Merthyr Tennis Club serves an ace with £2,000 donation from local housebuilder – Herald.Wales

MERTHYR Tennis Club has received a generous donation of £2,000 from the housebuilders behind an upcoming development in Merthyr Tydfil.

Persimmon Homes East Wales made the donation to the local tennis club after the club’s successful application to the five-star developer’s Community Champions scheme.

The cheque was presented to the club by Persimmon, with Merthyr Mayor, Cllr John Thomas, local county councillors Cllr Andrew Barry, Cllr David Jones, and Cllr Julia Jenkins in attendance.

Merthyr Tydfil Tennis Club was established in 1978 and is situated on Queens Road in Thomastown, Twynyrodyn. The funds will be used by the club towards improving its facilities, particularly its court surfaces.

Persimmon has started construction at their Porth y Dyffryn site on land between Oak Tree Rise and Wallhead Road in the south of the town. The first of 121 high-quality, new homes for local families are on the market with prices starting from £209,995.

Persimmon’s Community Champions scheme donates £48,000 to good causes and much-valued organisations across Wales each year. Recent local recipients include Twynyrodyn Community School PTFA, Merthyr RFC and Heads of the Valleys Amateur Boxing Club in Ebbw Vale.

Victoria Williams, Sales Director at Persimmon Homes East Wales, said:

“Persimmon is thrilled to support Merthyr Tennis Club as part of our commitment to the communities where we build. The club provides fantastic opportunities for physical activity and social interaction, which are essential for community well-being.

“Our Community Champions scheme is designed to help worthy causes in the areas we serve, and Merthyr Tennis Club is a perfect example of the kind of organisation we are proud to support.

“Porth y Dyffryn offers a range of beautiful new build homes, from one-bedroom starter homes through to five-bedroom family home – meaning there’s something for everyone, from first-time buyers to growing families. We want our future residents to benefit from the vibrant community activities that clubs like Merthyr Tennis offer.”

Merthyr Tennis Club coach, Stuart Baker, expressed his gratitude:

“We are immensely grateful to Persimmon for this generous donation. Being selected as a recipient of their Community Champions scheme is a significant boost for us.

“The funds will go a long way in enhancing our facilities, allowing us to offer better services to our members and attract more young people to the sport.

“This donation will help us in our mission to provide excellent opportunities for physical activity, skill development, and community engagement, ensuring a brighter future for local people in Merthyr.”

The proposals for Persimmon’s new development in Merthyr include a significant area of open green space in the northern part of the site which will include climbing boulders, balancing logs and grassed mounds.

In the southern part of the site, there will be a large multi-functional area of open green space, which will form part of a sustainable drainage scheme for the development.

An active travel route will also be installed along the main highway in the western part of the site for pedestrians and cyclists, linking to the playground and Penheolferthyr to the north, and the open spaces and existing trails to the south.

As part of the development, Persimmon will also partner with a local housing association, who will receive 12 properties at the Twynyrodyn site as part of the housebuilder’s wider contribution to the local community.