A North Sheffield club has won ‘Club of the Year’ at the Sheffield and District Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) awards a year and a half after a fundraising effort saved them from collapse.
Karen Lyon, the chairperson of Thorncliffe Tennis Club in High Green, said she was “extremely proud” that the club had won the award.
Ms Lyon credited the increase in members for the club’s success, stating that membership has almost doubled in the past year from 52 members to 92 now.
She said the increase in female members, which clubs in the area have all struggled with recently, was vital to the health of the club. The recent hiring of coach Helen Johnson played a major role in this.
When asked if she believed to have played a role in the success, Ms Johnson said: “I’d like to think so. I think I help [the female members] to enjoy it.”
At the start of 2024, the courts were in poor condition and the club was struggling to attract new members. This prompted the club to begin crowdfunding to save the club and refurbish courts that have been there since 1949.
In just a few months the club was able to raise £45,000, which was way over the target figure of £25,000, and allowed them to resurface the tennis courts which are now in great condition.
The community rallied around the club, with local churches and other clubs contributing with sizeable donations to ensure the club’s survival.
Ms Lyon said she was extremely grateful for the community response, but the next step was to make the club sustainable.
She said: “We can’t go back to the community again in 15 years asking for help.”
The next target for the club is to improve the club’s facilities, including working on the clubhouse.
Over 50 per cent of its members are female, and Thorncliffe has recently brought disability tennis to the eastern half of Sheffield, having seven disabled players on the court.
Ms Lyon said this meant it was crucial that they had facilities that created a safe and welcoming space for everyone.
Thorncliffe have become just the fourth club in Sheffield to win the award three times, following Abbeydale, Brentwood, and Hallamshire.
The club will now be nominated for the regional South Yorkshire awards, before potentially making it on the shortlist for the national awards.
