Since the Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre (KWMCC) opened 50 years ago, the Board of Trustees and the team of committed staff have been encouraging local residents of all ages and abilities to play sport, keep fit and have fun by using the multi-sport and recreational facilities on its 12-acre site. So when the four all-weather courts were due for refurbishment earlier this year, KWMC General Manager Stuart Lawson says they chose to work with Tennis 2000 because their vision was to have some of the best courts in Suffolk, attract top coaches and inspire the next generation of tennis players – while ensuring minimal playing disruption for club members.
The £40,000 project, which took four and a half months to complete, was made possible with grants from Sport England, funds from KWMCC and local district councillors plus support from SPARK (Sports Amenities and Recreation in Kesgrave) – a charity shop that raises local funds for the benefit of the community. Tennis 2000 was the preferred supplier, having initially been highly recommended by Kesgrave Tennis Club’s head tennis coach – Suffolk Coach of the Year 2020.
Stuart admits that managing a project that meant so much to the community, during the COVID pandemic, occasionally gave him a few sleepless nights but he says the one constant was the ability to speak to Tennis 2000 on a daily basis when needed.
“Communication with the Tennis 2000 team was excellent throughout the project,” Stuart says. “Any questions I had were promptly answered so I could update the trustees and the tennis committee and give them the confidence the project was on time, on budget and of excellent standard.”
From start to finish, Stuart says the building process was seamless and he was delighted that the downtime to tennis players was kept to a minimum as Tennis 2000 created a practise court while working on the rest of the courts, which he says was “greatly appreciated by the players”.
According to Stuart, each surface was 100% re-laid one court at a time until all four courts were laid. The painting work then took place, followed by the line marking and finally the tennis posts and nets where installed. On project completion the courts were pronounced ‘perfect’ by the club’s tennis committee, coaches and players.
“The new courts now offer the local community some of the best tennis facilities in Suffolk and we’re very proud that these excellent surfaces are right here in the heart of Kesgrave,” Stuart concludes.
For more about Tennis 2000, please click here.