A SMALL local tennis club is celebrating a lottery windfall of more than £8,000.

The modest club, based on Lime Grove, Thornton, has been awarded £8,671 from the Lottery Sports Fund towards the cost of upgrading its two existing tennis courts to all-weather surfaces.

Secretary Patricia Mackay said: "Originally we applied to the Foundation for Sports and Art, but their funds dried up and they advised us to apply to the Lottery Fund.

"We made our application last November and we're delighted with the money. It's going to make a big difference.

"Originally we wanted a new clubhouse because the present one is more than 20 years old, but now we are going to get new all-weather surfaces for our two asphalt courts."

The club has approximately 60 adult members and 17 junior members and has been established in the town for 74 years.

Mrs Mackay said: "In the past, the club was a much larger affair with grass courts and a croquet lawn, but when the large Victorian house on Lime Grove was sold we lost a lot of our land.

"These are the only tennis courts in Thornton. We want to keep the sport alive in the town and the money from the Lottery Fund should help us do that."

Thornton Tennis Club is one of seven North West organisations which have received more than £6.75 million in the 16th round of monthly awards from the Lottery Sports Fund.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.