By DAVID COULTER

Published at 09:09, Monday, 23 July 2012

THE legacy from London 2012 will be felt right across the district after local sports clubs received bumper grants to improve facilities.

Smashing news: Young members of Tynedale Tennis Club are looking forward to the renovation of facilities in Hexham.

As part of Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Olympic legacy programme, Prudhoe Town Football Club, Allendale Sports Club and Tynedale Tennis Club have received a combined total of £143,000.

The money is a sum of the organisation’s £1.3m distributed across the country to encourage people to take up sport on the back of the home Olympics.

Tynedale Tennis Club, based in Hexham, has received £43,916 of National Lottery funding which will help modernise the outdated pavilion and provide six artificial grass courts on site.

The pavilion at Priors Flat was erected back in 1889 and is in desperate need of renovation, while the new courts will rejuvenate the club and attract new members to join the current 250.

The funding is on top of the £3,500 Tynedale received from Northumberland County Council through an application made on their behalf by Coun. Derek Kennedy for the purchase of an artificial grass sandbrushing machine.

Tynedale Tennis Club chairman, Roger Guthrie, said: “The fundamental idea underpinning the Sport England Inspired Faclilities grant award is to get people involved in regular and enjoyable exercise.

“While our grant is aimed chiefly at strengthening the infrastructure of the club, the new funding will clearly have beneficial effects for the playing membership.

“Following the exploits of Andy Murray and Jonathan Marray at this year’s Wimbledon, this grant is timely for us as it coincides with a bit of a renaissance of British tennis.”

Tennis will also be served up in Allendale for the first time in 20 years after the sports club secured a grant of £50,000, the highest amount available.

The fund will pay for a hard court playing area to be constructed on the sports field, creating two tennis courts and a netball court.

This means that the village’s netball club will now have somewhere they can call home after relying on other locations for the past four years. In addition it will bring about the creation of a junior section to ensure the sport is played for years to come.

Sports club chairman, David Robson, said: “We are so delighted to have secured this funding and it means that we can now complete phase three of our project to provide excellent sporting facilities for the residents of the Allen Valleys.

“The new hard court will provide a home ground for our successful ladies netball teams and a base to nurture young talent, while the formation of the tennis club has long been a priority and gives local children the opportunity to take part in a new sport.

“This is an exciting time and this is an investment in young people for today, and for the future.”

Also receiving the top award of £50,000 was Wearside League members Prudhoe Town, who will use the money for a much needed revamp of their clubhouse.

Built in 1959, the Tip Top, as it is known locally, is close to becoming ramshackle, and the investment will breathe new life into the club as it pushes on with plans to return to the Northern League.

As part of the renovation, the bar and social area will be completely refurbished, while a kitchen, new toilet facilities and disabled access will be created.

Club chairman Chris Lowther said: “It is our plan to get back to the higher league.

“And, after spending time concentrating on doing the pitch up, it is time for the clubhouse to get some attention.

“The work is badly needed and we have got big plans for it. This is not the end of the project and we will move it to the next step after this.

“It is a big boost to the club and hopefully it will encourage more people to come in and become members.”

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk