Major boost for Hackney Tennis after officially opening new pavilion

The fantastic new facility includes a purpose-built club house, changing facilities, a small shop area, a large club room and a meeting room.

Floodlights and new court fencing have also been installed. This will allow Hackney Tennis to run more adult and junior competitions, further develop the junior programme, expand its holiday programmes and ensure teams can compete and train all year round.

Clissold Park has eight tennis courts and two mini tennis courts with the new pavilion on site being the new home of Hackney Tennis who have responsibility for managing 20 park-based courts across six Hackney park and garden sites.

The project has been completed after more than fourteen years of planning and development. A combined investment of almost £680,000 was made which included £258,000 from the LTA, £271,000 from the London Borough of Hackney and £150,000 from the Mayor of London: Sports Facilities Fund which was delivered by the Football Foundation.

Jan Coombs, Tennis Manager at Hackney Tennis, said: “After 15 years, it's exciting that we now have a permanent home from which to manage the borough's tennis activity.

"As well as supporting our existing programme, the pavilion means we can offer a social hub for tennis-playing children and adults, and vitally it gives us a base from which we can give people a better understanding of how they can access tennis in this park and all the parks around the borough.”

An LTA spokesperson said: “We are dedicated to continuing our investments in grass roots and the community to grow the sport of tennis.

"Developing facilities to improve access for the whole community is integral to our mission to get more people playing more often. The Clissold Park Tennis Pavilion is a great example of how investment through partnerships can support the development of the sport.”