A Derby tennis club has spent £50,000 refurbishing three of its artificial grass courts ahead of the summer season.
Now bosses at Woodlands, in Allestree, are planning to replenish their funds and build floodlights at their Kedleston Road site as part of their three-year plan.
Members of the club decided to resurface three of its five artificial, all-weather grass courts because they had become worn and threadbare. It also has three hard courts.
Coach Phil Wilcock said that, by improving the courts, they were more likely to get regular participation from club members – after doubling the amount of juniors on their books from 48 this time last year to 97.
He said: "This was a project which we started talking about last year and, after looking at all the options, we decided to pay for it out of our own funds.
"The main aim for doing it was to encourage more people to regularly participate at the club.
"We had an open day a couple of weeks ago and, because of it, our numbers are up about 20%, which is why we want to give them the best courts possible to play on."
Last year, Woodlands was one of three tennis clubs who teamed up with the Derby Telegraph to offer youngsters a free session and six weeks of coaching at half price.
The scheme was aimed at children aged five to 14 and Wilcock said, as a result, 13 youngsters had become members at the club.
He said: "We're becoming a sizable club and it's pleasing to see that we've almost doubled our junior numbers.
"That's why we wanted to refurbish the courts and why we're hoping, over the next three years, to get floodlights installed at the club too."
Wilcock said, because the £50,000 came out of club funds, they were looking to raise more money again as quickly as possible.
He said: "The majority of our income comes from membership but we also get support externally and are always looking at the wider community and sponsorship."
Meanwhile, repair work which is being done to four courts at Stanton Tennis Club has been delayed because of the bad weather.
The playing surfaces, at the Rutland Sports Park, in Ilkeston, had been derelict for more than five years after being deemed unsafe.
But the club stepped in to revive them after agreeing a 21-year lease on them with Erewash Borough Council. They also received £63,083 from the Lawn Tennis Association towards the work.
Members had hoped to have them ready in time for the start of the outdoor tennis season in April but club member and project manager Mark Hancock said the work was likely to be completed at the end of the month.
He said: "The courts are 90% done but there's still a bit of painting work to do and the lines need putting down.
"We had hoped it would have been finished eight weeks ago but work had to stop due to bad weather.
"However, we're planning an open day on May 20 to show off the courts and we're hoping they'll be ready then instead."
Courtesy of Derbyshire Telegraph