Sheffield Tennis Clubs welcomed the return of tennis this week in the initial phase of the Government\u2019s roadmap out of lockdown, after months of uncertainty.<\/p>\n
The news came after the Government gave the green light for courts to reopen from 29 March after venues were closed to the public since December.<\/p>\n
Clubs across Sheffield have said they would continue to follow strict government guidelines in preparation for the reopening of courts.<\/p>\n
Steven Jackson,30, Chair of Brentwood Tennis Club in Nether Edge said: \u201cHaving to close for the last few months has been very difficult but hopefully the end is in sight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Structural Engineer reassured the public of the extra safety precautions in place following guidance from the tennis governing body, Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).<\/a><\/p>\n Mr Jackson said: \u201cTennis is a naturally a socially distanced sport, we are taking the Coronavirus restrictions very seriously and we believe we have made the club a very safe environment to play tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n The club also faced a huge financial burden after its membership fees were slashed by the cancellation of events and tennis fixtures.<\/p>\n Mr Jackson added: \u201cLosing a significant proportion of our main source of income has been difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cWe received some very generous government support which we are grateful for because this has allowed us to somewhat weather the storm.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has no doubt been one of the most difficult periods in the club\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n