Anyone for tennis?
COMMUNITY activists have joined together in a bid to save Newlands Park’s tennis courts.
The facility has fallen into disrepair in recent years after being hugely popular with the community during the 80s and 90s.
Now, a group of local people hope to bring the free tennis courts back for public use.
A campaign spokesperson told The Extra: “Growing up in Auldhouse I used to have happy memories about playing there.
“It is incredible that these courts have been left to decay and ruin. When I drove past, I was absolutely shocked.
“As a community, we must get them back up and running. I have been astounded by the response when it has really only been going for two weeks.
“Now we plan to contact Glasgow Life to appeal for funding through the active places fund with a view to improving sporting facilities.
“We also have plans to establish a community action day and clean it up ourselves and get it looking good.
“This is not an opportunity to criticise the council, it’s a great community resource and we want the community to use it and help improve it. We want to have three great courts up and running again”.
The 20 people steering group met on Saturday and a Facebook campaign page is now up and now the Newlands Park Tennis Courts Campaign has almost 200 likes after just two weeks.
Newlands/Auldburn councillor Emma Gillan has put her weight behind the campaign.
She commented: “It’s fantastic to have such an active community effort going into renewing the tennis courts at Newlands Park.
“We’ve seen impressive examples across the city of courts being transformed and I’m keen to work with the campaign group and a coalition of partners to provide a top class facility here in Newlands.
“It is perfectly timed to follow such a great summer of sport, our local primary school children are being treated to taster programmes in a wide range of new sports through funding from the council’s Newlands/Auldburn area committee and I’m pleased to support efforts to improve the facilities we have on our doorstep.”
While Cathcart’s MSP James Dornan has also offered his support.
He said: “It’s great to see a local campaign garner support so quickly, this just highlights the need within the local community for such a facility to be available again.
“I know my colleague, bailie Josephine Docherty, is working closely with the campaign and I’m keen to support them in any way that I can.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Glasgow
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
