£12million funding agreement to grow tennis in Scotland
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LTA and Tennis Scotland agree £12million funding agreement to grow tennis in Scotland.
The LTA and Tennis Scotland have announced a new and increased £12million funding agreement for tennis in Scotland to help grow the sport and open it up to more people, a legacy that would be befitting of the success of Scotland’s three Grand Slam champions in Andy Murray, Jamie Murray and Gordon Reid.
The new arrangement, which covers the entirety of the LTA’s investment in tennis in Scotland, builds on progress made in recent years and represents a record investment, with a substantial increase in funding to deliver and develop tennis in Scotland over and above spending committed to new indoor tennis facilities.
'An aligned strategic approach'
As part of the agreement, the LTA will fund Tennis Scotland’s operational delivery including a number of new roles, as well as investing in a range of activities that encourage more people to play tennis and an international and national tournament calendar that will help to increase the year-round visibility of the sport.
This will strengthen activity and infrastructure across the country from grassroots participation to elite talent development, including the National Tennis Academy at the University of Stirling. This has been built upon an aligned strategic approach developed by the LTA for tennis in Britain.
The funding provided also incorporates investment from the LTA that is already in place such as through the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis fund, which is on track to see a number of new indoor facilities beginning construction in 2020. This fund, with matched investment from sportscotland, has a total investment of £15m set aside for the construction of much needed indoor facilities. Building on the significant LTA investment, Tennis Scotland, in partnership with the LTA and sportscotland, have secured further partner funding from projects across Scotland that will help raise the investment in tennis facilities even further.
This new agreement means that investment in delivering and developing tennis in Scotland is aligned behind the LTA’s five-year strategic plan, with the increased funding providing a strong platform to drive greater visibility of and engagement in tennis, with everyone working together to achieve our ultimate goal of getting more people playing the game.
What They Said
LTA Chief Executive Scott Lloyd said “Our strategy is underpinned by investing resources where there is greatest opportunity to deliver impact and drive participation in tennis. Over the last decade, Scottish tennis players have excelled and captivated the nation – the progress made through the work of Tennis Scotland and other delivery partners in recent years towards capitalising on that to grow the sport, has now created this opportunity for us to take it to a new level.”
Tennis Scotland Chief Executive Blane Dodds said “This is a hugely exciting time for tennis in Scotland and we are grateful for the renewed commitment shown by the LTA. This historic investment will enable us to open up tennis to more people nationwide, to work closer with established and emerging tennis communities across Scotland, deliver more facilities and help grow the game further so that more people in Scotland and enjoy and benefit from our sport. It’s also a great example of partnership working, with LTA and sportscotland’s match funding programme well under way to delivering 10 new indoor tennis facilities across Scotland.”
Sportscotland Chief Executive Stewart Harris said, “This is a great opportunity to further develop the sport of tennis in Scotland. We know that working together can deliver the greatest impact which is why we are delighted that this partnership with the LTA and Tennis Scotland will make the best use of the available investment, facilities and people across Scotland. By working together we can make tennis more accessible and create opportunities for everyone to take part at the level they choose.”
Tennis Coach Judy Murray said, “This is great news for tennis in Scotland and I’m delighted to see the LTA making this commitment to investing in the sport over the next couple of years that will build stronger foundations to grow the game, providing more opportunities and places to play tennis.”
