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Caerphilly Tennis Club is undergoing a £280,000 refurbishment, which includes court resurfacing, new seating, and better wheelchair access.

The renovations at the club, which based at Virginia Park near Caerphilly Leisure Centre, have been “bigger than expected”, according to its head coach.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Jonathan Morgan said recent flooding to three of its courts has meant a complete renovation is essential for the club to remain open.

The cost of rebuilding the courts alone has since grown to £170,000, up from the previously expected £95,000.

“Our initial plan was a simple resurface of all six courts which would have cost around £90,000 to £100,000,” Jonathan said.

“But after the three back courts experienced serious flooding this past winter, the committee decided to pivot and look to rebuild these courts to safeguard our long-term future.”

The club has also announced that it will be looking into completing more renovations to the grounds and building, including new fencing, a new seating area, increased accessibility for wheelchair users, and secure bike storage. 

It comes at as the club has seen an increase in members, with more than 1,000 people using its facilities last year – with around 50 using the courts every week – increasing the need for the renovations, the club said.

It has also announced plans to launch a junior disability tennis session in the summer, adding that the increased accessibility thanks to the renovations will allow more tennis players of any age and ability to enjoy the courts. 

Discussing how the renovations will be funded, Jonathan explained: “After researching funding options to assist our own club’s sinking fund and fundraising efforts, we found a couple of grants that could help, and also enable us to expand the project scope to ensure the club is set for the future in several other ways.

“It’s all very exciting and we’ve secure around 80% of the total project cost, in the region of £230,000, and we’re preparing a bid for another grant to secure the remaining £50,000 in the coming weeks.”

According to Jonathan, the project is expected to be completed by late summer or early autumn.