Three full-size all-weather courts and four mini courts have replaced the old red blaes ones. The new courts are all floodlit. Over £257,000 has been invested in the project by Glasgow City Council, the Judy Murray Foundation, sportscotland and a host of other partners.

Glasgow Life welcomed funding partners and people from across the local community to mark the opening on Saturday 12 November. Children took part in tennis sessions run by Judy Murray and coaches from Maryhill Community Tennis Club.

The courts are open to the public and are free to use, like all tennis courts operated by Glasgow Life in the city’s parks. A new “Smart Gate” system has also been installed at the courts which will record the number of people using the facility. The system is linked to the floodlights to minimise energy use and ensure they are only on when courts are booked.

Glasgow Life worked with the Friends of Maryhill Park to develop funding options for the courts. The local group helped to drive the project and championed the importance of the courts since 2013.

Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life, said:

These courts are an investment in the health and wellbeing of people in the north of Glasgow and across the city. The benefits of participating in sport are well-known, and facilities like this are vital for helping make tennis more accessible to Glaswegians and getting people active.

This facility is for everyone, whether you are an experienced tennis player, or someone inspired to pick up a racket for the first time. The opening of the courts is exciting news and is a result of hard work by the local community and all the partners involved.

Two local men were trained by the Judy Murray Foundation as part of the project. They are now qualified tennis coaches and provide free sessions to around 60 local children every week.

Judy Murray said:

I’m delighted to have been able to play a part in making this facility happen at Maryhill Park along with a wonderful group of local people, and so pleased to see it open at last. Local community sports facilities like these are vital to making tennis more accessible and getting our nation more active. I look forward to hearing about the progress of the newly formed Maryhill Community Tennis Club.

Forbes Dunlop, Interim Chief Executive, sportscotland said:

At sportscotland we are committed to making sport and physical activity more inclusive and that’s why projects like this one at Maryhill Park are so important. Providing opportunities for sport free of charge and right at the heart of a community, removes some of the barriers to participation.

The tennis courts at Maryhill Park are another great example of what can be achieved by working in partnership with organisations like Glasgow Life and Tennis Scotland. For us it’s more than just providing investment from our Sports Facilities Fund, it’s about working with the right partners to ensure that sport can have a real impact on communities across Scotland.

Friends of Maryhill Park and Maryhill Community Tennis Club co-Chair, Sarah Howitt, said:

This is a huge moment for the community in Maryhill and north Glasgow. We’ve campaigned long and hard for improvements in our park, and this has been a long time coming. For us this is all about community, tennis is seen as an elite sport, but 5 and 6-year-olds don’t know that - for them, it’s just fun. For three years now, we’ve been able to provide free weekly coaching sessions for kids in the area. That will continue, and we will now be able to hold them at this fantastic complex of tennis courts and add sessions for adults too.

Information about how to book a court at Maryhill Park can be found on the ClubSpark website.

Funding partners

• Glasgow City Council
• Glasgow Life
• The Judy Murray Foundation
• sportscotland
• Speirs Gumley
• Western Tennis
• Glasgow Housing Association
• Maryhill and Summerston Community Sports Hub
• LTA/Tennis Scotland
• Area Partnership Fund
• Maryhill Housing Association