Floodlights

It may only be Spring but we’re already looking ahead to Winter 2024.

Market Weighton Lawn Tennis Club is looking forward to a brighter winter season in 2024 as we have secured funding from the Robert B Massey Memorial Trust which will enable us to install floodlights on our three hard courts this autumn, in time for the winter season.

Both members and non members will be able to take advantage of playing during darker evenings, and both adult and junior coaching as well as cardio tennis will be extended across the season. There will also be the opportunity for the club to join some winter leagues. We look forward to any other ideas people have on how to maximise the use of this new facility.

Floodlights will enable Dave Thompson to further develop on our successful junior coaching programme with less reliance on using limited indoor spaces. This will be of particular benefit to all juniors aged 10 and above where the constraints of a mini court indoors are particularly felt. Dave supports over 100 children in the area to participate at the tennis club on a regular basis, which is developing a strong cohort of up and coming tennis players in our community. 

Dave Thompson commented “The addition of floodlights at the tennis club is the next step forward in a series of developments that have been made over the last few years which have all supported both the junior and adult coaching programme. Since I started coaching here full time in April 2021 we have developed a large group of keen tennis players, and floodlights are going to help ensure they continue playing tennis year round as they get older”. 

We identified the likely need for floodlights when the new clubhouse was built and electricity was installed in 2022 with ducting in place ready for floodlights. 

We applied for, and were granted planning permission for floodlights in 2023. A business case has since been created, drafting the coaching plans and how we will fund the extra costs, including installing a new gate entry system. This was shared with the Massey Trust and we were thrilled when they agreed to provide financial support which will be a key enabler to cover the majority of the installation costs.

We continue to rely heavily on local sponsorship, fundraising activities and your support in order to continue to develop and improve our facilities – many thanks for being part of our journey. We’ll keep you informed as our plans and timings progress.