Who are we?
Established in 1970, Tanworth-in-Arden tennis club is one of the few sporting facilities in our village, and surrounding area. It is a friendly and welcoming club run by volunteers who give their time and energy willingly. We share our wider site with the village Scout Group, a football pitch and local dogwalkers, and enjoy being part of the fabric of the village.
We have big ambitions to serve even more of our community, giving as many people as possible the chance to get and stay active, as well as building social connections.
Monday afternoon Skills & Drills
Why are we crowdfunding?
Covid was tough for us, but after years of decline, things are now on the up. Our membership has started to grow, we have a couple of great coaches working with us, and we are starting to build opportunities for social tennis - and socialising. So many local residents are already discovering or rediscovering the joys of tennis, and with a primary school in the village, we can see lots of future opportunities to give the families and younger members of our community the chance to get involved with sport as well.
Tuesday evening men's social tennis
Our courts, however, are in terrible shape - they haven't been resurfaced for 25 years, and it is really starting to show... We can't yet offer junior coaching because the surface is too dangerous, and the standard for general play is increasingly erratic. If we want to keep the club running, we have to resurface properly this year.
3 of many terrible court pictures
But it's so expensive! We've secured a grant from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with Stratford-on-Avon District as the lead authority - but it's not enough to do the work properly. Members of the club and the Tennis Development Committee have pledged to donate money as well, and we are appealing now to you, our local community, to help us meet our final fundraising target.
The exciting news is that Sport England offers match-funding to projects that meet their criteria via The Movement Fund. We are a grass-roots, rural club in a village with a population of both families and older people, and our main ambition is to give more of our local population a chance to get and stay active, to build a sense of community and to support the vibrancy of our village. So many rural facilities are closing due to underinvestment following Covid, and we want to ensure a bright future for sport in our area. If we raise £15,000 through crowdfunding, Sport England, via The Movement Fund will match-fund that to £30k.
Anything you can donate towards this £30k target will help, no matter how small (large also very welcome!)
How we’ll spend the money raised
We will resurface Courts 1 and 2, then repaint. This will remove the loose gravel, holes and uneven bounces that currently hamper our game, and make the courts smooth, even and frankly playable once again! The resurfacing will be completed before Christmas, and the final paint job will be applied in early 2025, meaning 2 of 3 of our courts will be totally transformed for the summer 2025 season. The more money we raise, the more work we will be able to do - new net posts, new edging, and a revamp of court 3 (currently in the worst state).
Have you heard of Pickleball? It's growing in popularity, and it's fun and more accessible than tennis - on a smaller court, with bats and a lighter ball, there's less running and it's easy to pick up. With enough additional cash, we will be able to adapt court 3 for pickle ball and tennis, and expand our membership and reach further.
Once the courts are redone, we can start offering more services, including children's coaching, a fuller social calendar and pay-and-play offerings, increasing the accessibility of racket sports in our area.
A recent Tennis, Pimms & Pickleball Open Day run by club volunteers
Community impact
In a small, tight-knit rural village, facilities are very important. A friendly, local sports club such as ours gives residents the chance to be active and make friends, and to get into or stay in sport. If the courts fall into disrepair, this impacts the whole village, not just the other users of our site. The presence of great sports provision improves the overall desirability and sense of community in the village, for current and future generations.
A keen member of the future generation of tennis players
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!
4. Consider Business Sponsorship. If you are a local business, choose one of our business rewards to demonstrate your support and get great local coverage.