James attended a reception hosted by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in Parliament last week (5th March) as he welcomed investment to transform park tennis courts across the country, including Huntingtree Park in Halesowen and Britannia Park in Rowley Regis.
Thanks to a £30m investment from the Government and the LTA Tennis Foundation, thousands of tennis courts nationwide are being transformed to enable people of all ages to become more active. Huntingtree Park and Britannia Park are two of almost 1800 parks that have benefitted from renovation works and improved accessibility.
The LTA is also supporting a range of activities across parks and tennis courts, which includes free weekly organised sessions for all ages and abilities and equipment provided.
“I welcome the investment that Huntingtree Park and Britannia Park are receiving from the LTA and the Government, giving more local children and adults the opportunity to play tennis, stay physically active and boost their mental health", said James.
“Tennis is steeped in British history, being a favourite pastime of Henry VIII and being mentioned in Shakespeare’s Henry V, whilst the modern game of lawn tennis was pioneered not too far from here in Edgbaston. It is great to see the LTA’s efforts to widen participation and get more people involved with the improved facilities and equipment.”
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, added, “We are delighted to be working to improve their park tennis facilities across Britain and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active. This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come.
“We will also be working to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people.”
Stuart Andrew MP, Minister for Sport, also added, "We are committed to levelling up access to sport which is so important for the nation’s physical and mental health. "The Government and the LTA are working together to deliver thousands of refurbished courts across Great Britain, supported by £30 million of investment. "These improved tennis facilities in Halesowen & Rowley Regis will provide the local community with fun opportunities to get active and potentially become the next Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu, or even our latest champion Katie Boulter."
