Who are we?
Leominster Tennis Club has been a proud part of the community for over 80 years, moving to the Bridge Street facility when they opened in 1997. It provides a great opportunity to play tennis all year round having 4 floodlit outdoor tennis courts and the only 2 indoor courts in Herefordshire.
Leominster Tennis Club teamed up with ECHO (Extra Choices in Herefordshire), a supportive charity for adults with learning disabilities. Providing participants the opportunity to not only play tennis, develop their fitness and coordination but to also build social skills, confidence, self esteem and independence.
The club offers regular coaching sessions to juniors from 4 -16 years of age in addition to adults of all abilities.
Leominster tennis club actively participates in the Hereford and Worcester league, entering three men's, two ladies and three mixed doubles teams.
In addition to social and competitive tennis we provide a supportive community where participants can connect with others, build friendships and experience a sense of belonging.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Leominster Tennis Club plays a pivotal role in providing tennis opportunities to all within our local community.
Without prompt action we risk being unable to offer any participation on the outdoor courts during wet weather due to safety concerns. The indoor courts are not always available as other sports also utilise this facility so we have no other choice but to cancel sessions with some very disappointed children and adults alike.
Urgent work is needed to resurface the existing courts that are now 27 years old. The courts have deteriorated dramatically, driven by their age and the increasing wet weather, where we now recognise that environmentally they will also require improvements to the drainage. This will enable us to provide a better, more durable and SAFER playing surface for our members and the local community.
In partnership with Halo, who are securing other funding avenues, we as a club need to raise as much money as possible to make up the shortfall, enabling the project to move forward.
To bridge the funding gap, we are seeking support from you to cover some of the remaining money needed. We aim to raise £6,000 with the hope of receiving extra funding through Sport England. Any other donations and funding we can secure will make up the difference to complete the project.
Your support will play a crucial role in securing the future of tennis in Leominster, ensuring that the benefits of this sport are accessible to all.
The current state of the outdoor courts at Leominster:
How we’ll spend the money raised
All the money raised will be used to refurbish the four outdoor tennis courts, a fresh layer of hardwearing macadam will provide a very durable, flat and long-lasting surface to replace the old that was prone to standing water, being slippery when wet and very uneven.
The net post foundations will be renewed and new net posts installed. Finally, a dual-colour non-slip paint will ensure safe play in all conditions for many years to come. The result, an outstanding facility that will look great, play safe and attract many more people to tennis.
How we hope the courts to look once the project is complete:
Community impact
Leominster Tennis Club has a long history of inclusivity, "Tennis is for Everyone".
The Club is a not for profit community club that aims to provide hard-court facilities for, and to promote participation in the amateur sport of tennis in the town of Leominster and surrounding areas. We are here to support community and public benefit for all, whilst having fun. Current provision includes tennis for junior coaching, adults with learning disabilities, club members sessions and leauge matches. With your help we now wish to improve facilities in HALO and help even more people through tennis!
We cater for individuals with diverse abilities and needs, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their learning disability, physical disability, or mental health condition can participate and thrive.
We have always tried to keep costs down and have affordable memberships. Club nights operate on a 'just turn up, pay and play system' with Juniors paying just £1 and adults £3.
For the ECHO team the club has donated all fees paid back to the charity to support them.
We also operate an 'Open Court' session that encourages anyone who wants to give tennis a try or hasn't played in a while. Equipment can be provided, it's a fun way of keeping fit and healthy and a great social activity.
The Junior coaching consists of both boys and girls across a wide spectrum of ages. We run mini tournaments to assist all abilities in building confidence and most importantly, have FUN!
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
Some of our rewards:
A tour of the Bishops Palace gardens, Hereford with cream tea and a limited edition Liverpool commemorative Bottle of Ballers Champagne.
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!