cardio Tennis, a great way to burn off excess calories, Mini Tennis, a national scheme to give children the core tennis skills and Wheelchair tennis. All sessions are free and all equipment is provided.

There will also be a chance to play Quicksticks, aimed at introducing hockey to seven to 11-year-olds, brought to visitors by England Hockey.

For those who want to relive the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, there will be the opportunity to learn more about upcoming major international events including hockey's Investec London Cup which takes place between 9-13 July and NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters in November 2014-2016.

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre has been adapted from the London 2012 Wheelchair Tennis venue, Eton Manor, the only purpose-built Paralympic venue.

The £30 million venue has four indoor and six outdoor tennis courts and two floodlit international competition standard hockey pitches for anyone to play on as well as watch the world's best players in action.

When it opens visitors will be able to play Rush Hockey and Back to Hockey. Schools and clubs from across the region will also utilise the pitches for training and matches.

The tennis courts will be available to hire with a host of coaching and introductory sessions available, with special rates for schools and universities. There will also be Cardio Tennis sessions and weekly coffee morning tennis sessions, perfect for parents after dropping their children off at school.

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre will be a new hub for disability tennis and a base for tennis community activity. Hockey clubs from the region will train and play matches on the pitches and there will also be introductory sessions for players new to the sport.

Book on to a free tennis session here.

More information about the Centre here.

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