Brackendale Fancy Dress, 24-Hour Tennis Marathon

Aim

From 'Rocket Man' to Racket Man....but who'll be 'Still Standing' at sunrise? Celebrity-themed 24-hour tennis marathon, to fund new courts.

Who are we?

Brackendale Lawn Tennis Club has been serving the local community since 1933, providing affordable, inclusive tennis and an important social hub for players of all ages.

For more than 90 years, our club has brought people together through sport, friendship and community spirit. We are proud to be a welcoming, volunteer-run club where players of all abilities can enjoy tennis, stay active and build lasting connections.

From coaching and league tennis to social play and community events, we are committed to ensuring that tennis remains accessible, affordable and enjoyable for current and future generations.

Today, we need your help to protect that legacy and secure the future of our club for decades to come.....and we're going all out with a spectacular day of fun-filled, fancy-dress, celebrity capers! 

Why are we crowdfunding?

With fewer than 150 members, budgets are tight. But today we face a significant challenge: two of our five courts, having been there for 10+ years have reached the end of their life and need replacing to avoid closure during wetter or winter months. 

Closure of courts during parts of the year limits opportunities for coaching, league matches, junior development and community participation. Support through this funding would help ensure we can continue serving local residents and opening tennis up to more, for many years to come.

Our objective is to have the right facilities and opportunities for players of all ages, to create an environment that allows everyone to be active in our community; whether it be existing or new members. 

This Video shows how unusable the courts have now become in heavy rain!

How we’ll spend the money raised

With your support, we'll replace Courts 1 & 2 at Brackendale LTC, helping to secure the future of tennis at the club for years to come.

Our goal is to install a high-quality artificial grass surface, such as TigerTurf, providing a safe, all-weather playing surface that can be used year-round, whatever the weather. Based on current estimates, replacement costs are expected to be £30 - £40,000 per court, including shock pads to improve comfort and reduce impact, as well as any necessary structural or foundation repairs beneath the surface.

A structural survey is scheduled for the week commencing 6th July, after which we will publish a full breakdown of project costs and specifications.

If We Exceed Our Target:

Any additional funds raised will be reinvested into further improvements that benefit both our members and the wider community, including:

🎾 New Court Nets (£1,000)
Replacing ageing nets across the club to enhance playing conditions.

🏡 Clubhouse Improvements (£7,000)
Upgrading our kitchen and bar facilities, enabling us to host more social events and community activities throughout the year.

🏆 Team Coaching Programme (£10,000 per year)
Supporting our dedicated league teams through structured coaching, helping players develop their skills and improve Brackendale's competitive performance.

Community impact

Replacing these courts is essential if we are to continue supporting our existing members and remain accessible to future generations of grassroots players. Many of our young players make great friendships at our junior coaching and holiday camps, giving them time away from their screens. Many of our older members rely on the club not only for exercise, but also for companionship, well-being and social connection. For this reason, we are seeking to install a high-quality, all-weather surface that offers excellent grip, drainage and joint comfort. Unfortunately, these aren't cheap.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st August 2026 at 11:59pm