Always on
This project successfully funded on 15th June 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Thingwall Tennis Club - Court Renovation
Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Aim
The project aim is to completely re-surface one court with bitumen macadam with a two tone green colour finish & new white court markings.
Thingwall Tennis Club
History
Thingwall Tennis Club has been in existence since 1912 when a tennis court & bowling green were provided for the tenants of the Wavertree Garden Suburb. The importance of providing an open recreational space was a key component in generating a community spirit where the tenants could meet to have a game of tennis or bowls. The club's mission is to extend this opportunity to all the local residents, members, the local community & beyond.
The club is located in the heart of a conservation area, surrounded by residential housing & provides a haven for a relaxing game of bowls or social tennis play. The tennis pavilion has recently been renovated & provides facilities for social events.
We are a very small, friendly community tennis club welcoming everyone irrespective of age, ability or background. A dedicated team of volunteers have been responsible for the amazing developments that have taken place over the last 5 years. We are a registered LTA Venue providing 4 courts for team & social tennis for all members of the community.
Key features:
- A registered LTA venue with one ladies team plus junior teams playing in Liverpool League.
- A thriving Junior/Senior Coaching programme facilitated by high quality LTA accredited coaches providing opportunities for learning new skills whilst having fun & making new friends.
- Established links with local primary schools, including a local blind school & currently reaching out to help neurodiverse children to access tennis provision.
- We have a Clubspark website & are present on various social media platforms.
The Purpose of our Crowd Funding Project
Progress To Date
During the last 5 years the club has invested heavily in building new pathways, installing new fencing, pavilion renovation including new ramps & disability toilet provision. Last year we were successful in bringing back 2 courts into play thanks to the volunteers & financial support from Tennis Lancashire.
One court had several areas of root heave causing cracks & raised surfaces in the tarmacadam which created uneven surfaces thus trip hazards. As a short term measure a root barrier was laid, roots dug up & asphalt applied.
This investment created new opportunities for the club in terms of:
- The Ladies team were able to play home matches at their own club which our visiting teams really appreciated.
- Coaching sessions were delivered more efficiently & safely across the two courts, in terms of easier observation, increase opportunities for a variety of drills etc.
- It doubled the court access time for members to play socially & encouraged more visitors to join Thingwall Tennis Club.
We have made extraordinary progress improving the overall physical environment of the sports site but now we need your help to support the club in securing a sustainable future by fully upgrading all the court surfaces.
Why we are seeking your help
All the asphalt court surfaces although playable are deteriorating due to long term environmental exposure, cracks appear & water infiltrates. Over time the surface becomes brittle, holes appear & surface breaks down. (As seen below) This is clearly apparent on all the courts which have been down over 15 years plus. It is urgent that we have a plan of action to remedy this issue in the medium to long term.
This is the beginning of a massive capital investment for the club & we are appealing to members, their family & friends, local residents & the surrounding communities to donate whatever they can afford no matter how small.
- How we’ll spend the money raised
BUILD OUR DREAM
The money that we raise will be invested in creating a court that will look like the one above. The new surface will offer a durable cost effective, low maintenance solution which provides the opportunity for continuous all year round play. It will improve the aesthetics of the environment for the players & adjoining residential housing.
The breakdown of costs:
Resurface of One Existing Tennis Court Area: 470sqm
1. Clean the existing court surface using a high pressure washer and apply moss treatment.
2. Drill the existing court surface at 450mm centres and fill with stone chippings to aid the porosity of the existing surface.
3. Supply and install galvanised angle 25 x 25 x 3mm edge and fixings to the court perimeter.
4. Apply a bitumen emulsion tack coat to the area prior to resurfacing.
5. Supply and hand lay 25mm minimum depth of 6mm porous macadam surfacing (40mm prior to compaction), limestone aggregate, 125 pen. The material will be laid by hand, using a screed, to a tolerance of 8mm beneath a three metre straight edge. The infiltration rate will be such that there will be no standing water on the courts 15 minutes after heavy rain ceases.
6.There will be no ridges or changes in the surface texture or bay joints that could result in erratic ball behaviour. The surface will have a uniform and consistent texture.
7. Apply temporary line markings until permanent paint can be applied. When the new macadam has oxidised, apply 1 No. set of white line markings (water based acrylic sports paint) for tennis.
Cost £9,531.00 plus V.A.T. @ 20%
Colour Finish to New Macadam
8. Apply two coats of pressure sprayed, water based acrylic tennis court paint in standard green colours. Paint conforms to slip resistance requirements for tennis, with the correct footwear.
Additional Cost £ 2,570.00 + V.A.T. @ 20%
Total Cost £14,521.20
Community Impact
The benefits accrued to the community by this investment are as follows:
- to provide a safe, aesthetically pleasing environment with high quality court surfaces for all to play on.
- to ensure that health & safety is paramount when inviting community groups especially children and seniors who play at the club.
- to widen the accessibility & increase participation of adults & children from the Wavertree ward which according to 2024 data has some deprived areas in terms of health behaviours & child poverty.
- to provide sensory tennis sessions to enable children/adults to access tennis in an engaging way.
- to continue developing our links with the local community & offer a warm welcome to all who wish to have some fun playing tennis whilst improving their physical and mental health.
- to sustain the future of the club which provides an open green space in the middle of a built up residential area.
- the pavilion is a vital resource for groups to meet & take advantage of the pleasant environs e.g. Women's Institute
- to encourage more players to join the club by providing a top class hard court surface for competitive play.
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. 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!
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made