A 90-YEAR-OLD tennis pavilion has been transformed into a learning centre for children.
A major facelift has been carried out on the old building at Thongsbridge Tennis Club to create a multimedia suite.
Schools from across the Colne and Holme valleys will be invited to use the facilities at the new Topspin Study Centre.
The pavilion – originally built in 1917 – has been divided into two large open-plan areas offering a fully-equipped computer suite for 15 students and a multi-purpose area with kitchen and toilets.
The work was carried out as part of the Playing For Success project – a partnership set up between the tennis club, Kirklees Council and the Department for Education and Skills.
Centre manager Iain Solanki-Willats said: “We’ve achieved an incredible amount in less than a year.
“That shows how committed the club and the council have been to the project.”
More than 150 similar centres have been set up at sporting venues across the country including Huddersfield Town.
Fran Perry, head of Kirklees extended learning, said: “The centres give children and young people in Kirklees some of their most exciting learning experiences.
“They work with state-of-the-art technology in professional sporting environments with very skilful staff and we are seeing the evidence that the work is making a difference to children’s learning and their life chances.”
