On Wednesday 3rd April 2024, Wrexham’s Member of Parliament, Sarah Atherton MP visited the Wrexham Tennis Centre to see how they are using £2 million of UK Government funding.
Wrexham Tennis Centre is the largest Community Indoor Tennis Centre in Wales, with 500 people using the Centre every week. During Ms Atherton’s visit, the Lexus Welsh Junior Open was taking place, which sees 11–16-year-olds from all over the country come to Wrexham to compete.
During the visit, Ms Atherton was given a tour of Wrexham Tennis Centre and saw some of the players taking part in the Lexus Welsh Junior Open. She was also delighted to hear about the work the Centre is doing with local schools in Wrexham to get children active and involved in sport. The Centre is looking to further engage with the local community to ensure that tennis is open and accessible to all.
In 2022, Wrexham Council received £22.7 million from the UK Government as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This replaced EU funding, which often went to Welsh Government in Cardiff to distribute. As the UK is no longer part of the European Union, the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund was sent directly to Wrexham Council to spend on local projects in Wrexham.
The Centre was one of many recipients in Wrexham and received £2 million in Shared Prosperity Funding.
Ms Atherton heard how the significant UK Government investment will help to transform the Centre, as well as being used to resurface all existing tennis courts, install floodlights, and make a number of other improvements to the Centre.
In addition, the Centre also plans to use this money to build three outdoor padel courts. Padel is a new form of tennis, that’s fun, easy to learn and extremely sociable. Padel is played on an enclosed court, about the third of the size of a tennis court, where groups of mixed ages and abilities can play together.
Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in Wales and Ms Atherton was delighted to hear that as a result of UK Government funding, Wrexham will soon be home to the first public padel courts in North Wales, opening up the sport to many more people.
Ms Atherton heard that planning permission had been granted for these works, which are scheduled to start in May.
Sarah Atherton MP commented:
“While Wrexham is renowned for its football, it boasts more than just a strong football culture. Nestled within our community, lies the prestigious Wrexham Tennis Centre, one of the UK’s largest indoor and outdoor tennis facilities. During my visit, amidst the buzz of the Lexus Welsh Junior Open, I was pleased to witness the tangible impact of the £2million injection from the UK Conservative Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. This investment is being well spent and will transform all aspects of the Tennis Centre.
Thanks to UK Government investment, Wrexham is becoming a tennis powerhouse. Once the works at Wrexham Tennis Centre are completed, local residents will have unparalleled access to top-tier facilities. At this rate, it is looking likely that the next Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu will be from Wrexham!”