How 100-year-old club is hoping to serve up tennis for the whole community
CARLTON Lawn Tennis Club, nestled in the heart of Birkdale in Southport, is embarking on an exciting initiative to enhance its facilities and promote yearround tennis for the local community. The 100-year-old club, renowned for its vibrant tennis culture and welcoming atmosphere, is launching a crowdfunding campaign to replace two of its shale courts, aiming to make them all-weather friendly and accessible throughout the year.
The Carlton Club is a community hub delivering a range of services to the area. Its extensive programme of tennis caters to players of all abilities, including lessons for kids, and its facilities also serve as a home for a local nursery and supports adults with learning disabilities.
Currently boasting four shale courts, Carlton LTC acknowledges the limitations posed by these surfaces, particularly during the colder months when inclement weather renders them unusable.
Recognising the importance of providing consistent playing opportunities for its members and the wider community, the club’s vision is to be able to offer tennis year-round, and to grow their already thriving community.
The proposed upgrade aims to replace two shale courts with all-weather surfaces, ensuring that tennis enthusiasts who live in the surrounding area can enjoy their favourite sport year-round.
In order to achieve this, the club is putting together a crowdfunding campaign to raise £30,000.
The crowdfunding campaign sees the club aiming to have achieved their goal by May 10, 2024.
To achieve this goal, Carlton LTC is turning to the community for support, seeking contributions through a crowdfunding campaign.
“We are thrilled to announce our initiative to upgrade two of our shale courts to all-weather surfaces,” said Jane Ratcliffe, of Carlton Lawn Tennis Club.
“By making our facilities more weather-resistant, we hope to encourage greater participation in tennis and provide a space where our members can enjoy the sport they love, regardless of the season.”
As part of the crowdfunding efforts, Carlton LTC is reaching out to local businesses, inviting them to contribute to the campaign by donating goods or services that supporters can purchase.
These contributions will go directly towards funding the court upgrade project.
The club believes that through collective support from the community and local businesses, they can achieve their fundraising target and make a lasting impact on tennis accessibility in the area.
“We invite local businesses to join us in our endeavour to enhance our facilities and promote tennis as an accessible and inclusive sport for all,” added Mick Walsh.
“Your support will not only benefit our club but also contribute to the health and wellbeing of our community.
“With all-weather courts we can continue to grow our junior section and attract new members,” he added.
Alongside this, the club is inviting individuals from the surrounding area to see what goods and services are available to purchase to help support the crowdfund.
Currently, people can get discounts on a range of items including stays in holiday cottages and vouchers for a local florist!
Carlton Lawn Tennis Club is hopeful that with the support of the community and potential backing from Sports England, it can realise its vision of transforming the facilities into a premier tennis destination in Birkdale.
For more information about Carlton Lawn Tennis Club and the crowdfunding campaign, please visit clubspark.lta.org. uk/CarltonLawnTennisClub, email: carltonltc@hotmail. com or head to the socials: www.facebook.com/CarltonLTC / www.instagram.com/ carltonltc