Tennis players and spectators now have more ways to stay cool courtside, thanks to a donation from the Churchill Private Hospital Trust to the Marlborough Tennis Club.
The funds, as part of the Trust’s annual community donations which this year totalled more than $70,000 across 21 different community groups, went towards the purchase of new shade sails and seating shelters.
Marlborough Tennis Club President Bill Taylor says the shade sails and roofed wooden shelter seats are “a great help” to players and spectators alike.
“It’s important to us because of the hot Blenheim sunshine, and it’s one of the most popular things we’ve done in the last 10 years. Everybody loves them and it’s a great benefit.”
The shaded areas means players can sit down and rest between games, and spectators, including the many parents who take their children to play tennis, can enjoy the matches on the grandstand without the risk of sunburn. Bill says it’s also important that, if anyone becomes unwell, there are now many shaded options to take them to for immediate relief from the heat.
Bill says the tennis club’s promotion of sun safety – including availability of free sunscreen – and overall good health was one of the reasons why they applied to the Churchill Private Hospital Trust.
“The shading is an integral part of our total package of encouraging people to look after themselves in the sun.”
The sails and shelters were paid for with a combination of club funds, a donation from late patron Harold O’Neill, and Churchill.
Churchill Private Hospital Trust general manager Nicki Stretch says the donation towards shade at the tennis courts fitted well with the Trust’s overall goal of supporting the health and wellness of Marlborough residents.
“New Zealand has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Making a contribution towards the tennis club’s shade sails, which will ensure players and spectators have more options to get out of the hot sun, is one way in which we can contribute to hopefully reduce those statistics.”
