Kilmarnock Tennis Club opens state-of-the-art courts in Howard Park
Depute Provost Claire Leitch joined over 100 guests last weekend as Kilmarnock Tennis Club opened its new tennis, padel, and pickleball courts at Howard Park in Kilmarnock.
The facility, which represents a £350k investment in the local community, is the culmination of years of planning and hard work by the voluntary sports club.
Driven by a surge in membership at its current London Road venue and the increasing popularity of padel and pickleball, the club embarked on this ambitious project to meet the growing demand for racket sports in the area. The new courts offer accessible, top-quality facilities for players of all ages and abilities, through the use of Smart gate technology which allows the facility to be booked online and a code provided to gain access.
The project was made possible thanks to the support of Scottish Power Renewables (through the East Ayrshire Council-administered Renewable Energy Fund), sportscotland, Lawn Tennis Association, EB Scotland, Place Based Investment Programme and the club’s own funds.
The initiative was also supported by East Ayrshire Council’s Wider Investment Network, an approach which helps community organisations to progress their projects from idea through to completion.
Depute Provost Claire Leitch said: “It was fantastic to be able to open this community facility and to hear how volunteers have taken the lead in driving community regeneration of this great space. I look forward to seeing tennis, padel and pickleball grow within East Ayrshire on the back of this amazing facility.”
Gordon Semple, president of Kilmarnock Tennis Club, said: “We are so proud to have been involved in the delivery of this community regeneration project to transform a derelict space, in a prime location in the town, into a vibrant, new tennis facility that will serve the club and the community for years to come. It was a collaborative effort from the outset and my thanks go to East Ayrshire Council, all of the funding providers, our project partners, and all the people who helped this vision become a reality.”
Glow Homes, the main club sponsor, sponsored the open day providing drinks, snacks, cupcakes and goody bags.
If you would like to book courts or get involved in padel or pickleball, visit KTC Howard Park / Booking / Book by date (lta.org.uk)