by Tamara Cleary
Following lengthy discussions with Galway Council and having considered a number of possible sites, Ballinasloe Tennis Club is delighted to announce that they will be establishing their new home in a central location, above the running track at Brackernagh.
The club have ambitious plans which include four courts, at least one of which will be covered, a clubhouse, and a practice wall, and they are confident that the central location and easy access will greatly increase the number of people playing tennis.
Having what will be only the second set of covered courts in Connacht will allow tennis to be played all year round regardless of the weather, which will attract not only local players but players from further afield, benefiting the town as a whole.Other sports could also be played on the covered courts, such as badminton, table tennis, and lawn bowls, and the club are keen to work with other groups to make this a facility with broad appeal.
They have already spoken to some groups and welcome any other approaches. The Ballinasloe Sports Hub project is working on promoting Ballinasloe as a sporting destination, and the club see their new facility as making a major contribution to this initiative.
Given the shortage of covered courts in the West, the Midlands, and the country as a whole, such facilities are in great demand and always heavily booked. The club has already had talks with Tennis Ireland and other tennis clubs and there is no doubt that the courts would be in constant demand.
There are plans to run competitions and events throughout the year for members and with other clubs.The development will be built in stages, with timeframes dependent on funding. The club will be applying for sports capital funding and other grants, but will also be counting on maximum support from the council and elected representatives, and from the community for fundraising activities in the coming months.
They are also putting together a number of sponsorship packages and appealing to local businesses for support, seeking one or more major sponsors to get behind the project. Any person or organisation that would like to be involved or can help in any way is welcome.
