Managing a park
There are a huge number of players who want to play tennis at their local park, which means Local Authorities and Park Operators have an amazing opportunity to provide a great service to members of the public, as well as hitting their own objectives. With funding from the UK Government and the LTA, the UK will see over 2000 public park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of their local community. Sustaining and increasing participation in tennis on park courts is also key to the long term health of the sport itself and the LTA’s vision of opening tennis up to more people.
The operation of parks sites can bring multiple challenges, but we’re here to help.
We have developed tools and documents to help Local Authorities and Parks Operators to understand the opportunity within their parks stock. Using these tools and working alongside our Regional Teams can help your parks venue to enhance your facilities and opportunities to play, increasing the number of people visiting the courts and taking part in parks tennis.
The below document provides an overview of all opportunities that are available in the Parks Tennis Landscape.
Gate access technology?allows venues to control access to their courts remotely, letting them open up their courts to new and wider audiences than ever before. You can find out more through our dedicated page below:
Our online booking system provides an easy way for anyone to find, book, pay for and access tennis courts and group coaching sessions. You can access this booking system below:
We can also offer venues the knowledge and tools to run a local social media marketing campaign! We have editable and downloadable social media templates?and also a guide on how to run a great campaign.
We know that many operators and Local Authorities are not aware of the huge opportunities that parks present to introduce new players to the sport and to generate revenue that can be re-invested into your tennis facilities.
This tool provides example figures from over 50 real life case studies, allowing you to compare your facilities and gain a great understanding of what is possible at your venues. For more accurate results this tool can be completed with the help and input of your local LTA Participation Development Partner (PDP). Please note you must enable macros for this tool to work.
Many Local Authorities don't have the sport specific knowledge or the workforce to deliver tennis opportunities in parks, instead preferring to come to an agreement with an external provider.?We have provided an editable template agreement and guidance notes, along with example case studies of each model to help Local Authorities consider all options available to them when coming to an agreement with an external provider.
Parks Tender Template Services Agreement
Parks Tender Template Guidance notes
Tender Template Case Study - Model 1
If you want to attract and retain local players, you need to understand them and what they want from your park. This valuable knowledge can inform the creation of new playing opportunities as well as help retain and satisfy your existing customers.
View our parks attraction and retention page to help you to grow your venue.
Coaching in a park can be a fantastic career option. With over 1000 park facilities being renovated across 2023 and 2024 in Great Britain, there has never been a more exciting time to get involved in park tennis.
Facilitating play (activating tennis) is also a great way to volunteer your time and give back to your community.
Why deliver tennis in a park?
- There are over 1000 newly refurbished park facilities across Great Britain
- Full and part time opportunities to get involved
- More autonomy as park venues are not committee led
- Flexible hours
- Great hourly pay
- Working outdoors
- Working with people who are enjoying themselves is hugely rewarding and fun
- Stay active and healthy
- Give back to your local community
To register your interest in working at a Park, contact the LTA customer support team confirming the Local Authority that you are interested in. Please include details of the type of work you wish to undertake. The LTA team member will pass on your expression of interest to the regional team and operator of the park site, who will contact you.
It's important to keep your courts in good condition to extend their life span, so they look attractive and they are nice to play on. Take a look at our guidance on how to maintain your park court: