Team GB tennis player to coach local club's open day

Corfe Mullen Lawn Tennis Club will be hosting an open day, with coaching by a Team GB player, after struggling with a loss of members post-pandemic.

Luke Fowell, treasurer of the club, said that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic many of their older members had both aged and had a long break from the sport.

Luke Fowell, Treasurer of Corfe Mullen Lawn Tennis Club. (Image: Corfe Mullen Lawn Tennis Club)

He said: “As you get older, having a break from anything and then trying to get back into it is really difficult.

“So I think we struggled with people’s nervousness of returning.”

Luke added that the decrease in members became ‘a catching trend,’ with more people not returning.

“It means the club sessions are not so full and therefore, it’s hard to encourage new members to join because we’re not as active as we once were.”

“But with that in mind, we still manage to be really competitive for how little members we have.

“For a small club, we’re competing with the likes of West Hants and East Dorset who are far superior in terms of facilities and numbers, but we’re still competing and beating them.”

Corfe Mullen Lawn Tennis Club currently only has around 30 members and needs at least 10 to 20 more in order to keep the club running.

“It’s the lowest number we’ve seen since it began, which is why we’re trying to do something about it.

“We’re having an open day to spread the word, let people see the great little club that we area and see if we can turn things around.”

The open day will be held on Saturday, July 1 from 2pm to 5pm at Corfe Mullen’s Recreation Ground.

The club has partnered up with Corfe Mullen Junior Tennis Club to provide coaching, led by Team GB Tennis Player, Phillip Loose, to help grow both teams.

The event is designed for those with a basic understanding of tennis and attendees should bring their own racket.