Ward End Park set for biggest ever summer of tennis
- Great British Tennis Weekends will see courts in Ward End Park serve up free tennis for families over three weekends this summer
- The first Great British Tennis Weekend takes place this weekend with Ward End Park offering free family tennis from 2pm – 4pm on Saturday 16th May.
- Former Great Britain Number 1 tennis star Greg Rusedski will be visiting Ward End park and taking part in the activities between 3pm – 4pm that day.
Families across Birmingham are set to go tennis crazy this summer with a series of three free ‘Great British Tennis Weekends’ smashing into town. The first of the weekends is taking place this Saturday and Sunday (16th and 17th May), with parks and clubs offering free opportunities to pick up a racket as tennis fever begins to grip the nation in the lead up to The Championships, Wimbledon.
People will be able to take part in free family time tennis sessions as part of the LTA and Tennis Foundation’s drive to get more people playing more often. Venues will be providing rackets and balls, so if you’ve never tried tennis before or are a regular player, there really is no excuse not to visit an event and get involved.
In addition to the Great British Tennis Weekends’, regular tennis sessions are also being included in Birmingham City Council’s Active Parks sessions at Cannon Hill Park, Ward End Park, Calthorpe Park and Aston Park.
On 16th May former British number 1 Greg Rusedski will be visiting Ward End Park and taking part in the activities between 3pm – 4pm.
Anna Birkinshaw, Regional Tennis Participation Manager, Birmingham said: “We are really excited that the Great British Tennis Weekend is hitting Ward End Park this month. With so many park sites and clubs right across Birmingham running their own Great British Tennis Weekends there really is something for everyone. I hope families take the opportunity to take part in these fantastic events and ready themselves for what is set to be Birmingham’s biggest ever summer of tennis, as we get behind Andy Murray and the British tennis stars.”
Families can book in advance online and find out more information about local venues at www.greatbritishtennisweekend.com
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For more information please contact:
Matt Russell (admin@birminghamnewsroom.com, 0121 4402456).
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) mission is to get more people playing tennis more often, and its role is to develop, promote and govern tennis in Britain.
The Great British Tennis Weekends are the UK’s biggest ever public tennis event. The LTA in partnership with tennis venues throughout Great Britain are running a campaign this summer to help as many people as possible play tennis for free. The three weekends are:
- 16/17 May
- 13/14 June
- 1/2 August
The events are for all ages and abilities and offer an ideal day out with the family. Equipment will be provided if you don’t have your own. Many venues will have additional special offers in place if people enjoy the experience and want to carry on playing.
Anyone can find and book for free via the website: www.lta.org.uk/gbtw
Aegon is Lead Partner of British Tennis and is helping to transform the sport in this country. For further information visit www.aegontennis.co.uk
The County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) are working with the LTA to promote the campaign. CSPs have a national reach with local impact and are committed to increasing local participation in sport and physical activity. For more information: www.cspnetwork.org
For more information on the LTA and British tennis, visit: www.lta.org.uk
The Tennis Foundation is Great Britain’s leading tennis charity with a vision to make tennis inclusive and accessible to all. For more information, visit: www.tennisfoundation.org.uk
