Managing a park
There are a huge number of players who want to play tennis at their local park, which means Local Authorities and Park Operators have an amazing opportunity to provide a great service to members of the public, as well as hitting their own objectives. With funding from the UK Government and the LTA, the UK will see over 2000 public park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of their local community. Sustaining and increasing participation in tennis on park courts is also key to the long term health of the sport itself and the LTA’s vision of opening tennis up to more people.
The provision of a suitable tennis offer can:
- Improve your players' mental and physical health
- Reduce the number of people with long-term health conditions, and increase the number of people considered to be ageing well
- Give venues the ability to generate income remotely and efficiently, providing a modern customer journey
- Improve children’s sporting literacy
- Increase the opportunity for family play – enabling more children to be starting and developing well
- Impact the NHS National Child Measurement results.
- Sporting participation is linked to a reduction in crime, antisocial behaviour and unemployment
- Encourage self-sufficient physical activity and reduce social isolation
- Support the benefits of moving for 30 minutes per day
- Make tennis financially sustainable, safeguarding the long-term provision of the sport
The operation of park sites can bring multiple challenges, but we’re here to help.
We have developed tools and documents to help Local Authorities and Parks Operators to understand the opportunity within their parks stock. Using these tools and working alongside our Regional Teams can help your parks venue enhance your facilities and opportunities to play, increasing the number of people visiting the courts and taking part in park tennis.
Insight has shown us that some barriers to participation are:
- Not knowing where the closest courts are
- Not knowing how to book or play on the courts
- Not knowing the condition of the court surface
- 19% of park players say that they don’t play more due to poor quality courts
We also know from surveys of existing park tennis players that:
- 92% of players rate the ease of booking via the LTA booking website or Play Tennis App as “very” or “quite” easy
- 76% of players at renovated parks reported that they play more tennis since the facilities were improved
- 64% of parks players identify themselves as beginner or improver level
When questioned about an online booking and gate access system:
- 78% of players in parks said it was a good or great idea
- Nearly half of all park players said it would help them play more often
- 80% of park players said it would make getting on to court easier
In 2025, Parks with Gate Access Systems installed:
- “Attracted” 373,000 unique players making bookings
- “Led to” c1.5 million bookings
- “Meaning” an estimated +1 million players playing at gated sites
- By enabling bookings made via a computer, mobile phone or tablet at your venue, you are enhancing the customer experience, making it easier to get more people playing tennis, keeping more people healthy, active and productive. If you decide to charge for court use by offering pay and play bookings and/or season tickets, you will be making your courts work harder for you, helping to make tennis a sustainable operation.
What help you will receive to get started
Your LTA Area Delivery team can work alongside you towards increasing participation at your parks and helping you achieve your goals.
We have tools that will help you ascertain the feasibility of your project and indicate the long-term financial impact it may have on your venue:
- The support and guidance of your local LTA Delivery Manager and the use of our venue comparison tools, to ascertain the feasibility and likely outcomes of your project (please use our contact us page if you don’t have contact with your LTA Delivery Manager - www.lta.org.uk/contact/),
- The LTA have framework agreements with gate suppliers with agreed rates and specifications that relevant park tennis operators can benefit from
- The LTA will provide support and advice to help develop the operational model to drive participation and a sustainable business operation
- The LTA will provide support on products and programmes that can be used in a park setting that have been proven to support participation growth
Gate access technology allows venues to control access to their courts remotely, letting them open up their courts to new and wider audiences than ever before. You can find out more through our dedicated page below:
Our online booking system provides an easy way for anyone to find, book, pay for and access tennis courts and group coaching sessions. You can access this booking system below:
Find out more about our online booking systems
We can also offer venues the knowledge and tools to run a local social media marketing campaign! We have editable and downloadable social media templates and also a guide on how to run a great campaign.
The LTA’s Facility Loan Scheme is open year-round and supports venues to expand their facilities, prioritising the installation and construction of covered courts.
Any project we support must align with our vision of ‘tennis opened up’ and our mission of transforming communities through tennis by making it welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring to everyone.
With padel emerging as one of the country's fastest-growing sports, now might be the right time for Local Authorities and Park Operators to capitalise on its growth and further engage with members of your wider community.
Many parks could be suitable venues for the installation and operation of padel courts, offering a vibrant space where people can enjoy the sport and connect with others. Padel could help parks to attract a higher number and a wider range of players to sport, as well as contributing to the park's financial sustainability.
There are many factors for Local Authorities and Park Operators to consider when looking at the installation of Padel courts, these can be split into two main areas. Please click on the links below to go to our Padel webpage for more information.
We know that many operators and Local Authorities are not aware of the huge opportunities that parks present to introduce new players to the sport and to generate revenue that can be re-invested into your tennis facilities.
This tool provides example figures from over 50 real life case studies, allowing you to compare your facilities and gain a great understanding of what is possible at your venues. For more accurate results this tool can be completed with the help and input of your local LTA Participation Development Partner (PDP). Please note you must enable macros for this tool to work.
Many Local Authorities don't have the sport specific knowledge or the workforce to deliver tennis opportunities in parks, instead preferring to come to an agreement with an external provider. We have provided an editable template agreement and guidance notes, along with example case studies of each model to help Local Authorities consider all options available to them when coming to an agreement with an external provider.
Parks Tender Template Services Agreement
Parks Tender Template Guidance notes
Tender Template Case Study - Model 1
If you want to attract and retain local players, you need to understand them and what they want from your park. This valuable knowledge can inform the creation of new playing opportunities as well as help retain and satisfy your existing customers.
View our parks attraction and retention page to help you to grow your venue.
Coaching in a park can be a fantastic career option. With over 1000 park facilities being renovated across 2023 and 2024 in Great Britain, there has never been a more exciting time to get involved in park tennis.
Facilitating play (activating tennis) is also a great way to volunteer your time and give back to your community.
Why deliver tennis in a park?
- There are over 1000 newly refurbished park facilities across Great Britain
- Full and part time opportunities to get involved
- More autonomy as park venues are not committee led
- Flexible hours
- Great hourly pay
- Working outdoors
- Working with people who are enjoying themselves is hugely rewarding and fun
- Stay active and healthy
- Give back to your local community
To register your interest in working at a Park, contact the LTA customer support team confirming the Local Authority that you are interested in. Please include details of the type of work you wish to undertake. The LTA team member will pass on your expression of interest to the regional team and operator of the park site, who will contact you.
It's important to keep your courts in good condition to extend their life span, so they look attractive and they are nice to play on. Take a look at our guidance on how to maintain your park court:
Take a look at the success stories section in our resources library to hear from other parks venues on how they've implemented our guidance and best practices to help you find what you need to run your park courts effectively.