The aim of the Upper Broughton Youth & Social Club is to provide a friendly and accessible environment in which to play tennis.
It has recently completely refurbished the court surfaces with a needlepunch capet laid on a tarmac base. This gives medium-slow speed of play, and is comfortable on the joints, key features in attracting and retaining new members.
The work was only possible with help from grant funding. Inspired by the success of London 2012, Nottinghamshire County Council set up a £1.7m Sports Legacy Fund to support grassroots community sport in the county, a scheme that has been hailed by Lord Sebastian Coe as a ‘great example of a local legacy fund’.
As a result, in Nottinghamshire more than 180 sports clubs have benefited from grants from Nottinghamshire County Council of between £2,000 and £50,000, and Upper Broughton Y&S Tennis Club was one of the lucky recipients. The money from the Sports Legacy Fund is being used to boost sports participation and nurture talent, and has been spent on equipment, capital projects and other schemes. (For more information about how Nottinghamshire County Council supports sports development, visit: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/enjoying/sport/sportforall/).
In addition, Rushcliffe Borough Council was also able to help with funding, under the Game Changer Award Capital Grant scheme, and this will enable our efforts to continue to increase participation in tennis in the local community.