The University of Bristol has been entrusted with £70,000 of the investment to fund a new Director of Tennis, whose job it will be to help to make significant improvements to the University’s tennis provision for students, staff and the community.

The regional launch of the initiative, which is being called; ‘Transforming British Tennis Together’ is to be held at Coombe Dingle on Thursday 13 July and will include free coaching for local school children by some of the university’s finest junior players.

Andy Trott, University of Bristol’s new Director of Tennis, said: “More than 500 people use the university’s Coombe Dingle Tennis Centre each week for recreational, coached and competitive tennis. I will be launching a range of new courses and programmes this Autumn to open up 300 new places for our ever-growing community of tennis players.”

The University of Bristol Tennis Club is one of the largest student clubs in the South of England with approximately 190 members. They currently have five teams competing in the British Universities and Colleges Sport leagues and in 2017-18 the ladies first team will be competing in the National Premier League, the highest level of University tennis in the UK.

Junior tennis coaching is a vital part of University of Bristol Tennis, with approximately 275 children aged 4 to 18 coming for tennis lessons each week. The coaching team work with many talented young players who represent Avon, the South West and even GB.