Published on:
11
April 2011
Judy Murray, mother of tennis champs Andy and Jamie, will be at Lornshill Academy on Wednesday 20th April to officially launch Menstrie Tennis Club.
The club has been in existence since the 1920s when it was DCL Menstrie Tennis Club and members were mainly company workers. But membership waned around a decade ago and the club was disbanded. However, an energetic and enthusiastic group of local residents reformed the club last year and, with the support of the Council, has been running occasional tennis coaching classes at the Dumyat Centre and at Lornshill Academy.
The club now has around a dozen regular members and has drawn up a constitution, formed a committee and joined the Lawn Tennis Association and Tennis Scotland. They also have a website at www.menstrietennisclub.co.uk.
Now Britain's most famous sporting mum, Judy Murray, will officially launch the club. She will be joined on the evening by Davis Cup team member Colin Fleming who, together with Jocelyn Rae, won the gold medal in the mixed doubles at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi for Scotland.
You are invited to send a photographer to Lornshill Academy at 5pm on Wednesday 20th April. There will be a cake cutting ceremony at 6.40pm.
The club's interim chairman Dr Jim Hay said: "We are extremely keen to attract new members to the club and hope to have around 50 members by the end of the year. We welcome members of all abilities and from anywhere in Clackmannanshire. We have been working closely with the Council's sports development and facilities management and are keen to encourage young people to take up the game. It's a great game, lots of fun and a good way to keep fit."
There will be club nights at Lornshill Academy on Tuesday and Friday evenings and the club will run coaching sessions on Wednesday evenings for all age groups. The club has also entered a gent's team into the Tennis Central league.
Thanks to support from sports development and Cashback Tennis there will be an eight- week summer programme during the school holidays with free tennis coaching at Lornshill every Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm for young people aged 12 to 16 years.
Councillor Bobby McGill, spokesman for sports development, said: "I am delighted that Menstrie Tennis Club has reformed and that Judy and Colin are able to come to the launch event. Our three secondary school boast fantastic sporting facilities and this club will be using the four artificial outdoor tennis courts at Lornshill. The Council is always keen to support and assist local clubs in whatever way we can and sports development will continue to work with the club to encourage junior membership and to help train coaches.
Representatives from neighbouring tennis clubs: Dollar, Livilands, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane; will also be attending the launch to welcome the re-constitution of Menstrie Tennis Club as this will give their members more opportunities for inter-club matches in the area.
If you are interested in joining Menstrie Tennis Club please call either Louise Hamilton on 01259 760404, Jim Hay on 01259 761220 for more details or email menstrietennisclub@hotmail.co.uk . A membership form is available on the website.
For any information about the sport of tennis, coach education or access to facilities contact sports development on 01259 450000.