FREE tennis during the school holidays in Mirfield
FREE tennis during the school holidays is being offered by Mirfield Tennis Club and Kirklees Council.
The club is opening its gates in Mirfield's Memorial Park at 11am Monday to Friday and anyone can play until 6 pm. A Kirklees Council attendant is in place and players simply need to check in and wait for a court to be allocated, on an hourly basis.
The club - which is run by volunteers - recently offered free tennis during Wimbledon, too.
It has been liaising with Kirklees for over a year and it took charge of three newly-resurfaced council park courts this week.
Though the courts switch to club use at 6 pm and at weekends, anyone can still take advantage of the facilities by joining as a casual player for just £10 a year.
Earlier this year the club delivered a five-year plan that aimed to satisfy Kirklees and the Lawn Tennis Association that it could fulfil the sporting needs of the community with emphasis on schoolchildren.
Youngsters are receiving weekly tuition from a fully qualified coach and there are summer camps planned.
The partnership with Kirklees Council developed at a time when the old park courts were vandalised and drastically deteriorating. They had to be constantly cleared of debris (broken glass, stones, beer cans etc) as club members worked with Kirklees to keep them in play, even recovering a stolen net.
Ironically, the club's source of new members dried up as people continued to opt for the free-for-all on the old courts. There was a very real danger three years ago that the club would fold.
However, with the support of Kirklees Council, Mirfield Town Council, Mirfield Sports Council, and the Lawn Tennis Association, it is experiencing a revival and since the new arrangement came in has seen its membership climb to 85.
Newly discounted annual fees range from £10 to £40 (family) and are among the lowest in Yorkshire.
The club has its own website www.freewebs.com/mirfieldtc.