Dorchester Tennis and Squash Club has been given a new lease of life after receiving a grant of £5,000 to carry out improvements across the club and its facilities.

The courts have been resurfaced and will re-open on 19 January. A £5,000 grant towards the costs was awarded to the club from West Dorset District Council’s Leisure Development Fund. Other grants were also awarded to the club by Sport England, Tesco, Dorset LTA and Pengillys Solicitors.

Mary Penfold, Community Enabling Portfolio Holder at West Dorset District Council, who will attend the opening ceremony at the new improved courts, said: “I am pleased that we have been able to help improve this valuable leisure facility. I hope people will have a great deal of fun playing on the resurfaced courts.”

Keith Mason, Chairman of Dorchester Tennis and Squash Club, said: “The project to improve the courts has gone extremely well. The feedback on the new surface across the age spectrum has been pleasingly positive. I’d like to thanks all our donors for supporting us.”

DTSC is a friendly and sociable club, on Sawmills Avenue in Dorchester, where all ages and abilities are catered for. The club has been in existence since 1949 and is a members run club.