Investments from Stevenage Borough Council and the Lawn Tennis Association is set to breathe new life into tennis courts in the town.

£110,000 will be put into refurbishing the courts at Shephalbury Park, with hopes it will provide further opportunities for children and adults to get active.

Alongside the investment, Stevenage Borough Council and the National Tennis Association will work with the LTA to deliver a range of activities including weekly organised free tennis sessions for all ages and playing levels, where equipment is provided.

The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain.

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"We have been working with the LTA for a number of years to secure this funding, and it’s excellent news that we are the first local authority in the country to benefit from this national investment programme," said Richard Henry, leader of Stevenage Borough Council.

"Park tennis courts are vital in providing opportunities for children and adults to get more active, and they will have significant physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits for participants.

"Residents will also benefit from a wide range of tennis programmes that will be on offer in Stevenage."

"We are delighted to be working with Stevenage Borough Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active," added Julie Porter, CEO at the LTA.

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"This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come.

"We will also be working closely with Stevenage Borough Council to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people."

Andy Burrell, managing director of Chiltern Sports, continued: "We are delighted to have been able to commence our works under the LTA framework in Stevenage, it has been a pleasure dealing with the council and it is a credit to their operations that Shephalbury Park will be the first project completed in the region."