Two decades of hard work has resulted in Richmond Lawn Tennis Club finally being able to serve year-round play to its members.

The Mayor of Richmond, councillor Lisa Blakemore, joined members at Old Deer Park to officially switch on the club’s new state-of-the-art floodlights.

The new LED floodlights cost more than £125,000 to purchase and install, £30,000 of which has been raised by members of the Richmond Lawn Tennis Club, with the Lawn Tennis Association providing the remaining £95,000 in the form of a grant (£45,000) and a loan (£50,000).

Chairwoman of the Richmond Lawn Tennis Club, Ailsa Williams, said: “It has long been the club’s aim to provide year-round floodlit courts for our members and we are thrilled that this has finally come to fruition.

“Our beautiful setting in Old Deer Park, overlooked by Kew’s iconic pagoda, brought with it a number of challenges in terms of obtaining planning permission to install the lights, but we are delighted that these have now been overcome and that the Lawn Tennis Association has agreed to support us with the all-important funding necessary to bring this project to life.”

Under the terms of its planning permission, Richmond Lawn Tennis Club’s floodlights will operate until 9pm each evening, enabling the club to offer year-round junior coaching after school, team practice and bookable courts for members.