A group of Blackpool volunteers who revamped a set of abandoned tennis courts for free public use has won a prestigious award.

Four tennis courts at Blackpool’s Stanley Park were reopened in 2023 after funding from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) as part of its Parks Tennis Project.

The project is the LTA’s biggest ever investment in park tennis across Britain with the aim of inspiring individuals to pick up a racquet and head to their local court.

With Wimbledon around the corner, coach Georgia Wearing hopes that their recent success will encourage more people to come along and play the growing sport.

She said: “We are so happy and grateful to have won that award.

“It’s great to know that we’ve been acknowledged and seen, and hopefully it will encourage more people to come and spread the word that we do Free Parks Tennis here.”

Over the course of three years, the LTA has invested more than £45 million in reshaping the future of tennis across Britain.

By revamping more than 3,000 abandoned courts like the ones at Stanley Park, local communities now have the opportunity to play tennis for free each weekend.

Vass, who works on the cardiac ward at Blackpool Victoria hospital, noted the benefits associated with the initiative.

“Because it’s a free session, it’s more enticing to people to come here,” she said.

“Nowadays it’s really tight financially and things can get tense, so we tell our friends it’s a free session and they say ‘oh wow, I’ll come down’, so it’s really great.”

Alongside the financial aspect, there are also health benefits for Blackpool residents — who sit among some of the unhealthiest in England.

In a town where one in three adults are classified as physically inactive, placing greater emphasis on accessible, community-led opportunities is a ‘no-brainer’.

“It is amazing that we have such a session here for people in the community,” said Vass.

“It encourages people to come and burn some calories and improve their cardiovascular endurance, and agility and everything.”

Alongside this, the session is also a time to ‘meet others and make friends’, helping to build a stronger sense of community while encouraging people to return.

Courtney Roberts, one of the coaches at Stanley Park, came up with the idea of female-only sessions. Together with Georgia they pitched the idea to WeDoTennis and REBOUND who supported the initiative.

“We were the first park to try it out,” said Georgia.

“I was running it with Courtney, and she had a great idea because there’s so many people that really love it and come down every week.”

These sessions are led by a female coach in a relaxed and supportive environment and consist of light activity and social interaction.

Vass has been playing since the courts reopened in 2023, and frequently attends the female focus session — Rebound — on Wednesday evenings.

“The women’s only sessions are another really good community support initiative we do,” noted Vass.

“We have got a few girls that due to their religious beliefs and all, they don’t want to play with other men, so this women’s only session is really good for them.

“It means we are looking at every part of the community and catering to every religious belief.”

Georgia believes the investment is crucial in attracting young children to take up the sport.

With many schools across Britain offering football as an extra-curricular activity, she believes that tennis is not ‘pushed enough’ and is often ignored by children and parents alike.

Since their revamp in 2023, the programme has attracted a wide range of participants, including beginners and those returning to the sport after long periods of inactivity.

Saturday saw their largest attendance of the year, with more than 20 participants heading to Stanley Park to serve up some fun in the sun.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has also voiced his support for the initiative which is inspiring many to take part.

Last year’s Wimbledon saw 8.8 million people tune into the BBC as Jannik Sinner was crowned the men’s singles champion.

While viewership peaked in 2023 when Carlos Alcaraz defeated the then 23-time Grand Slam Champion Novak Djokovic, tennis is continuing to grow fast in popularity.

The LTA has capitalised on this momentum by launching its initiative to get people active and inspire the next generation.

To book onto your local court, you can visit lta.org.uk/book