Annan Seaforth Tennis Courts

Annan Seaforth Tennis Courts is a community group originally set up to rejuvenate Annan Seaforth Tennis Courts and is supported by a Lawn Tennis Association Affiliated Coach. They now have tennis sessions for all ages and abilities with members aged 5 to around 80. Sessions take place Tues/Wed/Fri/Sunday at present and include, kid’s sessions, adult sessions, tea & tennis (50+) and Cardio tennis. Tots tennis (3-5 year olds) and an after school teen tennis session (for teenage girls) are in the planning stage.

The group is made up of a committed band of volunteers and they work in partnership with various groups to make the club as inclusive as possible. Partners include Disability Sports, Annan Academy, NHS Child Healthy Weight Programme, Safe and Healthy Action Partnership and D & G Council Leisure and Sport Department to name a few.

All members contribute to the group and have helped develop it significantly over the last 2-3 years. All ages participate in fundraising, marketing, maintenance of the courts and coaching sessions with everyone playing to their own skills. The members that have become committee members, coaches and junior coaches age from teenagers to 60’s. This not only builds sustainability and resilience into the group but develops confidence and skills within individual members and has broken down barriers such as age and disability.

The development of the Tea and Tennis project has encouraged some older people who had stopped playing tennis some time ago to get involved as it is less competitive and a bit slower. This has brought a new dimension to the club involving people from early 50’s to late 70’s. Members have reported increased levels of physical activity and a reduction in social isolation, they say that as much as they enjoy the tennis, the highlight for them is the social side of the club – meeting after the game for a cuppa and a chat. This is evident in the success of the club’s recent coffee afternoon which raised £500 in around 2 hours.

The model has been so successful it has been adopted by Lochmaben and Moffat Tennis Clubs