King George V Playing Fields named Essex ‘Park Venue of the Year’ in 2025/26 LTA Awards

Essex Tennis described the level of competition this year as “high quality”, making King George V’s selection as the county winner an exceptional achievement.

Once derelict and unusable, the courts at King George V Playing Fields were brought back to life in September 2024 thanks to a shared vision and positive partnership working between Hadleigh Park Lawn Tennis Club, Castle Point Borough Council, CYP Yellow Door, the Lawn Tennis Association and Active Essex. Together, these organisations have helped create accessible, high quality tennis opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

This collaboration delivered the first Free Park Tennis programme in Essex outside Greater London. The weekly, inclusive, no cost sessions welcome people of all ages and backgrounds, proudly reconnecting local residents with a sport they previously had no access to. The next phase will focus on developing a new local coaching workforce to help residents progress from Free Park Tennis into structured coaching and club membership. 

Cllr Michael Fuller, Castle Point Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment said: “This award highlights the impact that collaborative working can have on our community. By bringing partners and volunteers together, we have been able to reopen much needed facilities and make tennis accessible to residents of all ages and backgrounds. We are extremely proud of what has been achieved at King George V Playing Fields.”

Alex Hawkins, CEO of CYP Yellow Door said: “I am delighted that we have received the award and am grateful to all the hard work volunteers and our partners have put in to help us achieve it.” 

King George V Playing Fields will now go forward to the LTA National Finals and Excellence Awards, where it will be considered alongside other county winners from across the country.