At TaAF we love hearing stories of how our teams are breaking down barriers to make accessing physical activity easier for their communities!
Rossendale Leisure Trust has been awarded “Park Venue of the Year” by Tennis Lancashire, thanks to the success of their Barclays Free Park Tennis sessions at Whitaker Park. But this isn’t just about an award, it’s about what it represents: a shift in how opportunities for physical activity are created, delivered, and sustained.
These weekly sessions, which run every Saturday morning, have welcomed over 500 participants since launching in the summer of 2024. They’re completely free, open to all ages and abilities, and most importantly, owned by the community.
Led TaAF leads at Rossendale Leisure Trust who work on shared roles with TaAF and a local LTA Tennis Activator, the sessions have been designed with sustainability at their core.
Key to the project is the journey of Tahira Parveen, who started as a participant, completed the free LTA Activator course, and is now helping to lead the sessions. Tahira’s participation reflects on the importance of community-driven leadership, supported by the leisure trust to create shared ownership of the project. Through training up members of the community to lead, they’re building a model that lasts.
As Phillip Holden, Rossendale Leisure Trust Operations Manager, says:
“We are thrilled to receive this award! It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, especially Mark and Tahira, and the wonderful community who come along every Saturday. Our sessions are all about making tennis fun and accessible for everyone, and this award validates our efforts.”
Mark Walsh, LTA Tennis Activator:
“It’s fantastic to see the positive impact these free sessions have on the community. This award is a fantastic recognition of the collaborative effort to make this happen.”
The project is part of the wider work the team are doing around creating more active parks and spaces. Along with their volunteer-led Junior ParkRuns, Yoga in the Parks, tennis sessions, health walks and more they are creating a movement across the borough to allow communities to lead on physical activity initiatives in a way that feels meaningful and fun for them.
We’re pleased to see this recognition for Rossendale Leisure Trust and the team behind the sessions. It reflects the kind of sustainable, community-led approach that’s central to long-term change. This is just one example of how shifting systems and building local capacity can open up access to physical activity in a way that lasts.
For more information about the great work the Rossendale TaAF team are doing visit their website