Historic tennis club in fight for survival after council's sale plans

Archival photograph of members of Norbury Park Lawn Tennis Club successful 1952. (Image: Norbury Park Lawn Tennis Club / SWNS)

One of London's astir storied tennis institutions, Norbury Park Lawn Tennis Club, is embroiled successful a hopeless conflict for its aboriginal aft cash-strapped Croydon Council announced intentions to offload the onshore connected which the nine has stood for 136 years.

The club, which has weathered the challenges of 2 World Wars and the reigns of 35 Prime Ministers, is present thrust into uncertainty arsenic it needs to stitchery astir £90,000 to unafraid a 999-year lease from the council.

Leaders of the tennis nine - established backmost successful 1889 - person launched a fundraising run to rise the wealth needed.

Thanks to a GoFundMe page, bake-off sales, and an auction, they've managed to amass astir fractional of the required funds to rescue their beloved facility, designated an Asset of Community Value, granting them precedence successful purchasing the lease.

Croydon Council has expressed its willingness to enactment towards assigning the semipermanent lease to the club.

Blaise Westmaas, the club's Chairman, who has been a subordinate for 3 decades, said that losing the nine would person a immense interaction for the community.

He said: "Norbury Tennis Park Lawn is overmuch much than conscionable a tennis nine – it is simply a cornerstone of our community.

"We person coaching sessions for children, summertime camps, sessions for disabled people...

"As a facility, we rent our grounds and our clubhouse to a fig of section organisations."

Members of Norbury Park Lawn Tennis Club (Image: Norbury Park Lawn Tennis Club / SWNS)

The club's scope extends further, welcoming schools and adjacent churches to utilise their facilities. "We person schoolhouse sessions and adjacent immoderate churches usage our facilities.

"It would beryllium a immense nonaccomplishment for the nine to go."

Boasting astir 150 members, galore of whom are retirees, the nine serves arsenic an flight for workout and assemblage engagement, said Westmaas.

"That has a immense interaction connected the wellness and wellbeing of the radical who travel here," helium added.

"Anyone who gets the bug of tennis, it's the champion happening you tin bash for your health.

"It reduces [visits] for the NHS: the authorities should beryllium backing america to enactment unfastened and turn due to the fact that we prevention them money!

"The sentiment is clear; this is much than conscionable a sports facility—it's a lifeline. "It's a assemblage assets that we can't lose. We're doing our champion to rise the funds to prevention it."

The fundraising efforts are important for the club's survival, aiming to unafraid its aboriginal arsenic a cherished venue.

"The funds raised done this run volition assistance safeguard the aboriginal of the venue and guarantee it remains a spot wherever radical tin travel to bask tennis, socialise, and beryllium portion of thing special."

Mr Westmaas, a begetter of three, added that the nine was seeking sponsorships from businesses and whitethorn adjacent see borrowing wealth if they can't rise a capable sum to acquisition the lease themselves.

Lisa Patient, the Club's Fundraising Director, echoed his praise of the nine arsenic a assemblage stalwart.

When asked astir the consequences of failing to rise capable funds for the lease from Croydon Council, she admits, "The aboriginal would beryllium uncertain.

"People would beryllium mislaid without it. We request to marque definite it stays arsenic a tennis facility.

"We are 1 of the oldest tennis clubs successful the satellite - not acold down Wimbledon successful 1868."

She warmly described the club's spirit: "It's a beauteous tennis club. We big assemblage events and we're a large assemblage asset."

Ms Patient mentioned precocious subordinate Jean Eastick - who lived adjacent to the nine and besides met her hubby determination - arsenic epitomising the club's assemblage feel.

Mrs Eastick, who was calved successful 1929, sadly died astir 5 years ago, but her children stay members and play astatine the club.

Croydon Council, shackled by a £1.6 cardinal indebtedness from mismanagement, flagged concerns past November astir selling the land.

However, Croydon Council clarified to the BBC: "We are not selling the Norbury Tennis Club site."

Croydon Council told the BBC: "We are not selling the Norbury Tennis Club site.

"We signed a heads of presumption statement with them successful October 2024, and we are presently successful negotiations to finalise the lease.

"We volition proceed to enactment with the nine passim the process to debar immoderate unnecessary concern."

The assembly added that it had "started an plus disposals programme successful 2023 successful nonstop effect to cardinal authorities requirements, to merchantability non-operational assets to trim borrowing and debt".

To donate to prevention Norbury Park Lawn Tennis Club, sojourn this link