Boost for Dewsbury tennis club after donation from house-builder

Thornhill Tennis Club received a £1,000 cash donation courtesy of Persimmon Homes’ Community Champions initiative which offers local charities and organisations the opportunity to bid for match-funded donations of up to £1,000.

The tennis club offered tennis sessions to 800 children in 2019 and organised a disability tennis festival for 76 children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The club also offered a tennis leadership award to 80 teenagers in local high schools.

Zsuzsanna Puskas, club secretary at Thornhill Tennis Club, said: “We are so pleased to have been awarded this generous donation from Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire.

“The funding boost will mean that we can provide local children with the opportunity to participate in sport through tennis sessions and the sports day.”

The donation from Persimmon Homes will enable the club to offer free sports sessions in schools and to organise a sports day for local school children.

The funding will also contribute to the repairs of the tennis cabin roof at the club which has been flooded as a result of heavy rainfall.

Simon Whalley, sales director for Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted to support such a community-led tennis club that encourages a positive neighbourhood environment and sport participation.

“We’ve made it really simple for groups to apply for funding, and we’re urging groups and charities to apply for next month’s donation by completing an online form at www.persimmonhomes.com/charity.”