THE SUN shone down and more than 50 residents of all ages turned out to Droitwich Lido Park this morning for the official opening of the new £40,000 tennis courts.
It followed a successful fund-raising campaign launched by mum Elaine Ball who noticed the courts had fell into a dangerous state of disrepair.
She and fellow fund-raiser Neil Bates wanted to provide the the best free courts possible for those who could either not afford or did not want to commit to joining a club but still wanted to play tennis.
Wychavon District Council initially agreed to match-fund a £20,000 total but then added another £10,000 to the drive.
And generous donations from residents and local businesses and tenacious fund-raising by campaigners saw the remaining £10,000 collected.
The Droitwich Standard was also praised by campaigners for highlighting the drive and helping it reach its successful conclusion so quickly.
Elaine told The Standard: “We have been waiting for this moment for ages and are so glad it is here.
“The courts are fabulous – they look even better than we ever could have imagined.
“It’s also great to see so many people playing tennis here this morning.
“We did this to provide a legacy for future generations in Droitwich for many years to come.
“And who knows, maybe one day we will have a Wimbledon Champion who started playing tennis on these courts.”
Resident Joanna Wright was one of the people who came down to see the new courts.
“I have lived in Droitwich for 25 years and four generations of my family have used these park courts so this is wonderful to see.
“My mum, me, my nieces and their children have all played on these courts and they will love this.
“Well done to everyone who made this happen – Elaine and Neil have done a fantastic job,” she said.
Lynn Stevens, Wychavon District Council’s senior parks and open spaces officer, spoke at the opening along with Coun Emma Stokes.
Coun Stokes said it was great to see so many people out already enjoying the courts.
“It’s absolutely wonderful and it shows the power of the community here in Droitwich.
“If you want something badly enough you can go out and get it.
“I would like to thank Neil and Elaine for ensuring that their children and the other children in the town can play tennis for free here.”
