Serving Up Brand New Tennis Facilities

Seaford Town Council’s official opening of its three brand new tennis courts at The Salts Recreation Ground on Saturday 21st May 2022 saw a fantastic day and great turn out.

The day started with the Town Crier, Peter White, announcing the event in Seaford’s town centre and then shortly afterwards at the courts, where he also acknowledged the part-funders involved: Lewes District Council, Sport England, and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the governing body of tennis in Great Britain. The tennis courts were then officially opened by the Mayor of Seaford, Olivia Honeyman, supported by the Young Mayor Erin Franklin and Deputy Young Mayor Nia Waite.

Also in attendance were members of the public, a representative from the LTA, Seaford Town Councillors, and Seaford Town Council Officers. Seahaven FM supported the event by kindly loaning their PA system, and broadcasting the event the following day. The courts were free for all to use from 11am to 9pm. Free rackets and tennis balls were also available to borrow to have a knock around. Alongside this, three coaches were on hand, serving up free tennis tips to players. The event was also supported by the nearby Salts Café, who served up a promotion of scones, jam, cream and strawberries. The day was a great success, attracting a steady stream of players of all ages throughout the day. Mayor and Cllr Honeyman said, ‘It’s been a good morning and great to see people using the courts’. Jemima Lee, LTA’s South East Participation Development Manager said, ‘It is fantastic to see the courts refurbished with the addition of floodlights and gate access system to aid all-year-round play and improve the customer journey to court, and we’re very pleased to be working with Seaford Town Council to develop their park courts and help open tennis up to more local people. Tennis courts in parks play a key role in introducing people to tennis, with around 1.7 million people across Britain playing on park courts in the last 12 months. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is committed to promoting tennis and working with Council’s to implement sustainable, low-cost usage models for park tennis courts to ensure they continue to serve as hubs to bring individuals and communities together through tennis’. Booking a court is a straightforward four-step process at: www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/thesaltstennis/Booking. Special thanks for everyone’s support on the day and helping to make this happen. It was a pleasure to see the courts being so busy and well used. The development of the new tennis courts contributes to the achievement of one of the Town Council’s five long-term strategic objectives for the town: to improve and maintain the recreational facilities.

Photo (l-r): Tony Jackson (STC Projects and Facilities Manager), Jemima Lee (LTA Participation Development Manager), Councillor and Mayor Olivia Honeyman, Young Mayor Erin Franklin, Deputy Young Mayor Nia Waite, Zoe Polydorou (STC Projects Officer).