The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is supporting parks and clubs throughout the UK to throw open their doors as part of four Great British Tennis Weekends to encourage people of all ages and abilities to try tennis for free.
People inspired to get on court will be able to take part in activities such as Cardio Tennis, Mini Tennis, receive tennis coaching or simply just turn up and play with their friends and family – all completely free. The dates for the weekends are:
Saturday 17th – Sunday 18th May
Saturday 21st – Sunday 22nd June
Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th June
Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th July
The 2014 Great British Tennis Weekends follow the success of last year’s one off Great British Tennis Weekend which saw over 7,500 people take to the courts of 39 venues on a single weekend.
LTA Chief Executive, Michael Downey, said: “We are really excited to be bringing Great British Tennis Weekend back to tennis courts nationwide this summer. Tennis in Britain has enjoyed some fantastic results in the last 12 months with the Davis Cup team reaching the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup World Group and Andy having won Wimbledon last year. It’s about capitalising on the interest in our sport, so that when people at home are inspired by what our players do on court, that we offer them an opportunity to get on court without cost being an issue. We have venues nationwide and there really is something for everyone regardless as to a person’s ability. Most importantly these weekends are going to be a lot of fun, that friends and families can enjoy together.”
Rob Dearing, LTA Head of Participation said: “The Great British Tennis Weekend events provide a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to try tennis for free. One of the great things about tennis is that you can play at any age, making it truly a sport for all the family. Parks and clubs across the UK are running events over the four weekends and there will be plenty of coaches and volunteers on hand to help. People told us last year that they really liked being able to book online in advance - we’ve made sure they can again this year at www.greatbritishtennisweekend.com. Venues will have rackets and balls available so there really is no excuse not to give tennis a go this summer.
For more information on Great British Tennis Weekends 2014, please visit: www.greatbritishtennisweekend.com