Totton & Eling Tennis Centre has celebrated its 15th birthday by winning a national award at Wimbledon.
The family-run club has been recognised for its excellence by being crowned Community Venue of the Year at the Lawn Tennis Association’s British Tennis Awards, held at the All England Club.
The club opened in 2003 and in that time has grown to nearly 300 hundred members over 200 of which are juniors.
Judges highlighted the club’s community outreach programme including a coaching scheme for around 2,000 local school children and the LTA’s hugely successful Tennis for Kids programme.
Richard Cutler, one of the club’s founders, was presented with the club award at a lunch attended by HRH Duchess of Gloucester, tennis legends Mark Cox and Jo Durie Murray and hosted by broadcaster and former British No. 1 Andrew Castle.
Now in its third year, the awards celebrate the outstanding achievements made by tennis volunteers, coaches, clubs and community programmes across the country.
This year saw a record number of public nominations with 1,460 in total for the awards, covering 10 different categories including two volunteer of the year awards, coach of the year, and club of the year.
Nominations were drawn from 25,000 volunteers, 4,400 coaches, 940 officials, 20,000 schools, 2,800 clubs and over 9,700 LTA approved tournaments from across the country, demonstrating the true calibre of these finalists and winners.
Cutler said: “It’s a privilege to be here in such a wonderful location and winning Community Venue of the Year is something we’re very proud of.”
“In 2003 the club was nothing more than a field and fourteen years later we’ve now got a floodlit facility with eight courts and a clubhouse.”
“To have come from quite literally nothing and to now be stood here winning a national award at Wimbledon – it’s been an incredible journey.”
Scott Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Lawn Tennis Association said: “I want to congratulate Totton and Eling Tennis Centre and all our winners and nominees at this year’s British Tennis Awards.
"We had a record number of nominations and their stories reflect the huge passion for the game and highlight how tennis touches the lives of people in a range of different ways, whether through disability programmes, education initiatives or the fantastic work that clubs do in their local communities.
“Our sport wouldn’t be what it is today without the support it receives at grassroots level.
"These winners and nominees along with the thousands of others up and down the country who give up their time to support our sport are the real heroes of British tennis.”
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