Mark Eadle, who took over Jesmond Dene Real Tennis Club last year, hopes to raise the club’s profile in Jesmond and get young people involved in the sport.

The club, which dates back to 1894, has in recent years struggled to shake off the ‘elitist’ connotation often associated with the sport.

To counter that, Eadle has made plans to boost the popularity of the club by securing funding for schools to visit for sessions in the hope it will encourage more children and young people to become members.

“I want to have a real focus on getting kids and students back into the club and try tennis, as it is such a great sport to get into,” he said. “I don’t feel like people in the area have enough awareness of how special the building here really is.”

It has been a turbulent year for sport and leisure facilities with many clubs calling for an exemption for tennis courts from COVID lockdown rules, due to positive effects on mental and physical health and the low risks involved in the socially distanced game.

However once the club is able to reopen – which was announced this week by prime minister Boris Johnson – Eadle hopes it will start a new era for the club with a renewed focus on getting involved with the Jesmond community.

The club is also offering an apprenticeship to a young person who will be taught how to play tennis at a professional level, eventually going on to coach and help run the club in the future.

Eadle said: “We’re looking for someone who has a passion for sport but doesn’t have to have specifically played tennis before.

“We would cater to what the individual person requires and if they feel up to it could result in a qualification in sports management. It’s an excellent opportunity for someone who has a natural talent for sport.”

For enquiries about bookings or memberships at the tennis club, along with apprenticeship opportunities, please contact club@jdrtc.co.uk or call 0191 2816854.