A ribbon-cutting ceremony has marked the official opening of the new tennis courts at Marlborough’s St John’s Academy, which have also been made available for community use.
Headteacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood performed the ceremony on Tuesday before staff, students and invited guests from Marlborough Town Council and Marlborough Tennis Club.
The six courts, including two with a high specification surface, are a welcome addition to the sports facilities at St John’s and mark the completion of what Dr Hazlewood described as Phase 2A in the development project.
The courts have been in use since September for netball practise, but their completion had not been officially marked until this week, Dr Hazlewood explaining how they are not only an important addition to St John’s but also to the wider community.
“Without the support of so many local donors we would not have been able to complete this project,” he said. “We are indebted to everyone who has enabled us to achieve so much. I am delighted that we are now able to make the courts available for wider community use, further increasing the range facilities we are able to offer”.
He then outlined the plans for the next phase of development, which focuses on the installation of an all-weather pitch, requiring St John’s to raise around £350,000 in additional funds.
Dr Hazlewood asked Hilda Moore, who chairs Marlborough Tennis Club and represents the Marlborough Sports Forum, which aims to promote and develop sport and sports facilities in the area, to join him in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the gates to the courts.
This was followed by an exhibition game of tennis from a group of St John’s students, who were proud to be the first students ever to play tennis on the courts.
Local tennis clubs are keen to make use of the facilities during evenings, weekends and school holidays, and St John’s is able to offer them high quality outdoor facilities as well as changing rooms and a community room for events and meetings.
Marlborough prepares to rock for Prospect
