Priory Tennis Club scoops prestigious honour

Priory Tennis Club in Stalybridge is celebrating after scooping a prestigious honour.

The club, based on Mottram Road, received the LTA Cheshire Parks & Community Award for 2022.

Club coach, Andy Perry, was also nominated in the Cheshire Coach of the Year category.

Priory won the award following their efforts to engage the local community in variety of ways. Specifically, the club targeted disabled adults and provided them with the opportunity to have access to specialised coaching and equipment with support from a grant.

The club, which saw a boom in memberships despite Covid-19, has also engaged with the Open Court Programme, providing disability programmes. Priory have also encouraged the next generation of players to take up the sport by offering fully funded tennis camps in conjunction with the Tameside Sport and Physical Activity Network. 

Such has been the transformation at the club in recent years, with significant improvements made to the courts and clubhouse, Priory was also named as the runner-up in the Club of the Year category for 2021.

The club also celebrated its centenary at the end of July 2021, with a mixture of old and new players gathering at the facility to mark the occasion with balloons, cake and trophies. Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds also attended the event, alongside former Civic Mayor of Tameside Cllr Janet Cooper. 

On the court, it was a memorable 2021 for the club with the men's first team securing promotion for a sixth consecutive time. As a result, they have made history and will be competing in division one for the first time ever. 

Meanwhile, the women’s teams both finished third in their leagues.