WEYMOUTH Tennis Club has won the prestigious County Club of the Year award from the Dorset Lawn Tennis Association.

The prize was awarded for the club's outstanding work with young people in the area.

At a presentation at the club's Radipole Park Drive courts, County Development Officer Neil Darragh handed over a plaque and a £250 cheque to club chairman Marion Greenstreet, coach Robbie Dunster, and junior committee member Kate Roberts.

Mr Darragh said: "We are very pleased to award Weymouth Tennis Club with the Club of the Year award. They continue to do outstanding work with their community-based tennis

programme, working with local schools and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to encourage people of all ages and abilities to take up the game.

"They do a fantastic job in providing regular tennis coaching all-year round and they have recently received approval for LTA funding to floodlight their four courts."

He said the County LTA hoped to work with the Weymouth club in the future to develop

good clubhouse facilities and further improve their courts.

Club chairman Marion Greenstreet said they were delighted to receive the award which was recognition for a lot of hard work by devoted club coaches and volunteeers.

"It is mainly to do with encouraging young people to join in and then to keep them interested so they keep playing tennis and develop into good club members," she said.

"Already our efforts are

proving successful. Our adult membership has gone up to just over a hundred with some 70 juniors and it is increasing all the time.

"We are also looking to improve our facilities and we are hopeful of getting our new floodlights installed in time for the winter."