Burnley Tennis Club has stepped up its bold bid to build an indoor facility

The establishment, which is based in Lower Ridge Close off Belvedere Road, currently boasts six all-weather outdoor courts – three of which are floodlit – and a clubhouse.

Open all year, the club provides tennis amenities for more than 250 members as well as hosting coaching and playing provision for juniors as young as five-years-old up to the age of 16.

Over the past three decades, the club has boasted a pedigree of people who have gone on to be county players and county champions.

Towards the end of 2021, the club announced plans to put a roof – in the shape of a permanent bubble structure – over two of its courts.

Since Crow Wood Leisure Centre closed their indoor courts last year in order to expand the spa, there is currently no indoor tennis provision in Burnley – the nearest indoor centre being at Blackburn Northern.

Benefitting from the support of the Lawn Tennis Association, the club has spent the past 12 months or so raising funds.

It has been aided by the support of a local businessman, who has provided considerable financial, planning and business expertise towards the project.

However, the club requires more help. It has now set up a crowdfunding page, which has gone live today.

The crowdfunder will have a lifespan of 28 days where supporters of the project can buy services or goods, or just make a voluntary contribution, and if the club is able to raise £10,000 then that exact sum will be matched by Sport England.

On top of the matched funding, an extra £10,000 has also been pledged by Sport England towards the cost of the project if the club can attract 100 unique supporters.

Secretary Jez Palmer said: “We have already had some private sector support from a local businessman who loves Burnley as a town and wanted to help us get things going.

"He has supported the project over the past year with his time and money with pre-project work including surveys, planning applications and business expertise – but we need more help.

“We are going to try to raise £10,000 and if we can do that, then Sport England will match that sum.

"If we don’t raise £10,000 in 28 days then we won’t get the £10,000 matched funding from Sport England.

"How members, or people who are not members, can get involved is they can pledge some money and can get something in return.

"For instance, our membership fees are due in March but during the 28-day window when the crowdfunding page is live, members can buy their membership for the next 12 months.

"It will just mean they will be paying it one month earlier than normal but it will help us towards our target of raising £10,000.

“Family and friends of members can also get involved. So if for example a member paid for their membership through the crowdfunder, then they could ask a family or friend to buy a piece of club merchandise or a block of coaching. That would create more unique supporters and help us towards our goal of achieving 100 unique supporters and earning an extra £10,000.

"Companies can get involved by buying a sponsorship package or I know some companies do have charitable projects and they could possibly make a donation through that.”

The club is also holding a prize draw where participants can purchase a ticket for £5 with the chance of winning a £120 gift voucher.

As part of its wider fund-raising campaign, the club is hoping to secure funding from Burnley Council’s Town to Turf project – the £6.1million scheme which aims to create a “regeneration corridor” from the Weavers’ Triangle through to Turf Moor – the home of Burnley Football Club which neighbours the tennis club.

The creation of indoor provision will be accessible to the community at large. The club provides assistance for local schools in their delivery of sports programmes and competitions.

It also takes part in the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which is a Government-led initiative to provide activities for children during the school holidays.

The club is also a centre for local people to become coaches and officials – providing sports leadership courses and volunteering opportunities. "It really will be a community facility,” said Palmer.

“We deliver the HAF programmes which we heavily subsidise.

"What we are doing at the moment is because during the winter we need an indoor space, we have to hire the sports hall at the neighbouring high school Blessed Trinity.

"If we had our own indoor facility, then we wouldn’t have to do that. We would be able to signpost the money which would have gone to Blessed Trinity to paying any subsequent loan we take out towards the cost of the bubble.

"We run all these community initiatives and the HAF programmes which costs the kids next to nothing to get involved in.

If you would like get involved in the project, then please visit the club’s crowdfunding page at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/burnley-tennis-club-community-indoor-tennis-dream

The page went live on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at 10am and will close on February 22, 2023 at 10am.

If you are interested in helping the club's fundraising drive even further then please email [email protected] or contact Jez Palmer on 07825771762