The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Tennis Foundation announced this week that Haverfordwest Lawn Tennis Club in Pembrokeshire, one of the area’s leading tennis sites, has been awarded ‘Beacon’ status as part of the AEGON Parks Tennis programme in recognition of their high quality, affordable community tennis programmes.
The announcement was made as the centre was presented with their prestigious Beacon plaque by Julie Strelzyn-Williams, Tennis Development Manager for South Wales.
Presenting the award Julie said: “Beacon accreditation is great recognition to those true community tennis providers like Haverfordwest Tennis Club who operate on Local Authority courts and share clubhouse facilities with the local bowls club. It’s important to also recognise the small amount of volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure activities are affordable and accessible to all.
“The next step for the site is to try and extend their tennis offering by continuing to raise funds in order to install floodlights. This way the activities will be able to run 12 months of the year and the facility will become more viable and sustainable in the longer term.”
The club becomes one of 122 sites across Britain to achieve the national accolade which recognises the best community-focussed facilities offering free and affordable tennis as part of the AEGON Parks Tennis programme.
To achieve this status, facilities must also offer access to quality, affordable coaching as well as regular competitions for all ages and abilities.
Peter Lilley, Haverfordwest LTC Chairman added: “This award helps to recognise the work of volunteers at the club, past and present, who have given much of their time to supporting the activities of the club. Beacon status adds weight to our plans for further development of the tennis facilities at the club, whilst retaining open access for the general public.”
AEGON Parks Tennis aims to increase community access to tennis in parks and communities nationwide. Delivered by the LTA and Tennis Foundation, AEGON Parks Tennis is a key programme in British tennis’ drive to increase participation and grow tennis at all levels. The long-term aim is to have an AEGON Parks Tennis site acting as a centre of community tennis excellence in each of the local authority areas in Britain.
To find your nearest place to play tennis visit www.lta.org.uk/playtennis.